Why ROI Isn’t Just About Cost Savings

While traditional ROI metrics often focus on cost reduction, the real value of modern CX transformation lies in efficiency, satisfaction, and strategic enablement.

Recent industry research, including the latest Forrester Total Economic Impact (TEI) of Zendesk report, highlights the measurable returns of investing in AI-powered customer experience platforms such as Zendesk. But the organisations seeing the greatest impact aren’t just deploying technology - they’re optimising it.

At Route 101, we’ve seen this first-hand.

Beyond Cost Savings: The Broader ROI of CX Transformation

Here’s how forward-thinking organisations are realising value across multiple dimensions:

Reducing Contact Volumes Through Smarter Self-Service

A leading retail and betting brand achieved:

• 42% reduction in shop calls
• 17% drop in customer service calls
• 58% fewer messaging chats
• 50% overall reduction in contact volume

➡️ Result: Lower operational costs and improved agent focus.

Check out the full story here.

Driving Productivity and Agent Retention

A fintech provider delivered:

• 25% increase in productivity
• 20% reduction in attrition

➡️ Result: A more efficient, engaged workforce and £60,000 in Annualised Savings.

Maximising Efficiency

A healthcare staffing organisation saved:

• 600+ hours/month through reduced talk time
• 930+ hours/month via IVR containment and fewer phone contacts
• Over £347,000/year in combined savings

➡️ Result: Scalable service delivery with measurable ROI.

Eliminating Manual Workload at Scale

A national transport provider removed 300–500 manual triaging tasks per day

➡️ Result: Faster resolution and reduced agent fatigue.

Improving Responsiveness and Customer Satisfaction

A wholesale distributor saw:

• 90% improvement in agent first reply time
• 12% increase in customer satisfaction
• 41% improvement in SLA performance

➡️ Result: Stronger customer relationships and brand loyalty.

Check out the full story here.

Scaling AI for Service Automation

A hardware and trade supplier achieved:

• 75% of tickets successfully handled by AI
• 84% of conversations fully understood by the bot
• 62% deflection rate from live agents

➡️ Result: Reduced manual workload and faster service delivery.

Delivering Exceptional First Response and CSAT

Leading rewards club achieved:

• >99%faster first response time vs SLA, often under 30 minutes
• 87%ticket deflection rate based on help centre view-to-ticket ratio
• 6%CSAT
• 50%reduction in query handling time through knowledge base optimisation

➡️ Result: High-speed service, empowered customers, and measurable satisfaction.

Read the full story here.

The Real ROI: Empowered Teams, Happier Customers, Smarter Operations

The TEI report validates the financial case for investing in CX platforms. But the organisations seeing the most value are those that go further - optimising their technology, empowering their people, and aligning every interaction with business outcomes.

At Route 101, we help organisations realise this broader ROI - through strategic design, intelligent automation, and continuous improvement.

Ready to move beyond cost savings?

Let’s talk about how we can help you unlock the full value of your CX technology investment.