Let us do the maths. No marketing fluff. Just numbers.
The human cost
A part-time customer service person in the UK costs approximately:
- Minimum wage (2026): 12.21 per hour
- Part-time (20 hours/week): 976.80 per month
- Plus employer NI (13.8%): 1,111.66 per month total cost
- Messages handled per hour: approximately 15-20 (including research time)
- Messages per month (20hrs/week): approximately 1,200-1,600
Cost per message: 0.69 to 0.93 pence
And they do not work evenings, weekends, or bank holidays. Those are the hours your customers message most.
The AI cost
Zivvo Pro plan:
- Monthly cost: 19 per month
- Messages included: 2,000
- Cost per message: 0.95 pence
- Works: 24/7/365, all channels, any language
Zivvo Business plan:
- Monthly cost: 69 per month
- Messages included: 10,000
- Cost per message: 0.69 pence
- Plus: advanced analytics, priority support
The real comparison
| | Human (part-time) | Zivvo Pro | Zivvo Business | |---|---|---|---| | Monthly cost | 1,112 | 19 | 69 | | Messages/month | 1,400 | 2,000 | 10,000 | | Cost/message | 0.79p | 0.95p | 0.69p | | Available hours | 20/week | 168/week | 168/week | | Languages | 1-2 | Any | Any | | Sick days | Yes | No | No | | Training time | 2-4 weeks | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | | Consistency | Variable | 100% | 100% |
The hidden costs of humans
The table above does not include:
- Recruitment costs: job ads, interviews, references
- Training time: 2-4 weeks before they are productive
- Turnover: average customer service tenure is 12 months, then you start again
- Errors: humans give wrong information too, but without a verification system
- Holiday cover: someone else needs to answer when they are away
The hidden advantage of AI
The AI learns from every interaction. When you reply to an escalated question, the AI caches your answer. Next time someone asks the same thing, the AI answers instantly with your verified response. Over time, fewer questions escalate. Your AI employee gets better every day.
Who should NOT use AI?
Be honest: AI is not right for every business.
- If your customer interactions require deep emotional intelligence (therapy, counselling), keep humans
- If every query is unique and complex (bespoke consulting), AI will escalate most questions
- If you handle fewer than 50 messages per month, the time saved may not justify even 19/month
For everyone else, especially businesses that get repetitive questions about prices, hours, services, and availability, AI is not just cheaper. It is better.
Try it free at zivvo.ai. See how many of your customer questions the AI can handle from your documents.