Work out chatbot deflection rate instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Containment is the share of conversations closed without escalation to a human, and cost avoided is that count times the fully loaded cost of an agent contact. The metric is easy to game: abandoned conversations and users who give up and phone instead both count as contained unless you check resolution separately, so containment should always be reported alongside a satisfaction or repeat-contact measure.
Deflection
deflection rate = resolved without agent / total conversations; cost avoided = deflected x cost per agent contact
Exclude abandoned sessions, and track repeat contacts within 24 hours. A conversation that ends because the user gave up is a failure counted as a success.
Well-scoped FAQ and account-status use cases reach 60 to 80 percent. Broad open-ended support is much lower, and pushing the number by refusing to escalate destroys satisfaction.