Cost per Resolution (CPR) measures the total cost to fully resolve a customer support issue, including all touches across channels and agents. It answers: "What does it actually cost us to solve a customer problem?"

CPR differs from cost per ticket because one customer issue might generate multiple tickets, transfers, and follow-ups before resolution. A ticket might cost $5 to handle, but if the issue requires three tickets to resolve, the CPR is $15 plus the overhead of re-explaining context.

Calculating CPR requires tracking resolution at the issue level, not the ticket level. This means linking related tickets, accounting for reopens, and attributing costs across the full resolution journey. Components typically include: agent time (fully loaded cost), technology costs (per-interaction AI costs, platform fees), and quality costs (rework, escalations, supervisor time).

For AI support, CPR is the ROI metric. If AI resolves issues at $0.50 CPR versus $8 for human agents, the business case is clear—as long as the AI resolutions actually stick. A low CPR with high reopen rates means you're paying twice.

Related terms: Cost per Ticket, Effective Automation Rate, Resolution Rate