The verdict in three sentences
A B2B AI support chatbot, connected to your documentation via RAG, costs in 2026 between 10,000 and 30,000 EUR to build and 200 to 1,500 EUR/month to run (tokens + infra). Well designed, it deflects 30 to 40 % of level-1 tickets and answers in seconds, 24/7. Plan for 4 to 8 weeks of delivery and permanent human supervision to control hallucinations.
Build vs run: the two budgets to anticipate
Many projects fail because they budget the build and forget the run. Here are 2026 orders of magnitude.
| Package | Build (EUR) | Monthly run (EUR) | Ticket deflection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple FAQ chatbot | 10,000 | 200 | 20 % |
| RAG chatbot on docs | 18,000 | 500 | 32 % |
| RAG + CRM history | 24,000 | 900 | 38 % |
| Multichannel assistant (web + email) | 30,000 | 1,500 | 42 % |
The run scales with conversation volume: every exchange consumes tokens. Support handling 1,500 tickets/month generally stays under 900 EUR/month.
What makes a chatbot reliable
The difference between a frustrating chatbot and a helpful one lies in the engineering around the model.
| Component | Impact | Without it |
|---|---|---|
| RAG on up-to-date base | Accurate answers | Stale answers |
| Confidence threshold | Escalate on doubt | Hallucinations |
| Source citation | Customer trust | Unverifiable answers |
| Handoff to human | Complex cases handled | Customer stuck |
| Logging | Continuous improvement | No learning |
Supervision means reviewing low-confidence conversations and enriching the base: it is a recurring run item, not a one-off cost.
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Mini case study
Sophie, customer relations director at a B2B SaaS vendor in Lyon, handles 2,000 tickets/month with 4 agents. 40 % are repetitive questions. She invests 18,000 EUR in a RAG chatbot, run 500 EUR/month.
The bot deflects 32 % of tickets, or 640 tickets/month. At an average handling cost of 6 EUR per ticket, that is 3,840 EUR saved per month. After the run, net gain is 3,340 EUR/month: the build pays back in about 5.5 months, and her agents focus on high-value cases.
FAQ
Will the chatbot make up answers? The risk exists without guardrails. With a confidence threshold and source citation, it escalates to a human rather than hallucinating. That is the core of the engineering.
How much volume before the run explodes? The run follows token volume. Below 3,000 conversations/month, it generally stays under 900 EUR/month. Beyond that, you optimize prompts and caching.
How long to set it up? 4 to 8 weeks depending on complexity. A simple FAQ bot launches in 4 weeks; a CRM-connected assistant needs 6 to 8 weeks.
Can it read my existing documentation? Yes: RAG indexes your PDFs, help pages and knowledge base. The docs must be current, otherwise the bot repeats the mistakes.
What ROI to expect? 30 to 40 % deflection of level-1 tickets, response times in seconds and agents refocused on complex cases. Typical payback is 5 to 8 months.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your ticket volume, channels and indicative budget. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
