The verdict in three sentences
A generic chatbot plugged into an FAQ resolves 10% to 25% of B2B customer service requests, because business customers mostly ask about stock, pricing and lead times. A custom AI chatbot connected to the catalogue and ERP, priced at EUR 12,000 to 35,000 excl. tax, reaches 40% to 60% of requests resolved without a human at an API cost of EUR 0.01 to 0.05 per conversation. For a distributor receiving 2,500 requests a month, the project pays back in 5 to 7 months, provided you require controlled data residency (Canada or EU) and a full answer log.
Generic chatbot or chatbot connected to your data
The difference does not lie in the AI model, which both options may share, but in access to company data. An electrician asking "do you have 40 32 A breakers in stock at the Mississauga branch and what is my account price?" expects an exact answer, not a link to the contact page.
| Criterion | Generic chatbot (FAQ SaaS) | Chatbot connected to catalogue and ERP |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | EUR 0 to 3,000 | EUR 12,000 to 35,000 excl. tax |
| Monthly operations | EUR 50 to 500 | EUR 400 to 900 (hosting, monitoring, maintenance) |
| AI cost per conversation | EUR 0.50 to 1 per billed resolution | EUR 0.01 to 0.05 of API |
| Questions covered | opening hours, returns, FAQ | stock per branch, account price, lead time, order tracking, datasheets, part cross-references |
| Requests resolved without a human | 10% to 25% | 40% to 60% |
| Data hosting | often outside your jurisdiction | Canada or EU, client's choice |
| Answer log | limited | complete, replayable and auditable |
| Handover to an agent | transfer with history in the CRM |
The answer log is not a detail: it lets you check what the chatbot told a customer about a price or a lead time, and fix the sources when an answer is wrong. It also helps with transparency obligations, such as the EU AI Act requirement to tell users they are talking to an AI, and with Canadian privacy rules (PIPEDA, Quebec Law 25).
What a B2B AI chatbot costs by scope
| Tier | Content | Cost excl. tax | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | searchable catalogue of 20,000 SKUs and datasheets | EUR 12,000 to 18,000 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Tier 2 | ERP read access: stock per branch, account price, order tracking | EUR 18,000 to 26,000 | 10 to 12 weeks |
| Tier 3 | actions: quote request, return creation, website, Teams and WhatsApp | EUR 26,000 to 35,000 | 14 to 16 weeks |
| Operations | controlled hosting, monitoring, monthly improvements | EUR 400 to 900/month | ongoing |
| AI model API | 2,500 conversations x EUR 0.03 | EUR 75/month | variable |
| Customer authentication | pricing answers restricted to logged-in accounts | EUR 2,000 to 4,000 | 2 weeks |
API cost stays marginal: even at EUR 0.05 per conversation, 2,500 monthly exchanges cost EUR 125. The real cost driver is ERP integration, especially when the ERP has no clean API and an intermediate database is needed.
Conditions for reaching 50% resolution
Three prerequisites make the difference. First, clean catalogue data: a chatbot cannot answer correctly if 15% of product records lack technical specifications. Second, an analysis of the last 500 requests to target the 10 reasons that usually account for 70% of volume. Third, a confidence threshold: below it, the chatbot hands over to an agent instead of improvising, which protects relationships with key accounts.
Mini case study
Mark, head of customer service at an electrical equipment distributor in Toronto, receives 2,500 requests a month, handled in 8 minutes on average by agents costing EUR 32 an hour fully loaded, or EUR 10,667 a month. A Tier 2 chatbot at EUR 24,000 resolves 50% of requests, freeing 167 hours and EUR 5,333 a month. After EUR 75 of API and EUR 700 of operations, the net gain reaches EUR 4,558 a month: the investment pays back in just over 5 months, and agents focus on complex quotes.
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FAQ
What resolution rate can a B2B AI chatbot achieve?
Between 40% and 60% of requests for a chatbot connected to the catalogue and ERP, against 10% to 25% for a generic one. The rate improves by 5 to 10 points in the first 3 months thanks to the answer log.
Does our customer data stay in our jurisdiction?
Yes if you require it: hosting in Canada or the EU, an AI model reached through a regional endpoint and a contractual commitment not to reuse data for training. The extra cost is 0% to 15%.
What if the chatbot quotes a wrong price?
Prices are read live from the ERP, never generated by the AI. Every answer is logged with its source, so an error can be traced and fixed within minutes.
Do we need to change ERP to connect a chatbot?
No: 90% of ERPs on the market (Sage, SAP Business One, Odoo, Dynamics, Epicor) connect through an API or an intermediate database. Integration represents EUR 6,000 to 12,000 of the budget.
How long until go-live?
Allow 6 to 8 weeks for Tier 1 and 10 to 12 weeks for Tier 2, including 2 weeks of testing on 300 real requests before opening to customers.
Let's scope your project. Send us your monthly request volume, your ERP and your top 10 contact reasons: we will price a chatbot between EUR 12,000 and 35,000 excl. tax, live in 6 to 16 weeks. 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.
