What does multilingual customer service cost in 2026? In-house, Pristina or AI

Anyone planning customer service often compares only the hourly wage. That falls short. An hour on the phone costs much more than what appears on the payslip. Here you can see which items belong to it and how in-house, outsourcing and an AI agent compare.

What the costs are made of

1. WagesGross pay is the largest item. For several languages at a high level you usually pay more than for one language.
2. Non-wage labour costsSocial security, paid holiday, sick pay. They come on top of every gross wage.
3. WorkplaceRent, furniture, electricity, cleaning. Working from home also has costs, such as a headset and an allowance.
4. TechnologyPhone system, ticket system, licences per seat, laptop and IT support.
5. ManagementTeam leads, shift planning, training and quality control. Nobody sells this time, but it still has to be paid.
6. Absences and turnoverIllness, holidays and resignations. Every new person needs recruiting, onboarding and weeks before they work confidently.

In-house in Germany: the benchmark

According to the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), an hour worked in Germany cost 45 euros on average in 2025, across industry and services. This figure includes wages and non-wage labour costs. Paid absences are already included, because the costs are divided by the hours actually worked. Source: Destatis, press release no. 148 of 29 April 2026.

The figure is an average across all sectors. In customer service it may be lower. On the other hand, it leaves out workplace, technology, management and the cost of new staff. The same calculation applies to Austria and Switzerland, just with your country's figures.

Outsourcing to Pristina

With krejton you pay a fixed price per hour, for a dedicated team that works only for you or in the partner model for call centres that need extra agents or languages. The hourly rate depends on languages, hours and volume. The krejton quote is available on request, in writing within two working days.

Training on your product, reports and cover are included in the price, and with a dedicated team the team lead as well. If someone is absent, that is our job, not yours. Pristina is in the same time zone as Berlin, Vienna and Zurich, so office hours carry no night surcharge.

You start with a 14-day trial. After that the contract runs for at least six months.

AI agent: you pay for usage

An AI voice agent answers calls, handles standard questions and books appointments. You pay for usage, per minute or per call, plus a one-off setup. There is no minimum term. The krejton quote is available on request.

For your own calculation, call minutes are what counts: 1,000 calls a month of three minutes each make 3,000 minutes. Idle time between calls costs nothing. The agent passes complex issues and complaints to a person.

What fits your needs

Many short, similar calls point to an AI agent. Advice, complaints and several channels point to people. A mix often works best: the AI agent covers peaks and off-hours, the team handles the rest.

For your own comparison, add up all six items, not just wages. Then you see what an hour really costs you today.