Are Chatbot Investments a Necessity or a Luxury for Egyptian Outsourcing Companies?
A number of professionals in the outsourcing services industry agree that investing in smart chat applications, or “chatbots,” has become a necessity to boost operational efficiency, reduce costs, and stay competitive with global companies in terms of both technology and price.
They noted that some Egyptian companies have begun to cautiously explore this new development in using AI technology to enhance their operations.
This includes conducting initial studies to identify the best implementation paths to grow their customer base and increase revenues.
A recent report by explodingtopics.com projects that the global chatbot market will reach $46.6 billion by 2029, up from $15.6 billion at the end of this year.
According to the report, the average return on investment (ROI) for every dollar spent on developing chatbot programs is an estimated $8, especially since they contribute to a 67% increase in sales for the companies that use them.
Fouad: Development Requires a Relatively Moderate Cost
Shaimaa Fouad, CEO of Winners Outsourcing Services, stated that relying on chatbot technology is now essential for outsourcing companies given the global trend toward improving operational efficiency and lowering costs.
She highlighted that practical experience has proven its effectiveness for both companies and clients.
Fouad added that one of her company’s e-commerce clients faced significant challenges before implementing a chatbot.
Over 50 employees were dedicated to answering customer inquiries, while repetitive questions made up about 70% of inbound calls.
This resulted in high monthly costs and increased pressure on the teams.
She explained that implementing the chatbot changed the entire landscape.
The system is now capable of providing automated responses to frequently asked questions about order status, return policies, and promotions.
It was also integrated with tracking systems to allow customers to check their order location without needing to call an employee.
For complex issues, such as payment problems or lost shipments, the conversation is automatically transferred to a human agent, who is provided with a complete summary of the situation to facilitate handling.
Fouad described the results as “impressive,” stating that the client successfully reduced the volume of calls by 30-40% and saved an amount equivalent to the salaries of 15 employees, or approximately 200,000 EGP annually.
This allowed the company to reassign human resources to handle issues requiring direct intervention.
Regarding the costs of adopting chatbots, she explained that the initial investment is relatively moderate due to the need for development and integration with other systems like CRM or ERP.
However, the long-term cost decreases gradually compared to hiring a large number of employees to cover the same volume of interactions.
Fouad concluded by affirming that the market is now seeing the emergence of ready-made, cloud-based solutions with flexible pricing models based on usage.
This makes these technologies accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), confirming that chatbots are no longer a luxury but a necessity for improving service quality and achieving tangible savings.
Moqbel: Tel Talk Plans to Use AI for the First Phase of Customer Service
Mohamed Moqbel, General Manager of Tel Talk Outsourcing, said his company plans to use AI technology for the first phase of customer service by the end of this year.
He explained that investing in smart chat applications has become a necessity to keep pace with rapid technological advancements and enhance competitiveness and survival.
Moqbel confirmed that his company is currently developing different projects in several countries to improve customer service efficiency using modern technology, and details will be announced later.
Fahmy: Quatro is Studying How to Use AI in Its Operations
Karim Fahmy, Head of Quatro Outsourcing Services, pointed out that investing in chatbots is now an urgent necessity for the industry.
This will yield positive returns in the near future, enabling Egyptian companies to compete technologically and financially with their global counterparts.
Fahmy stated that his company is currently studying how to implement modern AI programs to enhance its customer service system and expects to complete an initial plan before the end of 2025.
