What the Forrester TEI Study Says About the Real ROI of the Intelligent CX Platform
August 8, 2025
Not long ago, I was sitting with a contact center executive who said something that’s stuck with me: “I don’t need more tech. I need something that works—something that actually moves the needle.”
That’s why I’m excited to dig into the new Forrester Total Economic Impact™ of the Five9 Intelligent CX Platform, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Five9, published in May 2025.
This isn’t theoretical. This Forrester TEI study is based on real customer interviews and delivers a clear business case for CX transformation. It highlights how organizations are using the Five9 Intelligent CX Platform to boost efficiency, reduce costs, and elevate customer and agent experiences—all while driving serious ROI.
Let’s walk through what stood out.
A 212% ROI and $14.5M in NPV? That’s the New CX at Work
The study examined the experience of a composite organization based on interviews with six Five9 customers. Here’s what Forrester found over a three-year horizon:
These numbers tell a powerful story. For every dollar invested in the Five9 Intelligent CX Platform, organizations saw more than double the return. After accounting for all costs, they gained $14.5 million in net value. That’s $21.3 million in real, measurable benefits, against just $6.8 million spent. And with payback achieved in under six months, value didn’t just come eventually; it came quickly.
Those numbers speak for themselves. But behind them is a bigger story: how the right combination of AI, cloud, and partnership doesn’t just improve CX, it can transform your business.
The Five9 Intelligent CX Platform: Where Real Results Begin
One of the most significant findings in the study was a contact containment rate of up to 28% by Year 3 using AI Agents. That’s hundreds of thousands of routine interactions that never needed a human agent—freeing teams to focus on what really requires empathy and expertise.
And for the contacts that did require a live agent? Automation saved 120 seconds per interaction with a live agent. That time adds up fast, especially in high-volume environments. Agents spend less time on repetitive work—and more time listening, solving, and showing up for customers in ways that drive satisfaction and loyalty. As one healthcare CTO said, “We’ve seen our Net Promoter Score rise to 90.7% and [our] CSAT [increased] to 97%. Five9’s tools help us deliver a faster, more personalized experience.”
That’s the impact of giving agents room to do what they do best: be human.
The impact goes deeper. The study found a 30% drop in agent turnover, driven by improved tools, a better experience, and the flexibility to work remotely. That’s not just a line item—it’s a cultural shift. And it shows up in everything from CSAT to NPS to team morale.
The Power of Partnership, Not Just Platform
Here’s a quote from the study that really hit home for me:
“Other companies may offer similar technology, but the relationship, responsiveness, and commitment to our success is what sets Five9 apart.” — Workforce Manager, Automotive Retail
We hear this a lot from customers—and we don’t take it for granted.
This Forrester TEI study reinforces that it's not just about the software. It's about how you show up. How you guide customers through complexity. How you earn trust. That’s what our Technical Account Managers, our CSM’s, and our Services teams do every day.
And it’s not just a “support” function. It’s a strategic layer of trusted experts that help customers optimize over time—whether they’re scaling new AI use cases, improving uptime, According to a lead application analyst in the healthcare industry, “Five9 has 99.999% uptime. It’s entirely cloud-based with a very geographically diverse data-center setup with replication at both sites.”
Just as importantly, the study reflects a deeper truth: when it comes to AI, how it’s delivered matters just as much as what it does. A CX platform with AI built in from the ground up—not bolted on after the fact—creates a unified, intelligent experience for agents, customers, and business leaders. It works smarter because it was designed that way from day one.
And that’s where Five9’s CX expertise really shines. We don’t just know AI—we know contact centers. We’ve walked in your shoes. That’s why our customers trust us not only to implement technology, but to help them rethink what great service looks like.
Why This TEI Study Matters Now
We’re at a crossroads in CX. Legacy systems are holding teams back. Customers expect real-time, personalized service. Agents are burned out. And AI is rewriting the rules faster than most orgs can adapt.
The Five9 Intelligent CX Platform and our CX experts were built for this moment. And the Forrester TEI study makes the value case crystal clear.
If you’re evaluating platforms—or simply wondering if your current tools are delivering the ROI your business needs—this study gives you a proven framework to assess impact.
Because transformation isn’t just about technology. It’s about outcomes. And it’s about people.
The New CX starts here.
