@Millcore: I wonder if those calculations included the cost of employee turnover, retraining, and growing ill will from customer service professionals toward the customers themselves. Is there a point of diminishing returns for the industry itself?

@CCoyote: Turnover doesn't tend to be a problem as long as new people keep coming in looking for work and the training isn't expensive. If there are diminishing returns for the way things are then it may be that its already leveled off, sadly.