Tijmen Vromans
You know the feeling: you open your inbox and see dozens of emails waiting. Customer questions, suppliers, admin... Before you know it, the morning is gone and all you've done is answer emails. But how much does this actually cost you?
The hidden costs of email
Let's do the math. Say you spend 2.5 hours a day on email:
- Per week: 12.5 hours
- Per month: 50 hours
- Per year: 600 hours
That's 75 full working days a year. Just on email. What could you achieve with that time?
Why does email cost so much time?
The problem isn't just in the answering itself:
- Context switching: every time you go to your inbox, it takes 23 minutes to get focused again.
- Repetition: 60–80% of questions are variations on the same themes.
- Perfectionism: we spend too much time crafting the "perfect" answer.
- Urgency versus importance: email feels urgent, but is rarely the most important work.
The solution: smart automation
This is where AI email assistants shine. They can:
- Automatically categorize incoming emails (Urgent, Invoice, Question, etc.).
- Generate draft replies based on your knowledge base.
- Prepare a ready-made draft for standard questions — you send it with one click.
- Prioritize your inbox based on urgency.
Practical tips to start today
Even without AI, you can already save time:
- Batch your email: check your inbox at fixed times (e.g. 9:00, 13:00, 17:00).
- Make templates: for common replies.
- Use filters: let your mail program sort automatically.
- Be concise: not every email needs a novel.
The next step
If you're serious about saving time, an AI email assistant is the logical next step. It knows your FAQs and knowledge base, prepares ready-made drafts for you, and works around the clock — while you focus on what really matters. You always keep the final click.
