The AI chatbots handle 50% of all queries

The search for efficiency

Before partnering with Watermelon, MBOwebshop.nl struggled with a high workload on their customer service team. Students often asked basic questions about issues such as license details or book deliveries, which consumed a lot of customer service time. The goal was to handle these common questions quickly and without human intervention.

The implementation of Watermelon's AI chatbots was a turning point. This technology provided instant answers to routine questions, significantly improving response time and reducing pressure on the customer service team. Ferk van Kampen, a marketer at MBOwebshop.nl, emphasizes the efficiency: 'You type your question, and within a few seconds, you have an answer!' By using AI chatbots, the staff could focus on more complex questions, which improved the overall quality of service.

Watermelon supports during growth

Last year, MBOwebshop.nl experienced remarkable growth due to a shift in the educational materials distribution market. 'We were one of the two major players; when the other stopped, our demand exploded,' explains Pascal Timmermans, Director of Customer and Innovation. Watermelon's AI chatbot plays a crucial role in efficiently scaling customer service, allowing the customer service team not to grow proportionally with the company's growth. Watermelon's AI chatbot plays a crucial role in efficiently scaling customer service without hiring additional staff.

'Over half of all incoming inquiries are handled by the AI chatbot, which eliminated recurring questions and helped us remain efficient without extra costs,' says Pascal. He emphasizes again: 'Watermelon's AI chatbots have helped us grow without incurring a significant increase in personnel costs, a crucial factor in our operations during this growth phase.'

Powerful features

Ferk and Pascal mention several features of Watermelon that play a crucial role in improving customer service. They use features like the web crawler, document scraper, and the handoff feature.

The web crawler is a feature that automatically gathers information from added websites. It retrieves useful data such as FAQs, product information, and delivery details, which are directly and automatically integrated into the AI chatbot's knowledge.This ensures that the AI chatbot is always up-to-date with the latest knowledge and can provide relevant answers, resulting in faster and more accurate customer service and less pressure on the support team.

The document scraper works similarly but focuses on extracting information from documents. This feature enables the AI chatbot to answer complex questions about study materials and manuals by having all the necessary information readily available.

Additionally, the handoff feature provides a seamless transition from AI chatbot interactions to human support staff when questions become too complex, for example when something needs to be sorted out or when it concerns one specific customer. This functionality ensures that students receive efficient and personalized help when needed, optimizing the customer service workflow by only forwarding the most complex questions.

Meeting user needs

The company uses five different AI chatbots to effectively meet the unique needs of various user groups, from students to administrators. 'It's important to differentiate between different users', mentions Ferk. Students ask very different questions from administrators, and the way the AI chatbot responds must also differ.

MBOwebshop.nl has also activated the AI chatbot on WhatsApp, allowing them to reach students on a platform they frequently use. 'Students like to text, so the choice of WhatsApp was logical', says Pascal.

Essential for business operations

'Watermelon is essential for MBOwebshop.nl', both Pascal and Ferk state. Especially during the busy high season when students order their educational resources. Watermelon's AI chatbots play a crucial role in managing large volumes of customer inquiries (over 2,000 per month), providing quick responses, and relieving the customer service team to focus on more complex issues.

These AI chatbots are active 24/7, which is essential for students who often seek support in the evenings or during weekends and expect immediate answers. By automatically handling routine questions, the AI chatbots help reduce operational costs by about 35% and increase efficiency, allowing MBOwebshop.nl to improve its customer service capacity without additional staff.

This leads not only to improved customer satisfaction but also speeds up the onboarding process for new employees. This has been shortened from 1 week to half a day. These employees can be more effectively deployed thanks to the AI chatbots that help them quickly become familiar with the most frequently asked questions and business procedures. This makes Watermelon an essential link in the daily operations of MBOwebshop.nl, crucial for both maintaining high customer satisfaction and retaining a competitive position in the market.

Watermelon as a partner

The implementation of Watermelon's AI chatbots at MBOwebshop.nl has led to a significant improvement in customer service efficiency and accessibility. Where waiting time on the phone used to be 5 minutes, it now averages 2 minutes. With continuous updates and new features, Watermelon continues to play a key role in the success and growth of MBOwebshop.nl. 'In Watermelon, we have truly found a partner with which we elevate our customer service to a higher level', concludes Pascal.