How R-Vent generates more quotations

"At first, we didn't think a chatbot was very customer friendly," says René Cas, Commercial Director at R-Vent. "At the same time, we noticed that customers wanted to find information outside office hours. AI isn't a replacement for personal contact. It's a way to extend that personal service."

That idea shaped the entire selection process. The question wasn't which AI solution had the most features, but which one best matched the way R-Vent had been serving customers for years.

Looking for a solution they could trust

R-Vent's website search function increasingly fell short, while many installers only had time in the evening to search for products or prepare quotations. The company wanted a solution that could support customers outside office hours. During the very first demo with Watermelon, an AI Agent was already running on their own website. According to Commercial Director René Cas, that immediately gave them confidence the solution would work in practice.

During implementation, R-Vent discovered that an AI Agent doesn't perform better with more information, but with the right information. While they initially documented processes and manuals in great detail, they found that simplicity actually produced better results. Less complexity led to clearer answers and a more effective AI Agent.

According to René, the collaboration ultimately made the biggest difference. Together, the product feed was continuously improved and whenever challenges arose, Watermelon actively helped find solutions. That approach perfectly matched how R-Vent works with its own customers: not simply delivering software, but building a better solution together.

Linda started as a colleague, not as AI

Perhaps the most remarkable part of the implementation didn't happen behind a computer, but in the office. Before anyone knew R-Vent was introducing AI, an empty desk suddenly appeared. A new colleague would be joining soon. Only later did employees discover it was AI Agent Linda. She was given a name, a face and a backstory, making AI feel much less abstract and much easier for employees to embrace.

The first reactions, according to René Cas, were predictable: "Am I going to lose my job?" But that quickly changed. When he asked who wanted to train Linda, almost everyone raised their hand. According to Wilko Hartung, that was the turning point. Employees realized Linda wasn't replacing them, but helping them in their daily work.

A knowledge base that keeps learning

R-Vent doesn't see Linda as software you configure once and forget. They see her as a new colleague who keeps learning. Employees review her answers, add knowledge and improve her whenever needed. As a result, the AI Agent grows together with the organization while employee adoption continues to increase.

According to René, the biggest benefit isn't just speed, but making knowledge easier to access. Employees spend less time searching for technical information and more time advising customers, preparing quotations and building relationships. As Wilko Hartung puts it: if you want to sell, you should focus on customers, not on searching for technical information.

The impact becomes more visible every day

Linda's impact is visible across the business. Nearly half of all conversations take place outside office hours, exactly when many installers have time to search for products or prepare quotations. Internally, Linda is also used every day as a technical knowledge base. Since her introduction, R-Vent has generated significantly more quotations and estimates productivity has increased by 15 to 17 percent.

According to René Cas, the biggest impact is sometimes found in the smallest moments. One sales representative received a technical question from a customer, but before he could reply, a second message arrived: "Your colleague Linda already solved it." "That's when you realize customers are truly starting to use her."

More personal through AI

Linda has become a permanent part of R-Vent's customer service. What started as a way to support customers outside office hours has grown into a central knowledge hub that helps employees work faster while giving customers instant answers.

R-Vent sees many opportunities to expand AI further with voice, image recognition and integrations with internal systems. Always with the same goal: delivering personal service at any time of the day.