Fitwinkel is the largest retailer of fitness equipment, trampolines, sportswear and sports nutrition in the Netherlands and Belgium. With thousands of products, and as many web pages, Fitwinkel serves both consumers and business customers looking for good sports gear.
The challenge
Fitwinkel is growing fast, and the number of customer questions grew just as fast. Customer service was overloaded with questions that kept coming back. The most common one: “What is the status of my order?” Customers called and emailed in large numbers for an update on their order.
At the same time, other visitors were looking for personal advice, because they got lost in the large range. “Which treadmill is right for me?” or “What do I need to lose weight?” The team simply did not have enough time to answer every question personally and in depth.
The result: long waiting times, frustrated customers and a customer service team that hardly got round to the more complex questions. Fitwinkel was looking for a solution that could grow with it, without adding pressure on the team.
The approach
Artific built an AI assistant as a chat on the Fitwinkel website: Flex. The assistant knows Fitwinkel’s tone of voice, products and knowledge, and runs on the secure, scalable Artific platform. That way it fits how Fitwinkel works day to day.
Flex helps customers straight away in three ways:
- Live order status. The assistant is connected to the order system. It asks for the order number and postcode and automatically sends a PostNL or DHL track-and-trace link. Customers see right away where their parcel is, without customer service getting involved.
- Personal product advice. The assistant uses thousands of product pages to give targeted advice. It asks smart follow-up questions, about the budget for example, and makes concrete recommendations with prices, specifications and links.
- Referrals and practical answers. For questions that fall outside Fitwinkel, such as a return through Bol.com, the assistant clearly explains which steps the customer needs to take. It also answers questions about opening hours and locations itself.
The result
The AI assistant delivered immediate, measurable results for Fitwinkel:
- more than 7,000 chats handled fully automatically, day and night;
- much less pressure on customer service, so employees can focus on more complex questions;
- better guidance for customers thanks to personal advice, even outside office hours;
- happier customers, because they get an answer straight away with no waiting time.
The assistant combines live data from the order system with product information, and handles simple and in-depth questions alike. Customers find what they need faster, and customer service has room again for the work where people really make the difference.
