How Ballsportdirekt resolves 90% of Customer Requests with botBrains

"botBrains has been a game-changer. A 90% resolution rate is just a number, but we feel the impact daily. Our support team is no longer overwhelmed, and customers receive instant, clear answers. Even when escalation is needed, it’s seamless. We’ve improved response times, reduced costs, and boosted customer satisfaction—all without any real maintenance effort. Highly recommend!"

- Carolin Holtwiesche, Product Manager Indoor at Ballsportdirekt

Company Overview

WePlayHandball is a large German online retailer for handball gear, serving thousands of players, coaches, and teams across Europe. It is one of many shops botBrains supports from Ballsportdirekt, a subsidiary of 11Teamsports.

The Challenge

As their business grew, so did the volume of customer inquiries—most of which were repetitive questions about order tracking, late deliveries, and product availability. Their support team was overwhelmed, leading to slower response times and increased customer dissatisfaction.

Support requests fell into three main categories:

Order Tracking & Late Deliveries
Customers wanted instant updates on their orders and explanations for delays.
Returns & Refunds
Many inquiries related to refund timelines and return processes.
Product Availability & Recommendations
Shoppers frequently asked about stock levels and product details.

With limited resources, they needed a scalable solution that could provide instant responses, reduce customer frustration, and allow human agents to focus on complex cases like payment issues and irregular requests.

The Solution: AI-Powered Automation with botBrains

To scale their support without increasing headcount, WePlayHandball deployed botBrains’s AI-powered assistant, which now handles 90% of incoming customer requests—instantly and accurately.

90% Automation of Customer Requests
The chatbot resolves most inquiries without human intervention, drastically reducing ticket volume.
Real-Time Order Tracking & Delivery Updates
Customers receive instant shipping updates by simply entering their order number and last name for soft-access guarding.
Custom ERP Integration
Allows customers to provide sensitive information like tracking number and last name to retrieve the current status. Data is secure and hosted in Germany.
Automated Explanations for Delays
The AI proactively provides reasons for delays and sets clear expectations.
Seamless Human Escalation
When the chatbot can’t fully assist, it crafts an email for the customer. Users simply autofill their contact details, hit send, and receive a prompt reply—ensuring a frictionless handover to human support.
Focus on High-Value Cases
The support team is no longer buried in repetitive tickets and can now exclusively handle payment issues and irregular cases.

The 3rd issue category was unserved by support then and is still unserved by the bot. This topic may be continued in future collaborations.

Results & Impact

90% Reduction in Human-Supported Inquiries
90% of conversations were resolved autonomously. Support agents now focus only on critical cases escalated by the system.
14.000+ Conversations, 50.000+ Messages handled in the last 12 months.
Instant Response Times
Customers receive immediate answers, dramatically improving satisfaction.
Higher Operational Efficiency
Fewer tickets mean lower costs and better scalability.
Better Customer Experience
Even when human support is needed, the chatbot prepares the email for the user, making escalation effortless.