Behind every smile: how tonies^® scales joyful CX with Zendesk

A story worth listening to

In a world humming with screens, tonies® invites families to pause and press play on imagination. Born from a simple wish shared by two dads, Patric Faßbender and Marcus Stahl, tonies® was created for the quiet, magical moments of childhood—where stories are told, not streamed, and curiosity leads the way. At the heart of their creation is the Toniebox: a screen-free, softly shaped cube designed to spark wonder in little listeners and bring delight to the grown-ups who love them.

From its start in Germany, tonies® has grown into a global community of families, caregivers, and children, reaching over 100 countries and more than 7 million Tonieboxes worldwide. tonies® doesn’t simply offer a product—it cultivates a feeling. The kind that surfaces when a toddler’s favourite character says goodnight, or when a grandparent’s recorded message plays through a child’s Toniebox. And behind every moment of magic stands a Customer Happiness team just as devoted to the experience as the families they care for.

As Lauren Cooper, Director of Global Customer Happiness at tonies®, puts it, “We created Customer Happiness, not just a service function, because what we deliver is more than answers. It’s part of the tonies® joy.” Lauren’s team now spans four key markets—the US, UK, Germany, and France—supported by a global partner network across Honduras, South Africa, and the Philippines. “I always say, we don’t speak directly to the children—we support their parents and caregivers,” Lauren shares. “But everything we do is for the little listeners.”

Smart tools for small voices

Delivering fast, friendly service across global markets takes more than good intentions—it takes the right tools. For tonies®, Zendesk provides that foundation. Each product plays a role in helping the Customer Happiness team work with the same nuance and creativity that defines each Toniebox.

At the heart of every interaction is Zendesk Copilot. As one of the first organisations in the DACH region to adopt the AI-powered assistant, tonies® uses Copilot to suggest replies, surface helpful content, and detect sentiment in real time. “I always want to know how my team is feeling—and how our customers are feeling too,” Lauren said. “Sentiment analysis helps us understand that more clearly.” For tonies®, Copilot doesn’t just enhance productivity—it amplifies empathy.

Zendesk Guide powers a multilingual self-service experience across English, French, and German, helping families find answers independently while freeing agents to focus on complex, high-impact queries. Explore supports continuous improvement by surfacing actionable insights. “We use Explore to look at what’s taking more time to solve and how we can optimise the resolution path,” Lauren noted. “It shows us what’s working—and where we can do better.”

To support that growth behind the scenes, tonies® has turned to Zendesk Admin Assist. With a lean internal team, it provides the extra help needed to configure workflows, maintain consistency, and unlock deeper reporting capabilities. “It’s been vital,” Lauren shared. “It’s helped us build a strong reporting foundation and identify what’s possible as we continue growing.” It’s the kind of quiet, attentive structure that lets a global team act with local heart.

Still curious, always intentional

tonies® is no stranger to growth—but as always, they’re taking the next step meaningfully. Today, they’re exploring Zendesk QA features through early trials—excited by the potential to enhance training, feedback, and quality assurance. As part of their long-term vision, tonies® is also trialling AI agents to handle common queries—aiming to increase deflection while preserving white-glove care for complex or emotional cases. It's all part of a broader goal: to improve what matters, while staying true to what’s essential.

But what sets tonies® apart isn’t just what they adopt—it’s the thought behind every choice. As Lauren said, “Progress and innovation are not about chasing the next trend. It’s about building something that lasts, something that feels right—for the team, and for the families and little listeners we care about.” It’s a philosophy rooted in empathy, and it defines everything from tool selection to team culture.

That mindset has made tonies® more than a customer—it’s become a true partner to Zendesk. From sharing their story at Showcase Berlin, to inspiring conversation at Innovation Day and contributing to the global CX dialogue at Relate, tonies® continues to shape the industry not by moving fast, but by moving with purpose.

Because for tonies®, great service isn’t just about what happens after a ticket is created. It’s about designing every moment—from setup to smile—with the same intention as the Toniebox itself: simple, joyful, and made to last.