ZEAL Network SE uses Zendesk Assist to increase efficiency through AI and self-service
In a world where top-tier customer service is a critical success factor, ZEAL Network SE leverages innovation to elevate its support to new heights. As Germany’s market leader in online lottery products, the company uses state-of-the-art technologies to provide a secure, seamless gaming experience for millions of customers. However, with increasing product demand, ZEAL’s customer service requests have also risen. Thanks to Zendesk Assist and other powerful automation solutions, ZEAL Network SE has managed to increase self-service rates by 50%, reduce the volume of customer requests by 21% and reduce the average processing time from 61 to 36 hours. At the same time, having immediate access to all relevant customer data allows the support teams work more efficiently. This transformation enables ZEAL Network SE to create a future-proof balance between AI-powered self-service and personal support.
“Zendesk Assist has helped us deepen our knowledge of Zendesk and optimise processes that used to take a lot of time. Now we can focus on strategic improvements instead of getting lost in technical details.”
Laura Schweigert
Senior Customer Technical Support Specialist at ZEAL Network SE
“The introduction of the Zendesk contact form with automatic article search has significantly improved the self-service experience. Customers automatically receive relevant Help Centre articles when filling out the form, allowing requests to be directed efficiently and answered more quickly.”
Laura Schweigert
Senior Customer Technical Support Specialist at ZEAL Network SE
INDUSTRY
Online Lottery Services
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
250+
ZENDESK CUSTOMER SINCE
2018
CHANNELS
Email, live chat, messaging, IVR
50%
more self-service
41%
shorter SLA times (from 61 to 36 hours)
21%
automatic solutions (59,001/year)
4,991 hours
saved (≈ 2.4 FTEs)
Growth brings new challenges
With over one million active users, ZEAL Network SE is growing fast. However, the increasing complexity posed substantial challenges for the company.
After the integration of LOTTO24 AG into ZEAL’s business, a change in customer support management led to a loss of know-how when it came to dealing with Zendesk.
At the same time, seven brands had to be managed efficiently within a single system – a process that was becoming increasingly confusing. The customer support team faced the challenge of optimising complex processes while maintaining a high level of service for customers.
In addition to these operational challenges, ZEAL Network SE also had to redefine its customer communication to respond to requests more efficiently and precisely. The existing self-service options weren’t able to cope with the growing request volume, overloading agents with recurring, straightforward requests.
“Before Zendesk Assist, many system functions were set up through trial and error – especially when configuring automations, triggers and workflows to support the agent experience,” explains Laura Schweigert. “We knew Zendesk offered tremendous opportunities, but we lacked the experience and the time to use them.”
Smart approaches to more efficient customer support
ZEAL Network SE chose Zendesk Assist to make its customer support structure more efficient and sustainable. “Zendesk Assist has helped us deepen our knowledge of Zendesk and optimise processes that used to take a lot of time. Now we can concentrate on strategic improvements instead of getting bogged down in technical details,” says Laura Schweigert.
With Zendesk Assist, ZEAL Network SE received continuous expert support and best practice for optimising Zendesk. Furthermore, ZEAL is evaluating the use of Copilot to support agents in real time with relevant information and to further optimise processes. Workforce management optimises staff scheduling, reduces wait times and increases efficiency. Quality assurance ensures that every customer touchpoint meets the highest standards.
The introduction of the Zendesk contact form with automatic article search marked a turning point in self-service. Customers now automatically receive relevant Help Centre articles when they complete the form, enabling requests to be efficiently directed and resolved more quickly. Meanwhile, the use of live chat and the phased introduction of messaging enables more direct communication and faster responses.
More efficiency, lower wait times: the new benchmark in customer support
Since the implementation of Zendesk Assist, ZEAL Network SE’s customer service has undergone a fundamental transformation. Customers find the right answers to their questions more quickly thanks to the automatic article search feature in the contact form, which has increased the self-service rate by 50%.
The targeted use of automation solutions, including Answer Bot, has reduced the number of support tickets by 21%, allowing agents to focus more on complex requests. In addition, the average turnaround time has been reduced from 61 hours to 36 hours – a key advantage, especially during peak jackpot times.
In 2024, 21% of requests were fully automated and resolved without any agent intervention, amounting to 59,001 resolved cases and a saving of 4,991 work hours – the equivalent of 2.4 full-time employees.
Shaping the future: AI and automation as success factors
ZEAL Network SE aims to achieve an optimal mix of AI-powered self-service and personal customer support by 2028. The company plans to resolve 40 to 50% of all requests through automation while ensuring a top-tier customer experience.
A key future project is the development of an internal mobile app that integrates all relevant customer data directly into Zendesk. “The Assist team will play a decisive role in this by supporting our developers with technical know-how,” says Laura Schweigert.
With Zendesk as its innovation partner, ZEAL Network SE will continue to set new benchmarks in digital customer service in the future – always with a view to providing the best possible player experience.
