How Steinbach empowers seasonal service with‌ botario's intelligent automation‌

Steinbach International i‌ s a leading Austrian producer and‌ distributor of pools, accessories, and water care products. With‌ a highly seasonal business model, Steinbach faced an intense‌ summer spike in customer inquiries-most of them repetitive,‌ urgent, and avoidable. By partnering with botario, Steinbach‌ transformed their product knowledge into a scalable, intuitive‌ service solution that works 24/7-saving time, improving‌ satisfaction, and enabling real growth.‌

“Our customers want instant answers-sometimes literally standing next to the pool. With botario, they get what they need without waiting."

90% of Steinbach’s customer service demand is concentrated within just a few summer months. During this period, customer inquiries — many of them simple or repetitive — flood in from both end users and resellers.

But that wasn’t the only challenge. From unclear instructions to water treatment mistakes, every minute without the right information could lead to frustration, wasted time, or costly consequences — especially when a pool turns green in the middle of a heatwave.

The existing system couldn’t keep up. Service teams were overstretched, and critical product knowledge was scattered across documents and departments. Something had to change.

Steinbach implemented botario as a real-time knowledge layer for both customers and service agents. What began as a classic chatbot for automating level-1 inquiries evolved into a fully integrated, LLM-based platform that connects product data, user manuals, and customer journeys within a single interface.

Key features include:

• Automation of common product questions, including compatibility checks and usage guidance
• Integration of thousands of SKUs and manuals into one searchable interface
• LLM-powered answers grounded in real documentation — not generic AI text
• Mobile-first experience, with more than 50% of chats initiated on smartphones
• Smart intake processes that gather all relevant information before handing cases over to human agents

From faster support to leaner operations, the impact of botario was immediate — and long-lasting.

With botario, Steinbach achieved:

• A significant reduction in first-level support tickets through automation
• Positive customer feedback regarding clarity and ease of use
• Improved operational planning during peak season
• Reduced dependence on external service providers
• Better access to knowledge across teams and systems

Steinbach continues to expand its use of botario — integrating more documents, exploring proactive guidance throughout the buying journey, and deepening its use of LLMs to deliver richer, context-aware assistance.

With every step, the goal remains the same: empower teams, delight customers, and ensure every poolside experience runs smoothly.

“botario didn’t just help us automate — it helped us rethink how we use product knowledge as a service.”

— Daniela Laic, Head of Product, Pricing and Marketing, Steinbach