Vélos & Co.
85%
Faster support response
68%
Reduction in support volume
2 FTE
Headcount growth avoided
Support Team Drowning in Order Status Queries
Vélos & Co. is a premium bicycle retailer with 12 stores across France and an e-commerce operation that tripled in volume between 2022 and 2024. The customer support team of six was handling over 800 inbound contacts per week — the majority asking variants of the same three questions: Where is my order? How do I return an item? Do you stock a specific part?
Response times crept toward 48 hours during peak periods. Customer satisfaction scores dropped from 4.4 to 3.8, and the team was burning out. Management faced a choice: hire two additional support agents or find a smarter path.
SMS Automation for Order Tracking, Returns & FAQs
Engium integrated with Vélos & Co.'s Shopify store and returns management system, then configured an SMS-first support layer. When a customer sends an SMS to the support number, Engium's AI identifies the query type, pulls real-time order data, and replies instantly with accurate shipping status, tracking links, or returns instructions.
For product availability queries, the AI checks live inventory across all 12 store locations and the warehouse. Complex complaints are escalated with full conversation context prepended.
French-language support, 24/7. Engium handles queries in idiomatic French without any translation layer — trained directly on the brand voice.
68% Fewer Tickets, No Additional Headcount
Within 90 days, Engium handled 68% of all inbound support contacts end-to-end. Average response time fell from 38 hours to under 5.5 hours — an 85% improvement. Customer satisfaction recovered to 4.5 out of 5.
The support team, now handling only complex and relationship-sensitive contacts, reported measurably higher job satisfaction. Vélos & Co. avoided hiring two FTEs, allocating that budget instead to expanding the product range.
85%
Faster response time
68%
Tickets handled by AI
4.5/5
Customer satisfaction
€90K
Annual hiring cost avoided
“We thought we'd need to hire two more agents for peak season. Instead we deployed Engium and our team now handles only the cases that genuinely need a human — which makes their work much more rewarding.”
LDLaurent Dubois
Head of Operations, Vélos & Co.
“We thought we'd need to hire two more agents for peak season. Instead we deployed Engium and our team now handles only the cases that genuinely need a human — which makes their work much more rewarding.”
Laurent Dubois
Head of Operations, Vélos & Co.
Vélos & Co.
About the Business
Vélos & Co. is France's leading independent premium bicycle retailer, operating 12 stores from Paris to Marseille and a rapidly growing direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel. They specialise in road, gravel, and urban cycling.
Size
12 stores · 78 employees
Founded
2011
Headquarters
Lyon, France
Plan
Starter
Channels
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