How tonies^® scales joyful CX with Zendesk

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 favorite 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.” Cooper’s team now spans four key markets—the U.S., 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. But everything we do is for the little listeners.”

Behind the box

What feels like magic to children is powered by thoughtful design and operational precision behind the scenes. As tonies® expanded, so did the complexity of delivering that magic at scale. Support needed to be fast, multilingual, and deeply human—all without losing the intimacy that defines the brand. For Cooper, Zendesk wasn’t just a platform—it was a natural extension of tonies®’ ethos. “From my point of view, there is no other option that comes into comparison,” Cooper says. “Zendesk really sets the standard and the bar very high.”

Among the many changes that came with growth, one of the most meaningful was the strategic shift away from inbound phone service. The decision wasn’t about eliminating choice—it was about meeting families where they are. “When a Toniebox isn’t working, it’s not just tech—it’s a toddler waiting. Parents want answers now, not another hold or a long conversation,” Cooper explains. For those who need more personalized care, scheduled outbound calls remain part of the service offering—ensuring flexibility and inclusion for every family.

At the same time, tonies® has been scaling other channels with care. Email continues to be the dominant method of contact, making up around 80 percent of volume. Messaging—particularly live chat—is steadily growing, now accounting for roughly 20 percent of customer conversations in key regions. “It gives us that instant connection parents are looking for,” Cooper notes. Zendesk underpins it all—supporting not just Customer Happiness, but also teams across finance, IT, marketing, and B2B through a single, unified solution that keeps everyone connected.

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 organizations 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,” Cooper says. “Sentiment analysis helps us understand that more clearly.” For tonies®, Copilot doesn’t just enhance productivity—it amplifies empathy.

The Zendesk help center 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. Zendesk reporting supports continuous improvement by surfacing actionable insights. “We use Zendesk reporting to look at what’s taking more time to solve and how we can optimize the resolution path,” Cooper notes. “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 professional services. 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,” Cooper shares. “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.

Where impact meets imagination

Everything tonies® builds is driven by a desire to spark delight—and their happiness model is no different. For the team, success isn’t just about speed or scale. It’s about making sure a child gets back to their story, a parent feels heard, and every interaction reflects the brand’s values. Still, the operational transformation is striking.

Since refining workflows and evolving how teams operate with Zendesk, tonies® has reduced its first response time by 64 percent, now averaging just 4.7 hours. Median resolution time is down 48 percent, settling at 7 hours. During a recent Zendesk AI agents pilot, 43 percent of inquiries were resolved automatically—giving agents more space to focus where they’re needed most.

These improvements have led to greater consistency and satisfaction across every channel. SLA achievement sits at 98 percent, and CSAT continues to climb—with the UK market alone improving from 75 percent to 86 percent in just one year. Messaging now makes up a growing share of conversations in key markets, meeting families on the channels they prefer, in the moments that matter.

It all adds up to a service experience that’s not just faster, but more thoughtful—more in tune with what families actually need. “From where we started to where we are now,” Cooper says, “everything is sharper, faster, and more connected.” For a company built around small characters, tonies® is shaping a story much larger than itself—and it’s only just begun.

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 Quality Assurance (QA) features through early trials—excited by the potential to enhance training, feedback, and quality assurance. As part of the company’s long-term vision, tonies® is also trialing AI agents to handle common queries—aiming to increase automation 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 Cooper says, “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 the Zendesk Relate annual event, 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.