Ortlieb: 96% of repair requests automated

Find out how the premium provider of waterproof outdoor and cycling bags bundled and automated its service offering with simplysolve – while also creating value for local retailers.

6 min read

Martin Esslinger, CEO at Ortlieb

"We can’t make the actual repair any faster. But the process and the whole handling side of it – all the emails and phone calls and back-and-forth questions – those are the real time-wasters. Thanks to simplysolve, we can now resolve them so efficiently and quickly that it’s naturally reflected in our costs too."

Case Study

Ortlieb

Ortlieb is a premium provider of waterproof bags for outdoor and cycling trips. Its products are designed with durability in mind from the outset, and built to be as repairable as possible.

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Accordingly, its repair service is held to high standards, whether repairs are carried out at the German production site or by service retailers.

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Ortlieb has been working with simplysolve since 2024, and together they have already completed three optimisation loops, continuously refining and automating Ortlieb's service offering. The following examples provide an insight into the challenges Ortlieb faced and the benefits delivered by the simplysolve solution.

User Interface Configuration:

Custom Illustrations

Focus: Process Automation

Clear rules instead of case-by-case decisions

Ortlieb's repair service was already strong, but spread across separate flows and tools. simplysolve brings it all together: every flow now offers customers the same options a support agent would. Built-in rules and automations handle what used to take case-by-case decisions – and have already proven their value.

CHALLENGE

Vulnerability to Errors

Unwritten or complicated rules for warranty and repair requests kept leading to inconsistent decisions, avoidable errors and unnecessary back-and-forth within the team.

BENEFIT

Standardisation

Clearly standardised rules, applied in real time within the flows, help the customer support team handle requests consistently and efficiently – even without prior knowledge or follow-up questions.

CHALLENGE

Clarification Effort

Missing cost approvals and imprecise case descriptions forced the support and repair team into many extra emails and phone calls – a considerable burden, especially when the team was understaffed.

BENEFIT

Solution in Real Time

For 96% of repair requests, customers already receive the solution to their issue during the request process itself – in real time, with no waiting or later follow-up questions. This automation saves everyone involved a great deal of effort.

CHALLENGE

High Repair Caseload

A seasonally sharp rise in repair volumes temporarily overloaded Ortlieb’s repair team, creating a backlog and longer waiting times for customers.

BENEFIT

Local Repair

Where a local repair is possible, customers can have it carried out directly by a suitable service retailer nearby. Depending on the distance, up to 50% of customers use this option – which takes some pressure off the Ortlieb team and saves shipping costs.

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Focus: Customer Experience and Loyalty

From form to service leadership

What used to be a simple form is now a complete service experience – for customers and retailers alike. Customers see all their options at a glance, from sending the product to Ortlieb to dropping it off at a local service partner, and choose what suits them best. Retailers get tools that make service at the counter quick and effortless.

CHALLENGE

Time-Consuming Process

Having to file a separate claim for every product that needs repair or warranty service can be a hassle for retailers. On busy days, that's time taken away from customers.

BENEFIT

Batching Requests

Through simplysolve, Ortlieb lets its retailers submit several products, including multiple defects, in a single request. Thanks to the structured case intake, no important information gets lost along the way.

CHALLENGE

Transferring Photos

Anyone who prefers to submit warranty or repair requests on a laptop but wants to attach photos usually has to transfer them from their phone first. Because that’s fiddly, helpful photos often don’t get sent at all.

BENEFIT

Uploading via QR Code

During the simplysolve request process, a QR code is displayed that can be scanned with a phone. Customers and retailers can then upload the relevant photos straight from their phone and continue the request on their laptop.

CHALLENGE

Service Expectations

Growing customer service expectations create extra operational effort for stationary retailers. Without support from the brand, the service process becomes a disappointment for both retailers and customers.

BENEFIT

Simplified Process

Ortlieb offers retailers automatic problem diagnostics right at the sales counter, plus an integrated logistics process. Customers are satisfied immediately, and the shipping partner collects the parcel the very next day.

Focus: Seamless Integration

Cross-system and provider-independent

Ortlieb's existing system landscape – CRM, GLS, email dispatch and local service retailers – is seamlessly integrated with simplysolve. Every request, no matter the topic, is captured digitally and in a structured format, whether it comes from a retailer or an end customer. Automation builds on this: routing, decision-making and handover run without manual intervention.

CHALLENGE

Provider Lock-In

Ortlieb used to set up all its support forms directly through its webshop provider and integrate them there. That seemed convenient, but created dependency: after switching shop providers, every form had to be rebuilt from scratch.

BENEFIT

Flexible Layer

Running as a layer upstream of the internal systems, simplysolve connects freely and flexibly to CRM, ERP or other systems – even when providers change or the business expands into new countries.

Focus: Data Intelligence

Saving costs, step by step

Rebecca Müller, Head of Customer Service at Ortlieb

"Even in the first automation loop, simplysolve helped us discover new ways to save costs. Now, in the third loop, we’re taking it even further."

Continuous iteration loops instead of a static system

Ortlieb's switch to a new webshop provider was the ideal moment to introduce simplysolve. Since then, regular analysis of the request data gathered by simplysolve has guided decisions towards profitable service offerings. As an industry first, Ortlieb now offers an all-in-one flow that assesses service requests in real time and routes them straight to the right service provider. After the initial assessment package, Ortlieb has booked and implemented three iterations of the continuous optimisation package to keep improving their offering.

Package 1: Service Assessment

Based on five years of experience and data collection, simplysolve ensures that the implementation is a success.