Bad Customer Experience: OnSpot's Million Dollar Lesson

A few weeks ago, I found myself engaged in a deeply introspective conversation with a former client who had collaborated with OnSpot during its early phase when we were transitioning from a sales company to a BPO.

He recounted, "When we began our partnership, there were great plans. Plans to expand operations in the Philippines and support my fast growing business." But, as he painfully put it, "You messed up, and it wasn't just a slight hiccup. It was to the extent that one day I just exclaimed, 'I'm done! I can't deal with this anymore!'"

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This was a Million Dollar lesson for us.

This former client is looking to build his growing team in the Philippines. His headcount would've been a $500K annual contract for us plus another half-a-million worth of contracts from referral. That definitely stings a start-up massively.

However, our recent conversations revealed a surprising twist. Post-OnSpot, he had tried his luck with two other outsourcing providers but ended up even more disappointed. With a smile, I said, "If OnSpot was the best among the three, I can't even imagine how disastrous the others were."

Curiosity came and I had to ask, "After all that transpired, why reach out to us again?" His response was and eye-opener. "Despite the chaos of our initial dealings, you consistently checked in on me via Whatsapp. That gesture meant a lot."

So, where did OnSpot go wrong with such a potential-rich client?

1. Talent Issues: Not only did we hire the wrong people, we never invested in training and retaining our employees, resulting to high turnover and inconsistent quality. And, to be honest, we weren't great at training or keeping them around. That meant loads of changes and some unpredictable results.

2. Mismatched Expectations: Our lack of clarity about the expectations, lead to dissatisfaction. The client expected one thing, while we delivered another. We weren’t always on the same page. He had one idea, we delivered something else. It's like ordering a burger and getting a salad.

3. Poor Quality of Work: We provided low quality services that did not meet the client's standards or expectations. We didn't always hit the mark. Sometimes, our work was kinda off.

4. Inadequate Management Oversight: We did not have proper oversight and governance resulting to misalignment between the client's objectives and the service provided. Who's in Charge? We were a bit all over the place with managing things.

5. Cultural Differences: We had extreme differences in work culture, values, and approaches that lead to misunderstandings and affect the smoothness of operations. Our way of doing things didn't always jive with his.

6. Not Setting Clear Metrics: Without clear performance metrics, it's challenging to measure the success of the outsourcing relationship.

 We were flying blind. We didn't have clear goals or ways to measure success. Kinda like driving without a map.

Effective outsourcing requires mutual trust, clear communication, and a shared vision between the client and the outsourcing provider. Failures usually stem from neglecting these foundational aspects. It's essential for both parties to regularly review and address any emerging issues for a successful outsourcing partnership. But every cloud has a silver lining, right? Here's ours: we took those lessons to heart. Just like any solid bond, be it friendships or business, it's built on trust, solid communication, and mutual respect. Forget these basics, and you're headed for turbulence.

Fast-forward to now: Welcome to the revamped and jazzed-up 'OnSpot House.' It's got solid foundations, thanks to our four pillars: Philosophy, People, Process, and Problem-Solving. But this isn't just a catchy phrase; it's our mantra. Dive into the details in my next piece where I'll be unwrapping this exciting change. Here is it in a snapshot:

OnSpot's Four-Ps Framework under the OnSpot House

As I wrapped up our chat, I laid it out for our former client, "This isn't just about getting back into your books. It's about redemption, and genuinely wanting to extend a helping hand. We've got some old scores to settle, in the best way possible."

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