BPO Site Visit: What You Can Learn in the First Few Minutes
My latest article at Nearshore Americas consists of an interview I conducted with Christopher J. Muñiz, Vice President of Service Delivery and Network Support at Beachbody in Santa Monica, Calif. — an experienced buyer of BPO services.
In the article, Muñiz outlined three critical areas you should focus on in the first few minutes of a BPO site visit: on-the-ground site staff, workforce engagement, and infrastructure/location.
To make the most effective use of the visit, you should already have an agenda put together before the plane lands, he recommends.
“You should know who’s meeting you, and the name of the driver,” he said. “You want someone there with a sign with your name on it. That initial pick up can set the tone. It should be professional and efficient.”
Muñiz added that you should be asking questions of the driver, including topics such as climate, the culture, and security issues. Once you arrive at the BPO, you should assess the accessibility of the location, with public transportation being an important factor, and pay particular note to who greets you, such as the site director.
During a walk-through of the facility, Muñiz suggested reflecting on the following questions:
- Does someone welcome you right away? Are they friendly?
- As you walk through the center, do agents on the floor seem engaged?
- How does management react to your interactions with agents?
- Is the center clean?
- Walk through the break room. Are employees relaxed and happy?
“You want to see a team leader who’s walking around and people chit-chatting in hallways,” he said. “These are typically young employees at entry-level salaries, and they’ll leave if they’re not getting social engagement on site. They’ll go where their friends are. This doesn’t have to be super cool — just not drab like a hospital. There should be meeting areas, places where people can get together. In the common areas, if the people are quiet and stoic, with tight-lipped faces, then that’s a problem.”
Muñiz summed up his remarks by saying that when you embark on that all-important site visit for the first time, look for a contented workforce, a great building in a good location, and a professional and committed team on the ground — all of which can be determined within the first few minutes.
Visit the Nearshore Americas website to read the article in its entirety and see all the excellent points Muñiz made.