Project Managers Are Focused on Our Customer’s Success
This week’s guest is Maribel De Leon, Sr. Director Customer Integration Team. Maribel has an extensive background in the BPO industry, most notably in project management, which is the heartbeat of a BPO business. She has been a project manager (PM) and now as the Sr. Director of the Customer Integration Team, she leads the team of PMs. In this episode, we discuss what new customer implementations look like, the role of the PM, and most importantly how they ensure success for our clients.
Maribel has nearly 20 years of experience in the BPO industry. She was a project manager for several years, where she honed her customer implementation skills. Her experience is very valuable and as such, she was very instrumental in building the new customer implementation process at iQor.
The focus of each PM is to execute the client’s vision to ensure the client’s success. On each new client kick-off call, the PM asks the client to articulate what defines customer success in the customer experience program we’ll be managing. These conversations extend beyond what is written in the statement of work (SOW). These kickoff calls include all key stakeholders from the client and from iQor including representatives from workforce management, training, operations, IT, legal, and sales. This conversation allows the entire iQor team to gain a deep understanding of the client’s goals and the resources needed to achieve them.
New Client Program Implementation
When a PM is kicking off a client program, it could be a new customer care program for an existing client who is expanding their use of our outsourced customer experience services, or it could be for a new client just getting started with iQor. Maribel says the process does not change much in either case. When it is an existing client, the PM is the same individual to maintain continuity with relationships and familiarity with the client’s business. During the kickoff call, the scope of the program is discussed in detail. PMs regularly leverage their previous experience in disciplines such as HR, Operations, or IT to discuss solutions that may include tools and technologies such as a self-service IVR or some other form of intelligent automation. She cited an example of a client for whom we are building a custom CRM solution. PMs recognize when there is a need that can be addressed by a digital solution within our portfolio and raise a discussion about it.
Whatever it Takes Collaboration Mindset
Sometimes a client has unique circumstances that call for a unique collaboration between us. Maribel shared an example of a client who was transitioning to iQor from another BPO. The client asked iQor to project manage the transition. The iQor PM assumed dual responsibilities including managing the new client project as well as the transition of activities from the incumbent to iQor, which the client appreciated as above and beyond collaboration.
Maribel shared another example of a client who launched a new healthcare offering that is in high demand which needed a lot of customer service out of the gate with the initial launch of their offering. Within 72 hours of the launch in the summer of 2021, the iQor customer implementation team launched with 75 customer care agents to handle the demand. Since the initial launch, their offering has been well received, creating more demand for customer support staff resulting in an expansion to more than 500 call center agents on the frontline responding to customer interactions. The success of this program is attributed to the collaboration between the PMs, the Ops team, and the client.
Leading Project Managers
Maribel’s extensive project management experience and deep knowledge of new customer implementation processes guide her to lead the PMs on her team with a consistent focus on helping the client achieve their goals. The client’s success is always the main focus of the PM beginning with the kickoff call. PMs collaborate with the operations team to deliver on the client’s KPIs drawing on their own background in HR, IT, etc., to meet the client’s expectations. Additionally, PMs are always advocating for the client to help meet their customer experience goals.
What Maribel Does for Fun
Maribel spends a lot of time with her two sons on the soccer field and basketball courts, which she enjoys greatly. She also has rekindled her love of knitting during the pandemic. She says it’s a terrific way to unwind.
Learn more about iQor digital customer experience capabilities.
