Your Business Can Start Changing The World Just By Choosing The Right CX Partner

Nutun has an important story to tell. We are changing lives. Not just by creating employment in South Africa, but by helping people leave informal employment to enter a world where work can become a career. We are also teaching the next generation to read.

But let’s step back just for a moment to give some context. It is important to understand how Environmental, Social, and corporate Governance (ESG) is changing the corporate world today. ESG has rocketed up the boardroom agenda in the past year. Some executives may still be thinking of this as corporate social responsibility (CSR) with a new acronym, but it’s a mistake to downplay the importance of ESG in the 2020s.

82% of companies now have net-zero carbon goals . These targets are not made just because they are seen as a good thing to do. Investors are asking to see net-zero and ESG goals before investing. Employees want to know their employer is doing more than just paying a monthly wage. Possibly the most important of all, customers are now taking a keen interest in the ESG status of the companies they buy products from - and voting with their wallets .

In South Africa, the social aspect to ESG is all too prevalent. The government is keenly aware they need to address foundational literacy and in the latest report 80% of Grade R children cannot read or write for meaning. These children will be the future of South Africa in 20 years from now from an employment perspective.

Despite those targets, around 38% of companies report that they just don’t have the budget available to change their business fast enough - the net-zero targets have been announced, but the ability to get there is lacking.

Perhaps it is no surprise that analysts believe the ESG credentials companies are publishing in glossy annual reports cannot be backed up by real action. One survey by investment company Fidelity suggested that around 60% of the claims are exaggerated or mainly claims without action. However,

CX industry analyst Peter Ryan recently wrote an article that said “…ignore ESG at your peril.”

But there is a very simple way to enhance your own ESG credentials and audit? - improve the quality of your downstream supply chain partner ecosystem. By carefully selecting partners that have a strong record on ESG you can dramatically improve your own credentials. All the good things your partner is doing give credit to your business if they are a part of your ecosystem.

When you select a partner to deliver services for your business what are your selection criteria? The cost of the service and the ability of the partner to deliver to the required quality are obvious, but what if you added an additional requirement that your partner will do all they can to create economic impact for people, or their local community?

Alistair Niederer has documented this very clearly in this Adec white paper. Calling the process ‘Impact Sourcing’ the white paper says:

“When outsourcing, impact sourcing can create a virtuous circle: BPO clients benefit from an outsourced model that delivers value and ethical employment. People benefit from skills development and economic opportunities. Local communities benefit from injection of capital that comes with employment and skill sets attract further employment and investment opportunities.”

If you are considering which partner can help you with your customer experience (CX) processes then consider this about Nutun. We have partnered with Mellon Educate , an NGO focused on educational literacy and school building and the creation of employment opportunities, to create the One Agent One Child initiative .

In short, - for every international Nutun CX agent we will educate one child at foundational literacy through Mellon Educate, by funding the costs of hiring Mellon Educate tutors to enhance one2one foundational learning for Grade R children. To put this in context 82% of this years’ Grade R children cannot read or write for meaning, giving them little chance to progress through further education and onto employment.

As we are creating formal employment for advisors we are therefore also directly promoting and funding foundational literacy for children and all this is created because companies choose Nutun to deliver a great customer experience to their customers.

We know that you want great CX for your customers and you are also looking for value - we can deliver all this. But if you think one step ahead and include ESG in your selection process then it can dramatically improve your own ESG story - that’s what your customers, employees, and investors are almost certainly already looking at.

The One Agent One Child initiative is changing lives. Your business could help just by selecting Nutun to manage your CX processes. This is not just about outsourcing, it is about becoming a part of a movement by selecting a partner that will deliver more than just CX for your business and support your own ESG Social credentials.

For more information on Nutun, please visit our website here . The Insights section features our ideas on customer experience, South Africa, and the future of customer expectations. Follow our company page on LinkedIn for regular customer experience updates.