Certain key elements that will define successful customer experience management in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic are already evident. Strong English-language capacity is a must, not just for US end-users but also for those in Britain and elsewhere. Multi-city delivery will be critical as a means of balancing work volumes between sites, should a pandemic or natural disaster threaten business continuity.  And above all, outsourcers must have the flexibility to meet end-user demands with a workforce and regulatory system that works as well when agents are based at home as in a contact center.    

Finding fluent English in a flexible workforce can be daunting though. High operational costs and trade-offs related to offshoring, such as long travel times and strong accents, could imperil the CX plans of many outsourcers.

It’s in light of these competitive realities that Honduras shines as a nearshore hub with trans-Atlantic delivery appeal. Honduras offers a bevy of benefits for companies seeking to outsource customer management.

Honduras is less than a 2.5-hours’ flight from Miami; about 4.5-hours from New York. This makes the country a promising destination for US and Canadian BPO executives. Just over 10-hours from Spain, Honduras also can be easily reached from Britain with connecting flights. That accessibility is a far cry from offshore locales like India and the Philippines, where executives traveling from North America or Europe face a 14-plus hour flight only to be welcomed by ceaseless traffic jams.  

Moreover, English-language compatibilities fit into a series of other traits unique to Honduras. The country’s two-city delivery position, built around the international business center of San Pedro Sula and the capital of Tegucigalpa, situates Honduras as the only country in Central America with bona fide delivery from multiple locations.

Such a unique strength for a market of its size helps to ensure that agent wages remain stable. It also ensures that work volumes can balance between cities, a key means of ensuring business continuity. 

Other social changes promise even more dynamic benefits. As a business center, Honduras is hewing ever closer to Europe. European migration has increased in recent decades, while at the same time business-minded Hondurans have gained significant experience abroad, not only in the United States but in England, Spain, Ireland and elsewhere. Many are returning not only fluent in English, but with MBAs and other graduate degrees.

The result is that San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa are ever more infused with European influence. That cultural affinity not only eases direct transactions, but it makes Honduras a great place for European firms seeking collaboration. Hondurans understand the direct demands needed by foreign firms, and they grasp the subtleties of what goes into satisfying European consumers.    

Honduras’ leading BPO provider, Altia Smart City, offers an additional enticement: tax-free service delivery. Altia Smart City is a free trade zone for the BPO industry, ensuring that outsourcers can remit their full profits. As margins for many outsourced services are globally whittled down, this is even more crucial to bottom-line performance. 

Altia has taken the additional step to help clients set up and recruit agents based on a candidate profile specified by the client. Once hired, Honduras’ labor laws vest outsourcers with flexibility in hiring and firing workers. In other words, it is a full suite of options aimed at easing operations for outsourcing clients.

These distinct advantages come together in a one-stop solution at Altia. At Altia Smart City, travel-weary outsourcing executives do not face the dour prospect of having to visit multiple sites spread out across towns. Instead, they enjoy the convenience of travel to just one place: shopping, gyms and other amenities are already on-site, and a hotel is under construction.  In this way, Altia Smart City couples the convenience of urban life with a unique focus on outsourcing CX management. 

Outsourcers’ strength will increasingly be defined by English-language capabilities and operational flexibility. Honduras delivers this and more, with market leaders like Altia Smart City ensuring the country remains at the leading edge of CX management.