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Surpassing Expectations to Deliver Success and Excellent Customer Service during the 11th Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards Night.

“OneBPO saved the day,” as snippets of conversation were heard about the good news at the Stevie® Awards Night while at the registration area.

On May 23rd, a day before the awarding night, Michael Gallagher, the Executive Chairman of the Stevie® Awards, sent an email to every attendee from Asia Pacific regarding a delayed shipment containing plaques, trophies, and medallions stuck at Philippine customs. Only a handful of awards were available for the night, with the rest scheduled to be shipped to each attending country.

OneBPO’s Chief Executive Officer, Alice Bautista, was among the recipients of the email. Having arrived in Manila two days ahead of the event to prepare, she immediately considered two things:

1. The Stevie® Awards ceremony would bring together individuals from around the world to the Philippines, the host country for this year’s prestigious event, to celebrate their achievements. Attendees couldn’t return home without the trophies they had earned.
2. If the issue stemmed from customs clearance, she needed to contact someone at customs to understand and resolve the situation.

Alice decided to respond to Michael, stating she couldn’t guarantee a resolution but would attempt to intervene and expedite the packages’ release.

After a lengthy six-hour process of navigating multiple channels, seeking advice from friends, and engaging with individuals at customs, she successfully secured clearance for all 25 boxes of trophies.

Once the positive news was confirmed, Alice promptly relayed the instructions to Lindsey Brill, the events manager for the Stevie® Awards. Lindsey took swift action, arranging for the trophies to be collected the next morning and ensuring their expedited delivery.

The challenge of expediting the clearance of packages from customs had been resolved, but further assistance was needed to ensure their timely arrival for the awards night.

CEO Alice, along with her Executive Assistant Riza, sprang into action. Adrenaline surged when a friend confirmed he had two trucks in Pampanga, just an hour away from Clark, ready to pick up the trophies. Alice updated Lindsey, informing her that vehicles were secured, and all that was needed was an authorization letter from the manager of Shangri-La, the original consignee of the packages. With determination, Alice assured Lindsey, “We still can try,” and Lindsey agreed.

At 9:37 AM, Alice and Riza sat at a Starbucks in BGC, Taguig, brainstorming all possible ways to retrieve the packages before the event. Clark was approximately two and a half hours away. While in Taguig, Alice coordinated step-by-step instructions with the drivers over the phone, confirming the hauling plans and emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

As everything began falling into place, Alice turned to Riza and jokingly asked, “Are you ready for the exciting journey to Clark?” They shared a hearty laugh, still dressed in their sleeping clothes, both knowing they were about to dive headfirst into a seemingly impossible mission.

By around 1:30 PM, they were halfway to Clark. With the event scheduled to start at 6:00 PM, Alice devised contingency plans, including asking her husband, Jay-T, to accept the award on her behalf if she couldn’t make it back in time. Comforting themselves, Alice reminded Riza that even if they missed the ceremony, their efforts would make a significant difference in the awardees’ experience that night.

Departing Clark at precisely 3:00 PM, they faced over two hours of traffic on the way back to the hotel. To make matters worse, one of the vans got a flat tire, forcing them to quickly reload all the boxes into a single van to ensure they could still make it on time.

Despite the rollercoaster of emotions that day, both Alice and Riza were comfortably seated at the gala event table with the OneBPO Team at exactly 7:35 PM—just in time for their turn to receive the award on stage.

OneBPO saved the day! But it was only because the Stevie® Team trusted them to make the decision. What did this reflect? Definitely courage, along with excellent planning and negotiation strategies. Though they feared things might not turn out well, they didn’t shy away. They examined every possibility and threat fairly, faced the odds squarely, and got things done.

The Stevie® Awards team acknowledged their efforts many times during the event. They even made a slight time adjustment for OneBPO so Alice could make it to the stage to receive their award. Michael himself went up to shake their hands and thank them for their initiative in retrieving the trophies. They were given a trophy alongside a medallion and were offered complementary sponsorship for the Stevie® International Business Awards in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 11, 2024.

Alice was elated to witness the joy and satisfaction of all the recipients at the Stevie® Awards. Reflecting on her experience that day, Alice expressed, “I truly believe that it was in God’s plan for those trophies to be there. We just happened to be the chosen team to deliver them.”

She also stated that her actions weren’t particularly extraordinary but rather part of the standard protocol she and her team consistently follow in critical situations at OneBPO. “I have a team that makes things happen. We organize, we negotiate, and when it feels right, nothing is impossible.”

Participating in the Stevie® Awards for the first time has given them an unparalleled sense of achievement and joy. They made the right choice in joining the Stevie® Awards and are thankful for the vast opportunities that have come with it.

Congratulations, Alice. OneBPO is proud of you.