Customer Experience as a Force for Good

Customerland

What happens when a nonprofit organization builds customer service operations that directly advance their mission? In this fascinating conversation with Andie Ewing, Chief Operating Officer of Unbound, we explore how this international development organization has reimagined what customer experience can achieve.
Operating across 17 countries in Africa, Asia, India, and Latin America, Unbound has developed a groundbreaking approach to both fighting poverty and delivering exceptional customer service. Unlike traditional contact centers focused on efficiency metrics, Unbound has established global operations in Colombia and the Philippines with a different priority: creating career opportunities for the very families they serve through their programs.
"When you are in a nonprofit, your differentiator is your customer experience, and so it is more crucial than anywhere else I've ever worked to create the ultimate radical customer experience," explains Ewing. With 90% of all donations going directly to families, Unbound operates on a remarkably thin administrative margin while still prioritizing meaningful sponsor interactions over transactional efficiency.
The impact extends far beyond business metrics. Contact center employees become community heroes, representing hope and possibility. One employee shared how his job now allows him to provide a secure home for his mother after growing up in extremely precarious living conditions. When sponsors call, they speak directly with people connected to the communities they support, creating authentic relationships that strengthen commitment and trust.
The results speak volumes: 95% first-call resolution, 92% customer satisfaction, and only a 7.2% sponsor discontinuance rate. Unbound's visionary approach demonstrates how aligning operational excellence with mission can create transformative outcomes for all stakeholders.
Discover how this innovative organization is challenging conventional wisdom about customer experience while breaking cycles of poverty. Visit unboundorg.org to learn more about their work and how you can get involved.

Chapters

1. Introduction to Unbound's Mission (00:00:00)

2. The Five Pillars of Unbound (00:01:09)

3. Call Centers as Social Change Engines (00:05:18)

4. Real Impact on Communities (00:10:12)

5. Customer Experience Beyond Traditional Metrics (00:16:03)

6. Future Vision for Sustainable Impact (00:21:42)