The big picture
Science On Call, an innovative provider of AI-powered operational support tailored specifically to the restaurant and hospitality industries, faced mounting pressure as their business expanded rapidly. This growth, though positive, strained their internal customer support operations, creating a critical need for scalable, cost-efficient, and culturally-aligned support solutions.
By strategically partnering with Tendril, Science On Call swiftly built a nearshore support team in Mexico. This collaboration resulted in remarkable cost savings, superior customer experiences, improved response times, and substantial scalability, enabling Science On Call to maintain its exceptional service standards while continuing rapid growth.
About Science On Call
Founded in 2020, Science On Call is transforming restaurant support through a smart, AI-driven platform uniquely designed to handle complex restaurant operations around the clock. Their sophisticated AI solutions are precisely trained on each client's unique processes and data, making them much more than a standard help desk.
Instead, Science On Call serves as a robust, adaptive operational partner for rapidly growing hospitality groups across the U.S.
Key differentiators for Science On Call include:
- Intelligent, AI-driven support customized to individual client operations.
- Specialization in hospitality-specific workflows and technology challenges.
- Comprehensive operational assistance, covering technology, operations, workforce management, and maintenance.
- Transparent subscription pricing designed to facilitate predictable budgeting for growing businesses.
The challenge
As Science On Call's customer base expanded, maintaining an entirely U.S.-based support operation became financially unsustainable. The costs associated with employing and managing full-time support staff in the U.S. quickly ballooned, draining resources from strategic initiatives and growth efforts.
Previous attempts to outsource operations to traditional vendors proved inadequate due to language barriers, poor communication quality, cultural mismatches, and subpar performance standards. These issues negatively impacted customer interactions, hindered response times, and damaged the overall customer experience, threatening Science On Call's reputation and competitive edge.
The critical operational challenges
- Escalating internal costs of managing U.S.-based customer support teams.
- Poor results from outsourcing efforts, characterized by language barriers, inadequate quality control, and cultural misalignment.
- Limited ability to scale quickly, which hampered their ability to manage fluctuating customer demand effectively.
The Tendril solution: customized nearshore team integration
Tendril responded to these challenges by establishing a dedicated, highly-skilled nearshore support team in Mexico. This carefully assembled bilingual team provided a culturally-aligned solution that not only cut operational costs significantly but also substantially enhanced the quality and responsiveness of customer interactions.
Customized nearshore recruitment
Tendril rapidly sourced, recruited, and onboarded top-tier bilingual talent tailored specifically to Science On Call's unique requirements.
Candidates were chosen for their exceptional work ethic, adaptability, eagerness to learn, and a clear understanding of restaurant support dynamics. This created a dedicated team that quickly integrated into Science On Call's culture and processes.
"The quality of the people and Tendril's ability to onboard them quickly is key to our growth."
- Luisa Castellanos, Co-Founder & COO, Science On Call
Operational excellence and efficiency
The nearshore team quickly improved operational efficiencies through specialized training, structured communication protocols, and stringent quality assurance. With Tendril's rigorous oversight, the team demonstrated immediate improvements in responsiveness, accuracy, and customer satisfaction.
Team members provided agile, personalized support, drastically reducing call handling times and enhancing customer interactions, delivering consistently high-quality experiences for Science On Call's restaurant clients.
"The quality of the team that I have is incredible, and I always feel supported."
- Francesca, VP of Customer Experience, Science On Call
Flexible, responsive management
Perhaps most importantly, Tendril brought a proactive and flexible management approach that fostered true collaboration rather than a traditional vendor relationship. Regular check-ins, responsive strategy adjustments, and open communication channels allowed Science On Call to dynamically scale operations and address evolving demands without the administrative burden typically associated with managing remote teams.
This flexibility proved essential as Science On Call continued to grow and their support needs evolved. The partnership could adapt quickly to changing requirements, seasonal fluctuations in demand, and new service offerings without missing a beat.
"It became evident early on that they have a talent for attracting incredible talent; people that culturally were very aligned to who we were, and it just felt like a match made in heaven."
- Andy Freivogel, Co-Founder & CEO, Science On Call
The results: dramatic cost efficiency, improved customer experience, and scalability
🎯 Over 50% cost savings achieved
The financial impact was immediate and substantial - genuine efficiency gains, not corners cut, that freed up resources for technology innovation, AI platform enhancement, and growth initiatives.
🚀 Exceptional customer experience enhancement
Call handling times decreased significantly, satisfaction scores improved, and client relationships strengthened - driven by a team that became integral to Science On Call's operation.
🌍 Enhanced multilingual support
Bilingual capabilities let Science On Call effortlessly manage client interactions in English and Spanish, deepening market penetration in diverse restaurant communities.
📈 Scalable and flexible operational growth
Inherent flexibility let Science On Call quickly scale team size up or down with real-time demand, without compromising service quality or adding operational burden.
"If you're looking for staffing solutions period, I would recommend Tendril. For me, it's been the ease, the quality, the responsiveness, meeting me at my level - just the quickness of coming back with great candidates."
- Francesca, VP of Customer Experience, Science On Call
Looking ahead: expanded collaboration and continued growth
Science On Call is committed to further strengthening its collaboration with Tendril. The success of the initial partnership has created a foundation for even deeper collaboration between the two companies. Rather than viewing this as a completed project, both are committed to continuous evolution and improvement of their working relationship.
AI integration and platform enhancement
Future strategic initiatives include utilizing Tendril's team for ongoing training and continuous improvement of Science On Call's AI-driven platform. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly sophisticated, having skilled team members who can contribute to AI training and optimization becomes a significant competitive advantage. The nearshore team's deep understanding of restaurant operations and customer needs positions them perfectly to enhance AI capabilities.
Enhanced operational capabilities
Science On Call is also planning to expand the responsibilities and growth opportunities for their nearshore team members. This includes enhanced reporting and analytics capabilities that will facilitate better strategic decision-making, as well as increased involvement in product development and customer success initiatives. The goal is to create career development pathways that benefit both individual team members and the overall partnership.
About Tendril: your partner for nearshore operational excellence
Tendril's success with Science On Call demonstrates our unique approach to nearshore partnerships. Rather than functioning as a traditional outsourcing vendor, we specialize in creating and managing customized nearshore support teams that become genuine extensions of our clients' operations.
Through rigorous recruitment practices, comprehensive training programs, and meticulous ongoing oversight, Tendril provides culturally-aligned, agile support solutions that consistently exceed client expectations.
Tendril's key differentiators include:
- Tailored nearshore recruitment and rapid onboarding.
- Deep operational and cultural alignment.
- Substantial cost reduction without sacrificing service quality.
- Proven scalability and flexibility.
- Demonstrated track record of successful nearshore collaborations.
Science On Call's experience with Tendril demonstrates the substantial benefits achievable through strategic nearshore partnerships. The combination of significant cost savings, improved customer support quality, enhanced multilingual capabilities, and agile scalability created a foundation for sustainable growth that continues to deliver value.
For organizations facing similar challenges - whether struggling with escalating support costs, seeking to improve customer experience, or needing to scale operations efficiently - Tendril's approach offers a proven path to operational transformation.
📞 Contact us today to discuss how Tendril can transform your operational efficiency and customer experience.
🌐 Visit www.tendril.us to learn more about our innovative nearshore solutions.