Case Study #2: From Resistance to Ripple Effect: How One Bold Experiment Won Over an Entire Partnership Network

What do you do when your biggest partner is your biggest blocker?

That was the question we faced, deep in the setup phase of a high-stakes infrastructure rollout. With just 30 days to go live, our team was tasked with launching a 24/7 help centre to manage real-time service issues across more than 50 impacted construction sites. It would act as the central nervous system — triaging service calls, resolving frontline pain points, and protecting reputations through the chaos of a massive, round-the-clock build.

There was just one problem.

Every private partner involved — and there were many — was hesitant to come onboard. Understandably, no one likes the idea of Big Brother listening in, or feeling like they're being measured without context. Trust was low, stakes were high, and we were running out of time.

So I did something risky.

In a partnership meeting, I turned to our most vocal critic — the biggest, most influential delivery partner — and challenged him to help us run a controlled experiment. I said: “If it works for you, you help us get the rest over the line.”

He agreed.

We set up a mystery shopper trial. His team would call our new help centre with real service scenarios. The call centre wouldn’t know who was on the line — but they'd be expected to triage the issue and deliver clarity and support that mattered.

Behind the scenes, I worked side-by-side with the call centre manager — a total pro — role-playing scenarios, refining FAQs, and preparing staff to think, act, and resolve like high-trust pros.

Not every call went to plan (mostly tech bugs, of course), but the advice given was sound. More importantly? His night crews noticed fewer interruptions, quicker resolutions, and felt backed up — for the first time.

He kept his word.

At the next partnership meeting, he became our biggest advocate. Helped swing the rest. From that moment, the culture shifted. Instead of resistance, we had shared confidence.

During the peak of the winter construction blitz — where 120,000 people needed to move safely and efficiently across the network — that trust paid off. Issues were raised and resolved quickly. We took partner feedback seriously, updated our knowledge base regularly, and kept every team informed in real time.

No spin. No hiding. Just delivery.

Yes, there were teething issues. But by co-owning the process, we built something rare: a system private and public partners could actually rely on.

And it helps when you’re surrounded by pros — from a call centre manager who led with calm precision, to fantastic leadership who backed me to run the experiment in the first place. Trust isn't built in policy — it’s built in moments like these, when you're allowed to try, adapt, and deliver.