The Contact Centre Podcast: Catch-up with Every Episode So Far!

We are delighted to share every episode of The Contact Centre Podcast with you via this page.

Each episode includes a conversation with a well-known industry expert like Colin Shaw, Dr. Nicola Millard and Annette Franz – as we cover many important call centre and customer experience related topics.

But now, without further ado, here are all of the episodes of The Contact Centre Podcast, along with a short description that will let you know what you can expect from each.

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 33

Improving Customer and Agent Experience in the New Normal

Jeanette Hunter of Jabra discusses ways of improving Customer and Agent Experience in the New Normal.

In our conversation with Jeanette we examine the emerging trends within the contact centre environment post pandemic, looking at how technology can help support new ways of working for contact centre agents and how you can use data and analytics to manage KPI and coaching delivery seamlessly regardless of where your agents choose to work.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Improving Customer and Agent Experience in the New Normal

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 32

Employee Wellbeing: Take Care of Your Team!

Helen Ginman of UandI Wellbeing discusses what contact centres can do to improve employee well-being and take good care of their teams in the “new normal”.

In our conversation with Helen, we also talk about common sources of contact centre stress, how you can actively promote well-being and the positive impact that looking after well-being can bring.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast: Employee Wellbeing: Take Care of Your Team!

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 31

How to Improve Your Call Centre Reporting

Colin Gill of Akixi discusses how contact centres can take their reporting to the next level, sharing lots of clever advice along the way.

In our discussion with Colin, we also reveal lots of simple tips to help you improve your reporting, highlight some key mistakes to avoid and give extra advice on how you can make sure that you’re measuring the right things.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – How to Improve Your Call Centre Reporting

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 30

Contact Center Skills: How to Keep Developing Your Team

Sarah Morgan of new contact centre consultancy Luceat Coaching discusses what team leaders and managers can do to help their team to improve their call centre skills.

In our conversation, we also talk about which skills are most valuable to improve, as well as how to boost motivation levels and employee engagement to help agents further bolster these skills.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Contact Center Skills: How to Keep Developing Your Team

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 29

Dealing With Challenging Customers

Lee Jones and Rob Clarke of new contact centre consultancy Elev-8 Performance discuss some of the most challenging types of customers to deal with and how best to communicate with them.

In our conversation with Lee and Rob, we also talk about preparing the call centre team for difficult conversations, coaching advisors to stay resilient and dealing with call escalation requests.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Dealing With Challenging Customers

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 28

How to Get More from Your Call Centre Team

Gavin Scott, a Customer Service Coaching Consultant, gives a presentation on how we can tweak our existing coaching methods to inspire contact centre advisors to improve their performance.

In his presentation, Gavin also talks about how to best give feedback, introduces us to the concept of the “full emotional bank account” and also discusses the importance of focusing on the good things.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – How to Get More From Your Call Centre Team

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 27

Emotional Intelligence in the Contact Centre

Sandra Thompson, Founder of Exceed All Expectations, gives a presentation on training emotional intelligence in the contact centre to improve customer experience.

In her presentation, Sandra also discusses how best to show empathy, change the language of the contact centre and improve leadership.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Emotional Intelligence in the Contact Centre

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 26

How to Improve Contact Centre Morale

Carolyn Blunt of Ember Real Results shares a model for improving contact centre morale, which she calls “The 3Cs”, and discusses how you can use this model to boost employee happiness in the contact centre.

In her presentation, Carolyn also talks about the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the contact centre industry and how you can help boost the morale of your remote agents in these uncertain times.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – How to Improve Contact Centre Morale

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 25

Top Tips for Contact Centre Planning

John Casey, an experienced resource planning expert, gives a presentation where he shares tips on workforce planning in the contact centre.

In his presentation, John discusses the importance of understanding your shrinkage, building on your contact centre forecasts and experimenting with new planning ideas.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Top Tips for Contact Centre Planning

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 24

Contact Centre Transformation Ideas

Morris Pentel, Chairman of the Customer Experience Foundation, gives a presentation on how you can transform your contact centre’s performance.

In his presentation, Morris also discusses key learnings from the COVID-19 outbreak and the importance of building positive habits, and he talks us through how we can set new tactical goals in the contact centre.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Contact Centre Transformation Ideas

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 23

What Makes a Great Customer Experience?

Annette Franz of CX Journey starts our conversation by discussing some of those common blockers that many of us face in trying to create great customer experiences.

In our conversation, we also talk about using customer feedback to improve customer experience, understanding the impact of emotion and creating great customer journey maps.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – What Makes a Great Customer Experience?

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 22

Resource Planning Advice to Boost Efficiency and Engagement

Doug Casterton, a Senior WFM Manager, shares some key pieces of advice, learned through great experience, in how to increase resource planning efficiency and employee engagement.

In our conversation, we also talk about boosting forecast accuracy, designing shift patterns and the personal qualities that make up a really great contact centre planner.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Resource Planning Advice to Boost Efficiency and Engagement

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 21

Contact Centre Excellence: How to Stand Out From the Crowd

Thomas Laird, host of the podcast “Advice from a Call Centre Geek”, discusses the traits of an excellent contact centre and how you can stand out from the crowd.

In our conversation, we also talk about how to improve contact centre culture, share tips to create a unique customer experience and give examples of how leading organizations are excelling at customer service.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Contact Centre Excellence: How to Stand Out From the Crowd

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 20

Contact Centre Technology: Where Should I Invest?

Erica Mancuso, a service transformation expert, discusses some of the most promising technologies that are emerging within the contact centre industry.

In our conversation, we also talk about using tools to increase advisor engagement, getting more out of your existing software and creating a business case for contact centre technology.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Contact Centre Technology: Where Should I Invest?

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 19

Contact Centre Evolution: Where Are We Heading?

Keith Gait, an experienced customer service director, shares great insights into the current changes that are going on within contact centres and makes some interesting predictions into the future of the industry.

In our conversation, we also discuss how service levels are shifting, why organizations need to focus more on supporting advisors with the right knowledge, as well as other trends like AI and customer emotion.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Contact Centre Evolution: Where Are We Heading?

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 18

How to Inspire Your Team Leaders to Get More From Their Advisors

Jacqui Turner of Turner Corner Learning Solutions discusses how we can better support team leaders in the contact centre in order to improve advisor performance.

In our conversation, we also talk about the dangers of micromanaging, building positive working relationships and preparing leaders to have those difficult conversations with their teams.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – How to Inspire Your Team Leaders to Get More From Their Advisors

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 17

The Essential Customer Service Skills and How to Develop Them

Kim Ellis, a Contact Centre Training Consultant, discusses the keys to improving skills like empathy, active listening and knowledgeability in the contact centre.

In our conversation, we also talk about training exercises that will help to develop these skills further, while Kim makes reference to a number of her own contact centre experiences along the way.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – The Essential Customer Service Skills and How to Develop Them

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 16

What Will a Good Call Center Advisor Look Like in Ten Years

Martin Jukes of Mpathy Plus shares his vision of the contact centre advisor of the future.

As part of our discussion, we also talk about the new complexities of working in the call centre, how managers should be reacting to that and the key advisor skills that will become increasingly valuable to your organization.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – What Will a Good Call Centre Advisor Look Like in Ten Years

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 15

Customer Service Writing: How to Get More From Your Emails and Chats

Leslie O’Flahavan, a Professional Writing Coach, discusses some of the most common mistakes that we make in customer service writing and how to avoid them.

In our conversation, we also talk about personalizing emails and chats, the danger of imposing “word bans” in the contact centre and interesting activities to improve our customer service writing.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Customer Service Writing: How to Get More from Your Emails and Chats

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 14

WFM Tricks That Will Get You Through Busy Periods

John Casey, a Resource Planning Expert, discusses how to prevent and manage periods of unexpectedly high contact volumes in the call centre.

As part of our discussion, we also talk about factoring absenteeism into our forecasts and the link between scheduling and employee engagement, as well as sharing more tips that will help you to steady the ship when things get a little hectic!

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – WFM Tricks That Will Get You Through Busy Periods

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 13

Top Contact Centre Problems and How To Solve Them

Jo Hale, an experienced Customer Contact Director, shares great insights into overcoming those common challenges that we all face when managing the contact centre.

As part of our discussion, we also share expert tips to improve communication across the contact centre, secure more budget and lower attrition, as well as much more.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Top Contact Centre Problems and How To Solve Them

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 12

Customer Experience: The New Thinking for Delighting Your Customers

Sandra Thompson of Exceed All Expectations shares her top tips for using emotional intelligence to create memorable customer experiences.

As part of our discussion, we also talk about mapping the customer journey, optimising your Voice of the Customer (VoC) programme and the link between the customer and advisor experience.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Customer Experience: The New Thinking for Delighting Your Customers

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 11

Is It Time to Rethink Your Call Centre Metrics?

Morris Pentel of The Customer Experience Foundation shares his strong opinions regarding the future of contact centre metrics and discusses why we should consider moving away from certain traditional measures.

As part of our discussion, we also talk about the dangers of measuring success through metric scores alone, the growing focus on customer emotion and how best to measure the employee experience.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast: Is It Time to Rethink Your Call Centre Metrics?

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 10

Employee Engagement: Thinking Beyond Happy Employees Make Happy Customers

Natalie Calvert of CX High Performance discusses the keys to employee engagement, sharing lots of practical tips for how to better motivate advisors along the way.

As part of our discussion, we also talk about developing team leaders, the impact that metric choices have on advisors and the best ways to measure contact centre engagement.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Employee Engagement: Thinking Beyond Happy Employees Make Happy Customers

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 9

Call Centre Coaching: How to Sustain Learning and Make it Fun!

Nick Drake Knight of Continue & Begin introduces us to his favourite method of coaching advisors in the contact centre, before sharing some expert tips on how to improve your training programme.

As part of our discussion, we also talk about how we can sustain key learnings from training, contact centre gamification and discuss how you can protect yourself against the “But Monster”. Yes, you read that right!

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast – Contact Centre Coaching: How to Sustain Learning and Make it Fun!

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 8

How to Extract More Value From Your Call Centre Quality Programme

Fellow contact centre podcaster Martin Teasdale discusses the value of having a well-structured quality programme and shares his advice for helping you get there.

As part of our discussion, we also talk about using quality to increase advisor motivation and maximizing the value of scorecards, as well as sharing tips to improve your quality calibration sessions.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast: How to Extract More Value From Your Contact Centre Quality programme

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 7

How Can We Increase Customer Engagement by Doing Less?

Peter Massey of Budd highlights where your customer engagement strategies might be going wrong, giving plenty of advice along the way of how to improve.

As part of our discussion, we also discuss where your customer engagement strategies might be going wrong, giving plenty of advice along the way of how to improve.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast: How can We Increase Customer Engagement by Doing Less

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 6

Channel Shift: How Can We Safely Move Customers from One Channel to Another?

Dr Nicola Millard of BT discusses the latest trends in customer behaviour and how they may influence your channel shift strategy.

As part of our discussion, we also talk about how you can improve your digital customer service strategy, the growth of live chat and the future of the contact centre.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast: Channel Shift: How can we safely move customers from one channel to another?

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 5

How Can We Improve Customer Journeys to Create Happy Customers?

Martin Hill-Wilson of Brainfood Consulting discusses how we can improve the customer experience by designing simple, low-effort and fast customer journeys.

As part of our discussion, we also talk about understanding customer behaviours, reducing service costs and the fundamentals of digital transformation.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast: How can we improve customer journeys to create happy customers?

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 4

Contact Centre AI: What Are Your Options?

Dr David Naylor of Humanotics discusses how contact centres are using varying forms of artificial intelligence (AI), while dissecting some of the hype surrounding the technology.

As part of our discussion, we remove many AI misconceptions, while discussing the promise of technologies such as predictive routing, biometrics and chatbots.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast: Contact Centre AI: What are your options?

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 3

How Can You Boost First Contact Resolution in Your Contact Centre?

Nerys Corfield of Injection Consulting shares her own observations of how contact centres are using First Contact Resolution (FCR) and talks about the metric’s growing popularity.

As part of our discussion, we also consider the foundations for measuring FCR realistically, how to use your FCR figure to make positive changes and ask if “One and Done” is right for every scenario?

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast: How can you boost First Contact Resolution in your contact centre?

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 2

How Can You Create a Happy Culture of Positive People?

Dan Moross of MOO draws on his own experience to discuss the keys to creating a contact centre culture that facilitates both learning and enjoyment.

As part of our discussion, we also talk about optimizing recruitment, bringing fun into the workplace and developing advisor skills.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast: How can you create a happy culture of positive people?

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The Contact Centre Podcast – Episode 1

How Can You Use Customer Emotions to Your Advantage?

Colin Shaw of Beyond Philosophy discusses how we can evoke positive emotions from our customers, first focusing on the wider customer experience, before sharing some practical tips for contact centres.

As part of our discussion, we also talk about creating positive customer memories, increasing employee engagement and coaching contact centre advisors.

For more information on this podcast visit Podcast: How Can You Use Customer Emotions to Your Advantage?

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Author: Robyn Coppell