The Reality of Contact Centres

Send us Fan Mail From our sister podcast, The Reality of Business, this episode is especially relevant for anyone working in contact centres, customer service or customer experience. Bob and Jeremy discuss how brands are using AI in customer experience right now, where it’s helping, where organisations are struggling, and some of the problems already starting to appear. Recorded after a visit to a...

Send us Fan Mail From our sister podcast - The Reality of Business, the Final Part of our Contact Centre Series we unpack how AI shifts the work mix in contact centres and why brands that compete on experience outperform on sales and retention. We share a practical path from cost per call to value per customer, with hiring, training, and hybrid models that scale. • market growth and AI moving simp...

Send us Fan Mail We explore how team leaders in contact centres move from admin heavy oversight to true performance coaching while AI takes on the routine work. We share practical ways to build omni‑channel skills, manage hybrid teams, and use data to protect wellbeing and grow careers. • the step up from agent to leader and the peer challenge • why numbers alone don’t change behaviour • coaching...

Send us Fan Mail From our sister podcast The Reality of Business - the first of three episodes about the future of contact centres starting at the frontline with the operators changing role, How does AI remove repetitive work, why complex conversations now define value and how multi skilling and hybrid work create real career growth.  Why automation now handles routine requests  Why complex and em...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever caught yourself jumping to conclusions about someone based on their age or financial status?  Our latest episode peels back the layers of ageism and bias within customer service, highlighting a conversation that will challenge your assumptions. Tune in as we dissect a fascinating call between a contact centre agent and a customer who, on the surface, appears to be a...

Send us Fan Mail Are you constantly the go-to problem solver in your contact centre? It's time to break free from the chains of reactive problem-solving, and our latest episode is your key to unlocking a more proactive team. We delve into the persistent cycle of team leaders being side-tracked by their team's issues, a pattern that not only disrupts their workflow but stunts the team&apo...

Send us Fan Mail How often do you have to ask a manager for permission to use an offer? In your call centre how often does it happen?  Well, strap in because we're dissecting that dance of discounts and it's quite the cha-cha of consumer psychology and strategic pricing! In this podcast we role play how these sound to customers – and work out what the customer is thinking. This shows how...

Send us Fan Mail Do you understand the frustration a customer feels when you say “I need to put you on hold and check with my manager"?  This episode promises to unravel why this all-too-common practice is holding back the potential of call centres everywhere. We confront the lack of agent empowerment head-on, striving to identify the bottlenecks that stall service and erode customer trust. G...

Send us Fan Mail If you have heard part one of this series you will know all about active listening, and utilising the best tone for your customers. Already you will be ahead of people who haven’t learnt these key skills – and here are 5 more! This jam-packed episode of Contact Centre Focus is all about amplifying your vocal prowess in ways that resonate with customers and leave them hanging on yo...

Send us Fan Mail Why are some advisors effective and some less so? Let's unlock that mystery!  In this episode Jeremy Blake and Bob Morrell show you how important and flexible the voice is – and how you should be using it. In the first part of our special double-feature, we're laying down five key tips that will make your voice the secret weapon of your call centre.  Explore the nuances...

Send us Fan Mail Top Tips for 2024! What is going to make the biggest difference this year? Ready to take your customer service to a new level?  Call centres all over the world need key areas of focus to have a great year.   We're talking about the art of selling—yes, even you, the customer service pro, are in sales, whether you're booking appointments or solving problems. You're se...

Send us Fan Mail Team Leaders, is your contact centre team prepared for the challenges of peak seasons and ready to emerge stronger? Join us for a discussion on resilience – a crucial trait for thriving in the demanding environment of a contact centre. We’ll tap into Dr. Kenneth Ginsberg’s insights on the Seven Cs of resilience, covering competence, connection, coping, and more. Discover how to bo...

Send us Fan Mail Interview Skills and Tips: Ready to be the stand-out candidate at your next call centre job interview?  Join us, Bob and Jeremy of Reality Training, where we promise to equip you with the exact insights and strategies you need to impress any interviewer, regardless of their role or seniority.  We share key tips on demonstrating your understanding of sales and service, maintaining...

Send us Fan Mail Picture this: You're at your Contact Centre Christmas party, the music is playing, the drinks are flowing, and you're just about to photocopy your body parts as a fun party trick. Stop right there!  We're here to guide you through the do's and don'ts of the Christmas party, especially in a Contact Centre environment. After years of enjoying (and surviving)...

Send us Fan Mail Are your customer service people salespeople? Brand Ambassadors? Efficient Administrators?  This episode takes a deep dive into the fascinating world of customer service at 'Bob's Insurance', a company whose customer-centric approach has revolutionised the way their agents handle sales. We dissect a fictional customer service call, demonstrating how to balance custo...

Send us Fan Mail Do you work with special offers? Are your prices negotiable? Or do you sell a hybrid option? Some organisations are fixed price. This means the advisor has to sell what they’re selling purely on the value.  Do you expect your advisors to know how to negotiate? Or are they simply discounting or reliant on offers only?  This podcast explores the area of pricing and challenges you an...

Send us Fan Mail What exactly is S elf-worth, and when was the last time you truly assessed it? Join us for the culmination of our DRIVES principles series in Episode 6, where we focus on increasing self-worth in your contact centre. If you've been following our journey through D iscretion, R oles, I ntegrity, V ision & E nvironment, you're already familiar with the core DRIVES princ...

Send us Fan Mail What defines a thriving working environment within a contact centre? How do you transform spaces into hubs that motivate your teams, encourage collaboration, and drive exceptional customer experiences? In Episode 5 of our DRIVES model, we explore ‘E’ – Environment . COVID-19 reshaped the landscape of contact centre dynamics. Remote work emerged as a pivotal force, reshuffling the...

Send us Fan Mail What lies at the core of your business vision? In Episode 4 of our DRIVES model, we unravel the mysteries of motivational visions . Have you ever wondered if your leadership’s visions are crafted with imagination and wisdom, or just another run-of-the-mill idea? In this short podcast, we challenge every contact centre to understand what their vision is and ask: What are the measur...

Send us Fan Mail How does integrity work in your contact centre? How does it help us to collaborate? If it is at the heart of what you do, then consistency is easy. If it isn’t, then collaboration becomes almost impossible. A lack of integrity totally undermines any reputation you are trying to build. It could be individuals, teams, or managers who work against integrity. In contact centres how do...

Send us Fan Mail In the second of our 6-part DRIVES series, Bob & Jeremy explain the vital function of Roles and its impact on team dynamics within contact centres. Are you using your power and authority as a manager in the right way to foster collaboration within your team? Do you ensure your team understand their roles and play to their strengths, making decisions within their defined respon...

Send us Fan Mail In the first of our 6-part DRIVES series, Bob and Jeremy explain the key drivers that increase staff engagement and collaboration, and improves your contact centre. How empowered are your people? How can they decide on what’s best for customers? This first episode amusingly shows you how a lack of discretion can really affect results and motivation. Please listen, rate and review,...

Send us Fan Mail The frustrations customers face when interacting with automated systems can leave them with an incredibly negative customer journey experience. The challenges you, the advisor, then encounter to provide a seamless transition and make it so much better, is a tough ask after these dreadful responses.  The handover from bot to human often feels likes starting from scratch and compani...

Send us Fan Mail Hybrid working may be here to stay, but working from home permanently is increasing. As the pandemic hit there were organisations that issued homeworkers with all the right kit and others that bought cheap and bought twice.  We explore how home-based working changes management and makes the home worker far more self-dependent in areas traditionally beyond many people’s expertise....

Send us Fan Mail Do you huddle every morning? What is the purpose? Are they motivational? Do you prepare for them? Do you pledge?  In this short podcast Bob and Jeremy give you a series of Do’s and Don'ts about running worthwhile and effective huddles with your teams. If you’re a team leader or an agent, you will learn how to have better huddles which will make you more successful.  Please li...