CX RIOT RADIO

  I gave ChatGPT this prompt: "Using as many Hatebreed song titles and lyrics as possible please tell me why a young business professional should never give up on their goals" Let's see what it says: ""Perseverance" is a song by the band Hatebreed that encourages listeners to never give up on their goals. The lyrics state "Never back down, never give in, never forget, never be denied, we will fight until the end, we will never be denied, we will persist and we will overcome." This song is a powerful message that speaks to the importance of perseverance and determination in achieving one's goals, especially for a young business professional. "I Will Be Heard" is another song by Hatebreed that emphasizes the importance of standing up for oneself and never giving up on one's goals. The lyrics state "I will not be denied, I will not be defeated, I will be heard, I will be respected, I will be victorious, I will be the one to pav...

Chapter Two: Setting the Stage “To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace.” - Doug Conant If you want to have a call center, you’re going to need equipment, software, cubicles, chairs, keyboards, mice, internet and employees. Or you can have a BYOD (bring your own device) policy, but that can be a bit risky, and honestly, it does seem a bit weird. To be 100% this can be as sophisticated or as bare bones as you see fit. But to keep your employees sane and happy, I would caution against old run down equipment. I would warn against having your agents take calls and input data on clunky, slow, Windows XP running in 2022 dinosaurs and talking using actual deskphones where they have to cradle the receiver (or whatever it’s called) between their ear and their shoulder. Unless you want them to be stressed out and sore. You probably want to aim somewhere between that and state of the art. Let them take some pride in their desk, and the equipment they use. If I had my way...

  Chapter One: Background “Exceptional customer experiences are the only sustainable platform for competitive differentiation.”   – Kerry Bodine First, we have to ask ourselves, why a book on Contact Centers? There’s really not that many of them, and with the exception of maybe a couple, they are dry tomes of archaic knowledge, boring and monotonous, tedious to read, and only contain a few nuggets of applicable, actionable knowledge. In other words, they’re useless snooze fests. Second, we have to ask ourselves, why, specifically, a book about plumbing and HVAC Contact Centers? This is even more niche. The first question, we already answered. There needs to be more, period. They need to be more accessible. They need to be easy to read. They need to be fun to read. If they’re not… What's the point?  “Oh, here is a 600 page textbook! Have fun!” Let’s change that. The second question, well, that deserves a longer answer.  The Trades is one of the most important indust...

Hey all! Over the next few weeks I'll be releasing chapters of the Blue Collar Call Center here on this free blog. For free. If you want a physical copy, go to that link up there and we have the paperback version for $5 and the Kindle version for $3 (which isn't physical but whatever). Here's a brief outline of the book: Chapter One: Background: The importance of your Contact Center. My background and how I rebuilt and improved the Rooter Hero Plumbing & Air Contact Center. Chapter Two: Setting the Stage: Everything you need to set up a Successful Contact Center, whether you’re in-office, remote, or hybrid. Chapter Three: Hiring the Right People: From the ad through the interview, getting the right people and hiring for attitude and culture trumps skills based hiring for Contact Centers Chapter Four: Training Outline: How to set up a Training Curriculum that works and prevents turnover and burnout. Chapter Five: Training the Mind: Values, Stoicism, and Mindset Trainin...

Awhile ago (too long ago), I had Thomas Seelbinder on Caffeinated CX (this episode here) and we reminisced about our punk rock roots and how the punk rock ethos could be compared to a lot of startup companies. The punk rock scene and startups have more in common than a lot of people realize (or care to realize). Both are driven by a DIY mentality, a willingness to challenge the status quo, and a desire to push boundaries. We'll get more into that in a little bit. Just as punk rock bands in the 1970s and early 80's used their music to break free from the constraints of mainstream glam metal, prog rock, and disco, startups today are using technology to disrupt traditional industries and create new opportunities. Both punk rock and startups value creativity, innovation, and a willingness to take risks. Think about the way that the Crass, the Sex Pistols, the Exploited, the Ramones, or Dead Kennedys paved the way for countless alternative and independent bands to come, or how com...