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That one call contact center agent that is consistently late by 1, 3, or 6 minutes every day to shift or coming back from break/lunch.  This can be a tricky situation to handle and one that we all deal with in the contact center environment. 

You get frustrated, WFM is on you, other agents are irritated because they can go on break until that agent comes back...it can be a mess if left unchecked.

In this episode, we discuss that it's ok to hold agents to certain standards as long as it's part of the core competency that you need from them and that's been explained.  We also talk about certain ways to avoid this and when to move it to progressive discipline.

This should be a pretty valuable episode to any call center manager or supervisor.

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel
Text Me: Text "security" to 814-247-0633

 Through Expivia Digital, Tom works with contact center leaders on CCaaS platform selection, AI implementations, and NICE Studio and integration services. 

Same honest, vendor-neutral advice you hear on the Call Center Geek podcast, applied directly to your specific operational challenges. 

Schedule a consultation at ExpiviaDigital.com to discuss your contact center technology strategy. 

Click here:

expiviadigital.com

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callcenter_geek
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel

Send us a text

Middle management is the absolute lifeline of your contact center.  Have you educated and given them the tools they need to be successful.

We are in the process of overhauling our management training program and want to give all of you an inside look at what you should be converting and how to do this.

This includes chapters on
:
TECHNOLOGY/OPERATIONS

• Telephony understanding
• KPIS (Already created a dictionary for this)
• Reports- What to look for
• Supervisor Checklist
• Starting the Day the Right Way
• Motivations
• Analytics understanding
• Daily Synopsis format

HR

• Dealing with agent issues (top 10 issues and how to handle)- Script and Video
• Attitude Effort importance
• Policies and Procedures
• Legal issues 
• What we can say, can't say to reps and peers
• When to Escalate to HR
• Chain of Command
• Slack 

MONITORING/COACHING/CLIENTS

• How to Coach
• Monitoring/Scoring
• Dealing with Clients

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Schedule time with me to talk about anything call center related:
https://calendly.com/call_center_advice/15min
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel
Text Me: Text "education" to 814-247-0633

 Through Expivia Digital, Tom works with contact center leaders on CCaaS platform selection, AI implementations, and NICE Studio and integration services. 

Same honest, vendor-neutral advice you hear on the Call Center Geek podcast, applied directly to your specific operational challenges. 

Schedule a consultation at ExpiviaDigital.com to discuss your contact center technology strategy. 

Click here:

expiviadigital.com

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callcenter_geek
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel

Send us a text

In this totally unscripted episode, I sit down with 5 of our contact middle management to discuss how they manage their teams. 

We talk about coaching tips, QA, dealing with motivation issues, and how to handle confrontation that sometimes arises in any work environment from their perspective. 

Really unique episode and one that we want to do more of!

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community:www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Schedule time with me to talk about anything call center related:
https://calendly.com/call_center_advice/15min
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel
Text Me: Text "education" to 814-247-0633

 Through Expivia Digital, Tom works with contact center leaders on CCaaS platform selection, AI implementations, and NICE Studio and integration services. 

Same honest, vendor-neutral advice you hear on the Call Center Geek podcast, applied directly to your specific operational challenges. 

Schedule a consultation at ExpiviaDigital.com to discuss your contact center technology strategy. 

Click here:

expiviadigital.com

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callcenter_geek
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel

Send us a text

Educating associates is a core competency of any solid contact center operation.  In episode 141 of Advice from a Call Center Geek, we look at 7 Effective Call Center Training Tips You Can Implement Easily.

Topics in this episode include:
Focusing On the Major Call Center Skills
Equipping Your Agents with Sufficient Product Knowledge
Creating KPIs for Every Training Session
Making Training Sessions Practical and Easy to Implement
Fostering Continuous Improvement
Provide Constructive Feedback
Map Out a Clear Growth Pathway for Your Agents

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Schedule time with me to talk about anything call center related:
https://calendly.com/call_center_advice/15min
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel
Text Me: Text "education" to 814-247-0633

 Through Expivia Digital, Tom works with contact center leaders on CCaaS platform selection, AI implementations, and NICE Studio and integration services. 

Same honest, vendor-neutral advice you hear on the Call Center Geek podcast, applied directly to your specific operational challenges. 

Schedule a consultation at ExpiviaDigital.com to discuss your contact center technology strategy. 

Click here:

expiviadigital.com

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callcenter_geek
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel

Send us a text

This episode is definitely in my top 3 favorite episodes and a MUST listen for any Call Center Geek out there.  I re-recorded this episode 4 times to make sure I got across what I needed!

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the Metaverse and How it will fundamentally change CX, service, rewards programs, and customer retention.

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Schedule time with me to talk about anything call center related:
https://calendly.com/call_center_advice/15min
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel
Text Me: Text "meta" to 814-247-0633

 Through Expivia Digital, Tom works with contact center leaders on CCaaS platform selection, AI implementations, and NICE Studio and integration services. 

Same honest, vendor-neutral advice you hear on the Call Center Geek podcast, applied directly to your specific operational challenges. 

Schedule a consultation at ExpiviaDigital.com to discuss your contact center technology strategy. 

Click here:

expiviadigital.com

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callcenter_geek
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel

Send us a text

Turnover...the arch-nemesis of every contact center. 

While it's never going to be perfect, there are some tactics that we can take to improve the culture and the turnover of the contact center environment. 

In this episode, we look at 5 ways that we battle turnover here in my contact center, Expivia. 

These include a dive into:

Culture
Associate Pay
Agent Engagement
Growth and Progression
Having a Say
Difficult Processes and Procedures

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Schedule time with me to talk about anything call center related:
https://calendly.com/call_center_advice/15min
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel
Text Me: Text "NFT" to 814-247-0633

 Through Expivia Digital, Tom works with contact center leaders on CCaaS platform selection, AI implementations, and NICE Studio and integration services. 

Same honest, vendor-neutral advice you hear on the Call Center Geek podcast, applied directly to your specific operational challenges. 

Schedule a consultation at ExpiviaDigital.com to discuss your contact center technology strategy. 

Click here:

expiviadigital.com

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callcenter_geek
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel

Send us a text

I love this episode. If you are a call center geek, it's for you, if you are not but want to understand the power of the oncoming NFT revolution, this is for you as well!

NFTs are going to be a large part of business and service in the coming years.  They are not a fad, they are a tool that all of us will need to understand, and the earlier that happens, the more ahead of the game you and your organization will be!

I have gone down the rabbit hole with NFTs, Crypto, Defi, and blockchain, and what to tell you all I have learned.  In this episode, we discuss all the ways NFTs can and will be disrupting business.  This is a brainstorming session where I want to plant the seed in all my listener's minds as to how you can utilize these new technologies.

We talk about NFT in terms of:

• Tiers of Customer Service
• Customer Tiers
• Ticketing
• Access
• Content
• SAAS Companies
• Community
• Contracts
• Fundraising
• Startups
• REIT's
• Metaverse
• Gaming
• API
• AI 

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Schedule time with me to talk about anything call center related:
https://calendly.com/call_center_advice/15min
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel
Text Me: Text "NFT" to 814-247-0633

 Through Expivia Digital, Tom works with contact center leaders on CCaaS platform selection, AI implementations, and NICE Studio and integration services. 

Same honest, vendor-neutral advice you hear on the Call Center Geek podcast, applied directly to your specific operational challenges. 

Schedule a consultation at ExpiviaDigital.com to discuss your contact center technology strategy. 

Click here:

expiviadigital.com

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callcenter_geek
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel

Send us a text

This time is YOU that is the star of the show!

I asked this question on Linkedin

"What's the one tip that you would give to a brand new call center supervisor managing his/her first team of 15 customer service agents? GO...."

The many answers I got were amazing and I think really helpful. 

So in this episode, we break down some of the top answers that we received. You are going to really like this one, so many smart and talented call center operators out there!

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Schedule time with me to talk about anything call center related:
https://calendly.com/call_center_advice/15min
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel
Text Me: Text "january" to 814-247-0633

 Through Expivia Digital, Tom works with contact center leaders on CCaaS platform selection, AI implementations, and NICE Studio and integration services. 

Same honest, vendor-neutral advice you hear on the Call Center Geek podcast, applied directly to your specific operational challenges. 

Schedule a consultation at ExpiviaDigital.com to discuss your contact center technology strategy. 

Click here:

expiviadigital.com

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callcenter_geek
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel

Send us a text

Happy 2022!

It's time to look at your center and develop a strategic plan for the new year.  In this episode of ACG, we take a look at four-five aspects of your center and talk through what we look at every year to improve.  These include:

Technology
     New
     Existing

Agent/Culture
     Engementment
     Goal Setting
     Hiring
     Education

Reporting
     Realtime/Dashboard
     Skilling
     KPIs

Management
     Education
     Engagement

Policies/Procedures
     New
     Existing

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Schedule time with me to talk about anything call center related:
https://calendly.com/call_center_advice/15min
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel
Text Me: Text "New Book" to 814-247-0633
 

 Through Expivia Digital, Tom works with contact center leaders on CCaaS platform selection, AI implementations, and NICE Studio and integration services. 

Same honest, vendor-neutral advice you hear on the Call Center Geek podcast, applied directly to your specific operational challenges. 

Schedule a consultation at ExpiviaDigital.com to discuss your contact center technology strategy. 

Click here:

expiviadigital.com

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callcenter_geek
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel

Send us a text

NEW BOOK! Advice from a Call Center Geek 3.0! is done!

Ok I just posted the full 204-page book for FREE on our Linkedin group Call Center Tips and Tactics, you can download it right now!

I will also be offering the Amazon Kindle version for free for 3 days after it goes live on Amazon ( by Jan 10)

Amazon is taking longer than normal to review all the published books as they are dealing with staffing issues I'm sure.

I didn't want to wait for them to be ready as I already pushed this back once!

This new version has over 200 pages and 10 new chapters. We added about 70 pages to the last update.

I hope it adds value to all of you!

I will upload the book here to my LinkedIn as well in the coming days but if you want it now, head over to the Tips and Tactics Group:
https://lnkd.in/dDC-VUx

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Schedule time with me to talk about anything call center related:
https://calendly.com/call_center_advice/15min
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel
Text Me: Text "New Book" to 814-247-0633

 Through Expivia Digital, Tom works with contact center leaders on CCaaS platform selection, AI implementations, and NICE Studio and integration services. 

Same honest, vendor-neutral advice you hear on the Call Center Geek podcast, applied directly to your specific operational challenges. 

Schedule a consultation at ExpiviaDigital.com to discuss your contact center technology strategy. 

Click here:

expiviadigital.com

Follow Tom: @tlaird_expivia
Join our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeek
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callcenter_geek
Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/
Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel