The Reality of Contact Centres

AI & Customer Experience: Why Human Skills Matter More Now

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1865495/fan_mail/new] 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 major CX conference in London, the episode explores: * AI in contact centres and customer service * The shift towards more complex human conversations * Where automation works well – and where it doesn’t * The line between machine support and human judgement * How customer service roles are changing * And the skills people will increasingly need as AI becomes part of everyday customer journeys There’s also a wider conversation around customer experience strategy, AI adoption, customer retention, service quality and what brands should be paying attention to next. If you work in customer experience, contact centres, customer service, sales leadership or CX strategy, this episode will give you plenty to think about. To find out more about our work and to see what we could do to help your organisation, visit www.realitytraining.com.

Contact Centres: The Brand and Customer Lifetime Value

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1865495/fan_mail/new] 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 simple queries to automation • experience as the differentiator over price • contact centres as sales and retention engines • reinvesting AI savings into skills and tools • shifting metrics from cost per call to value per customer • automotive as a case study of fragmented journeys • remote and hybrid staffing for coverage and resilience • global standards for consistent behaviours across teams • talent pipelines that reward autonomy and negotiation • continuous strategy instead of one‑off projects Thank you for sharing episodes with your friends and your colleagues. You know, you just press share, click on it, and why not chuck in someone's email or WhatsApp them an episode if you think it might help them sound more interesting when you're next with them To find out more about our work and to see what we could do to help your organisation, visit www.realitytraining.com.

Contact Centres: The Future Team Leader - CX & Performance Coach

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1865495/fan_mail/new] 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 as the primary lever for performance • building omni‑channel skills across voice, chat, email and video • handling camera reluctance with confidence and choice • using AI analytics to target training and fix processes • redesigning roles so automation handles repetitive work • creating career pathways and centres of excellence • managing remote teams with clear dashboards and rituals • preventing burnout with proactive data‑led support • weighing hybrid against in‑office team dynamics • why human conversations still anchor customer experience To find out more about our work and to see what we could do to help your organisation, visit www.realitytraining.com.

Contact Centres: The Future - How AI is Reshaping and Elevating Human Skills

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1865495/fan_mail/new] 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 emotional calls need humans How to multi skill across voice, chat, email and social How real-time AI guidance boosts speed and accuracy Why CX beats call volume as the core metric How outsourcing cycles affect skills and escalation  How they also expand talent options How operators build value with empathy and problem solving  Why leaders must train and measure to raise quality  To find out more about our work and to see what we could do to help your organisation, visit www.realitytraining.com.

Ageism Bias in Contact Centres

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1865495/fan_mail/new] 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 frugal pensioner struggling with the cost of a pool cleaning service. The dialogue takes an unexpected turn, revealing the complexities of our preconceived notions about wealth, age, and status. With our expert analysis and narrative flair, we navigate the intricacies of this real-world interaction, shedding light on the broader societal issue of socioeconomic assumptions, especially among retirees in developed countries. Join us to examine how service providers can strike a balance between empathy and scepticism, and how easily professional judgment can be clouded by our own biases. This episode isn't just a conversation—it's a mirror reflecting our individual prejudices and urging us to question how they affect our decisions in similar scenarios. To find out more about our work and to see what we could do to help your organisation, visit www.realitytraining.com.