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Something that bit me then

John Pearson never planned a career in contact centres. What started as a temporary role back in 1996 became something much bigger — a career built around communication, leadership, culture and helping people. In this episode of Average Speed of Answer, Barry and John explore how contact centres have changed over the years, from scripted calls and physical call guides to hybrid working, AI and people-first leadership. John shares honest reflections on building culture, managing pressure, empowering teams and why communication remains the most important skill in any contact centre. More than anything, this is a conversation about people — the friendships, the development and the unexpected careers that can begin with a headset and a temporary job. 🎧 Average Speed of Answer — the podcast for the people behind the headsets.

Lets Speed Date to Communicate

Scott Williams has spent over 15 years in customer service and contact centres, but this conversation goes far beyond headsets and handling calls. In this episode of Average Speed of Answer, Barry and Scott explore the reality of contact centre life — from first-day nerves and learning to communicate without face-to-face interaction, to building lifelong friendships, finding genuine work-life balance, and discovering opportunities far beyond the phones. Scott shares why communication and listening remain the most important skills in customer service, how contact centres supported his family life, and why getting involved and staying open-minded can lead to unexpected growth and development.

Don’t Be Afraid, Give a Bit of Love and Be Proud

In this episode of Average Speed of Answer, I'm joined by Rami Lenzbergaite for an honest conversation about growth, resilience, leadership, and the reality of working in customer service. Rami shares her journey from joining a contact centre part-time while at university, to becoming a team leader, moving into compliance, and transitioning into a completely new industry. Along the way, she reflects on handling difficult customers, managing pressure, learning to lead former teammates, and why communication and empathy matter so much in leadership. The episode also explores vulnerability, AI in customer service, coaching, emotional intelligence, and why contact centres deserve far more recognition for the skills they build and the people they develop. A thoughtful conversation packed with real experience, practical advice, and a reminder to not be afraid of taking on new challenges, give people a bit of love, and be proud of the journey you’re on.

Love a bit of Chaos

Barry chats with Lauren Baker about her journey from call handler to team leader. Lauren shares what it’s really like working in a fast-paced outsourced contact centre, supporting agents through challenging calls, building trust across remote and office teams, and keeping things simple when the pressure is on. A brilliant conversation about confidence, communication, chaos, and the human side of contact centre leadership.

Just Focus on one task at a time

In this episode, Barry Cooper sits down with Harry Donaghy, a contact centre advisor who went straight from sixth form into an apprenticeship — and never looked back. Harry shares how he stumbled into the world of customer service while actually keeping an eye on a bigger prize: a career in foreign exchange and finance. From his first quiet day on the corporate desk to being thrown into the deep end on a high-volume private customer team, Harry opens up about the realities of contact centre life — the pressure, the pace, and the people.