Get Out of Wrap - Contact Centre Chat

Join me and 50 people live from Linkedin today for the 100th episode of get Out of Wrap TV.We chat about working from home vs in the office, what LinkedIn content we like and also what terms we'd like to see consigned to the bin.Thank you for all your support.

In episode 225 of Get Out of Wrap, Martin welcomes back the inspiring Lee Houghton — this time to talk about The People Puzzle, his Amazon #1 bestselling book.Lee shares the candid behind-the-scenes journey of writing a leadership book designed not just to be read, but worked through. From the original “Leadership Cheat Code” concept to evolving into four core puzzle pieces — Alignment, Relationships, Feelings, and Leadership — this episode is packed with value for leaders at every level.We talk acronyms, Aristotle, safe spaces, and how real growth comes from reflection and feedback.

On the 99th show of Get Out of Wrap TV ( over on Linkedin 10am on a Tuesday ) we discussed a recent article in the Guardian that was titled 'Is Customer Dead & why is it so , so bad?' No one better than the GOOW community to chat about this.

Outbound is far from dead — it's thriving in Loughborough.In the latest episode of Get Out of Wrap, I'm joined by Steve Powell of Alvaria to introduce an incredible leader: Dan Luik, Head of Currys' Loughborough Campus. Dan runs one of the most impressive contact centre operations I've ever seen. It's profitable. It's customer-obsessed. And it's relentlessly focused on improvement.We dive into:How Currys is redefining outbound as proactive customer engagementThe role of leadership in a high-performance sales cultureWhy Alvaria's outbound technology is central to their successReal-world use of AI to elevate people, process, and performanceAnd why Loughborough is so much more than a contact centre — it's Currys' largest virtual store.If you think outbound is old-school or "just sales," this conversation will change your mind.

In this engaging episode of Get Out of Wrap TV, host Martin Teasdale leads a thought-provoking discussion on the future of contact centres, exploring the rapid changes shaping the industry. The episode features lively audience participation and expert insights into how technology, workforce dynamics, and customer expectations are evolving.One of the standout moments in the show comes when Martin poses a crucial question to the audience and industry professionals:

The resilience of Ukraine's contact centre industry is nothing short of extraordinary. In the latest episode of Get Out of Wrap, I had the privilege of speaking with Iryna Velychko and Bogdan Koshevoy, who shared the realities of running contact centres in a war zone.Despite missile attacks, power outages, and unimaginable challenges, these professionals continue working—supporting their country and clients worldwide. They have adapted with backup power, shelters, and an unwavering commitment to keep business moving forward. Their spirit is humbling.But they need our support. Here's how we can help: ✅ Raise Awareness – Share the truth about what's happening in Ukraine's contact centres. ✅ Consider Outsourcing to Ukraine – Ukrainian contact centres remain highly skilled, multilingual, and resilient. ✅ Support Training & Development – UK trainers can make a real impact by working with Ukrainian teams.It's not enough to say we stand with Ukraine—we must take action. Connect with Iryna and Bogdan to explore real ways to help.Slava Ukraini! 

With International Women's Day around the corner, who better to join me on Get Out of Wrap than the incredible Clare Muscutt, founder of Women in CX?We had a powerful conversation about:

In this episode of Get Out of Wrap TV, Martin Teasdale dives into a critical conversation about the state of customer satisfaction in today's contact centres. With cutting-edge technology and more CX experts than ever, why aren't satisfaction levels rising? The discussion sparks insightful comments from industry professionals, highlighting the balance between tech and people, the need for real customer and employee voices at the decision-making table, and how businesses should prioritise customer experience over cost-cutting.Beyond the serious topics, the episode also brings a sense of community, with engaging conversations about daily happiness, industry events, and even some fun chatter about Get Out of Wrap merchandise! If you want to be part of a dynamic, thought-provoking, and entertaining discussion on the future of customer experience, this episode is a must-watch.

In this latest episode of Get Out of Wrap TV, the contact centre community comes together for an insightful and engaging discussion filled with real-world industry challenges, expert perspectives, and plenty of laughter.From candid conversations about the frustrations of sales outreach to the power of AI in improving inclusivity—particularly through Spencer Collins' game-changing experience with RogerVoice—this episode is packed with valuable takeaways.The team also dives into the latest insights from Contact Babel's Decision Makers' Guide, breaking down the current state of digital customer service and email SLAs.Whether you're looking for industry expertise, fresh perspectives, or just a great community vibe, this episode is a must-listen for any contact centre professional!

Back by public demand! The legend that is Chris Rainsforth of The Forum joined me for another episode of Get Out of Wrap – and as always, he brought invaluable insights for the contact centre industry. Some key takeaways from our chat:

What is your Linkedin 'ick' ? What is the one thing you think will change our industry for the better in 2025 ? This years industry events. What is the mix of inbound traffic in our industry and what is the expected change ? We cover all of this in the show today which I am able to bring to you thanks to my partners Betr & The Forum.

Short review of 2024 and look forward to 2025. Thank you for another year with me and this podcast - your support means a lot. Happy new year from me x Mart

Steve Morrell of Contact babel has been conducting research in our industry for 23 years. This week he came on get Out of Wrap TV to share some key area's we as contact centre professionals should be focused on.

What does it take to nurture the next generation of contact centre leaders? In this episode of Get Out of Wrap, Martin chats with Clayton Drotsky, founder of The Growth Crew, about his inspiring journey from frontline leader to mentor and the incredible impact of empowering emerging leaders. Why should you listen? Discover the power of self-belief: Clayton shares how the right guidance can transform hesitant leaders into confident decision-makers. Learn about the Future Leaders Club: An exclusive program designed to help rising stars in contact centers unlock their potential and take on bigger challenges. Real-world leadership stories: Hear how Clayton went from struggling with leadership to creating high-engagement, high-retention teams and what he's doing now to inspire others. If you're a contact centre professional looking to elevate your leadership skills—or if you manage emerging leaders—this episode is packed with actionable insights!

**The Tech Behind the Talk: Demystifying Contact Centre Tech with Nerys Corfield!**

In this *Get Out of Wrap* podcast episode, Martin hosts Garry Gormley, also known as "Double G," to discuss the importance of leveraging conversations, data, and coaching to enhance team leader and agent performance in contact centers. ### Key Takeaways: 1. **Using Conversational Data to Drive Performance**: Garry emphasizes the potential of conversational analytics in improving agent performance, even for centers without advanced tools. He discusses how analyzing everyday customer-agent interactions can reveal insights, such as key phrases, sentiment, and tone, to identify improvement areas. 2. **Enhancing Coaching Conversations**: Garry highlights the importance of coaching for conversational performance rather than focusing on compliance. He advocates for real-time feedback and personalized coaching, stressing that coaching should target how agents handle calls, including empathy, tone, and question types, to drive better outcomes. 3. **Moving from Reactive to Proactive Service**: The conversation shifts to how contact centers can transition from reactive customer service to proactive solutions. By identifying recurring issues in customer interactions, leaders can reduce the volume of repeat problems and improve overall service efficiency and customer satisfaction. ### Why Listen? Listeners will gain valuable insights on how to leverage data from everyday interactions to improve both agent performance and customer experience. Garry shares practical tips for improving coaching conversations, managing vulnerable customers, and using conversational insights to create a more proactive customer service approach. This episode is a must-listen for contact center managers, team leaders, and anyone interested in enhancing agent development and customer satisfaction through actionable insights.

For the recent Contact Centre Performance Summit by Evaluagent I was asked to do a live presentation / webinar about how the Team Leader & Agent roles have changed over the years and what we can do to better support them. In this live session I share where our industry is right now and the impact that has on team leaders and agents and also share tips and ideas for how you can see them thrive in your contact centre.

In this episode of the Get Out of Wrap podcast, Martin chats with Sarah Hunt from DDC Outsourcing, exploring her career journey and insights into the contact center industry. Sarah discusses her transition from operational management to a more strategic role in the industry, working to elevate contact center jobs and make them careers of choice. Key takeaways for listeners include: Industry Evolution: Sarah talks about how the contact center industry has evolved, particularly with the rise of new technologies like AI and automation. She highlights the shift toward more complex roles and smaller, specialized teams as customer demands and self-service options increase. People-Centric Leadership: Sarah emphasizes the importance of leveraging people power alongside technology. She advocates for developing frontline staff, improving leadership training, and preparing team managers to handle industry changes effectively. DDC's Approach: Sarah introduces DDC Outsourcing's initiatives, such as the "Elevate" program, which harnesses internal talent and expertise to offer strategic innovations for clients. She also touches on the company's global presence, including data centers and language hubs, which serve diverse industries. Networking and Learning: A big proponent of industry events and collaboration, Sarah shares how staying engaged with the wider community helps leaders and frontline employees stay informed and grow in their roles. Listeners will gain insights into how the industry is transforming, the importance of supporting and developing teams, and strategies for thriving amidst rapid technological and operational changes.

ian is an awesome guy and we talk about his career and then about a subject we are passionate about but is often overlooked and that is Team Leaders. Thankfully Centrical have focused on Team Leaders and Ian shares the recent developments in their offering.

What was your nickname at school ? What does our industry need to do better to attract talent ? Two great events coming up Join me and the GOOW community to chat about these questions and more on your weekly Linkedin Live TV show all about contact centres.

To celebrate hitting this milestone I asked for lots of you awesome people to come and say hi ! Thanks for always supporting me - whilst I do it on my own, I really don't x Heres to the next 200 and more amazing people and stories about our great industry.

**One year into Consumer Duty—are we truly putting customers first?** In our latest podcast episode, I had the pleasure of diving deep with Helen Manahan and Pete Dunn from BPA Quality about the impact of the UK's Consumer Duty regulation, one year on. We unpacked how this regulation is driving a critical shift towards customer-centricity in the financial sector, highlighting both the successes and the ongoing challenges. Key takeaways: - The importance of designing processes that truly serve *all* customers, especially the vulnerable. - How the FCA is evolving from a punitive regulator to a supportive partner in driving better customer outcomes. - The vital role of technology and human empathy in navigating the complexities of customer service today. Whether you're in financial services or another industry, these insights are crucial as we all strive to better serve our customers in an increasingly complex world. Listen to the full episode for more actionable insights!

Join me, Danny, Kerry, Scott, Daryn and Dara as we chat about how life has changed for agents, interviews, loyalty and fantasy football. Linkedin Audio is a Live event and The Break Room is a chance every fortnight to come together and chat about whatever you want.

On today's Linkedin Live GOOW TV we had our first ever panel. I was joined by Dan Light of Different Edge, Pete Dunn of BPA Quality and Danny Wareham of Firgun to talk about Performance Management in Contact Centres. Is performance management a phrase that strikes fear into your teams ? We explore why this and what you can do about it and the panel really pick apart the concept sharing great insights.

The Break Room is a Live Linkedin Audio event bought to you by Get Out of Wrap. We started talking about academies (grad bays) in Contact Centres initially but as its a live event we started talking about AI and then, thanks to Spencer, we talked about the extent to which technology is helping or hindering customers with disabilities. If you like the sound of this why not head over to my Linkedin profile and join the next Break Room.

Nadine Edmondson is Director of Product Marketing & GTM at Evaluagent and is at the cutting edge of whats going on at Evaluagent with their AI driven QA, XNPS and gamification. It's a great conversation and Nadine is insightful, knowledgeable and engaging !

In today's Get out of Wrap on Linkedin we chatted about whether we are seeing a return of agents from working from home back to the contact centre, and if so, what are the implications. We also chatted about ID & V and the trend on time taken to identify customers.

In this episode from GOOW TV (every Tuesday on Linkedin - 10am GMT) I am joined by Rob Wilkinson of Evaluagent who shares his thoughts on NPS and what Evaluagent are up to in transforming how we understand and use NPS. There's also a special announcement !

With a week to go until the deadline for nominations for the European Contact Centre & Customer Service Awards ( the ECCCSA's) I sit down to chat with the new Chair of the Judges - Moira Clark and Awards Director of Operations - Jackie Pringle.

On this weeks GOOW TV (every Tuesday 10am on Linkedin Live) we chatted about our favourite subjects at school and then onto what we thought needed to be improved for agents training in contact centres. Then we covered the latest stats on agent desktop systems including in-call knowledge. Lots of great insight from the viewers - enjoy !

The first in a new series of podcasts featuring people from the Team Leader Community. Jordan Powell in Corporate Sales Team Leader at Gravity and also a big part of the Team Leader Community. In this episode we chat about the transition from Agent to Team Leader

What is on your music playlist ? What are the top factors that affect Customer Loyalty ? What are the struggles for agents in our industry when it comes to systems ? We covered this and much more in the latest episode of Get out of Wrap - join us live next Tuesday on Linkedin Live or watch it on YouTube --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/get-out-of-wrap/message

Join me and everyone who watches Get out of Wrap TV on Linkedin (every Tuesday at 10am UK time) as we chat about contact centres. In this episode we are joined by Morris Pentel who shares just what we can gain by understanding uncertainty, doubt and confusion in our customer contacts. This is a new concept where I am taking the audio from the show and sharing here - please do let me know what you think --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/get-out-of-wrap/message

Part 2 - Sandra Thompson on Emotional Intelligence. A great episode to see in 5 years of Get Out of Wrap and Sandra demonstrates her own EI by getting me a cake ! In this episode Sandra shares more great tips on deploying Emotional Intelligence in the workplace - a must listen - not just for leaders but for everyone. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/get-out-of-wrap/message

Sandra Thompson is an expert on Emotional Intelligence and Founder of Ei Evolution and is on a mission to equip leaders with this vital skill. Engaging, knowledgeable and fun this is a must listen

Join me and come and chat to four of the awesome Team Leads at SSCL at the end of a great Team Leader Day. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/get-out-of-wrap/message

Join me to listen to the inspiring career to date of Chara - 10 years at DDC has seen Chara take on roles in sales, customer service, Team Leader, Quality, Chat, Social media, Change & C.I, Client services & Chara shares the impact post-natal depression had on her in what is an inspiring episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/get-out-of-wrap/message

David Holmes - Director at SSE and author of Leading the Line comes on to chat about the book. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/get-out-of-wrap/message

Join me as Katie Davies - Client Development Director at DDC OS talks about the passion she has for the North and how it really is a metropolis of contact centres and mega CX professionals. We then chat about DDC Discusses.These insightful and different events are people focused rather than tech. Katie chats about how fundamental our understanding of communication and language is in our industry and that before we can even touch the realms of AI and future technologies, we need to first take a step back and truly understand the science of conversation --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/get-out-of-wrap/message

Meet Andy Roberts CEO of Sabio. Sabio are known to most people in the industry as innovators and great supporters of both people and the industry as a whole. This is a unique opportunity to hear about Andy's own journey and about the exciting goings on at Sabio. We talk about the history of Sabio, the future, how they engage and support their customers & innovations are used to solve problems. We also chat about Disrupt - a great event coming up in London in March  #callcenter #callcentre #contactcenter #contactcentre --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/get-out-of-wrap/message

As well as being a lovely human being Chris is an expert in quality in the contact centre world and joins me on this latest episode to talk about the launch of a new service & all things quality & shares his career story in a really entertaining & insightful episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/get-out-of-wrap/message

Steven Miller has spent his career in contact centres - starting on the phones and then moving into planning. A subject matter expert Steven is a multiple award winner and shares his story and tips in this episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/get-out-of-wrap/message

Sir John Kirwan or JK is a rugby & All Black rugby legend who played 63 tests & scored 35 tries, he was in the team who won the first ever rugby world cup and has been honoured for his services to mental health in New Zealand & across the world. Sir John or JK co-founded Groov a science backed, data driven platform to help people with their mental health and its a platform perfectly suited for our world of contact centres. In this episode JK shares his personal story of his own mental health challenges and talks openly about his experiences & techniques he uses to live his best life & be awesome. (Please note this episode contains reference to suicide.) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/get-out-of-wrap/message