Advice from a Call Center Geek!

Why You Should Not be Scoring 100% of Your QA Calls

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMost contact centers still believe scoring more calls means better QA.It doesn’t.In this episode, we start with the Law of Large Numbe...

Dear Santa: Here is the AI Contact Center Tools We Actually Want!

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis episode is my AI Christmas wish list for CCaaS. Not toys. Not buzzwords. The real AI tools contact centers should already have b...

Inside Expivia Digital and the State of Contact Center Technology

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textJoin us for an inside look at Expivia Digital and the current state of contact center technology. We share our 30-year journey from runn...

Keep Call Centers In America Act- The Truth

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text In this episode, we dig into the Keep Call Centers in America Act and uncover the truth behind the headlines. On the surface, it sound...

Inside NiCE: Strategy, AI, and the Future of CX- Special Episode from NiCE Interactions

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis episode sounds as good as it gets — huge thanks to Christopher Irwin-Dudek, VP of Marketing Communications at NICE, for joining m...

Listen to This Before You Build or Buy an AI Auto QA Platform

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text Everyone’s rushing to add Auto QA. But most are thinking too small. In this episode, I break down what most platforms get wrong, why...

2025 Geek Gauge CCaaS Rankings!

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of the Advice from a Call Center Geek podcast, we unveil our highly anticipated 2025 Geek Gauge CCaaS Rankings. We brea...

What to Demand from Your 2025 Outsourcing Partner- Setting Up Your RFP

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn 2025, outsourcing isn’t just about price, it’s about AI, partnership, tech, and long-term CX strategy. In this episode, Tom Lair...

The Survey Delusion: Why NPS and CSAT Are Failing Your Call Center

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEPISODE DESCRIPTION:Are your post-call surveys actually providing meaningful insights, or just creating a dangerous illusion of customer...

Beyond AHT and SLA: How to Measure Success in AI-Powered Contact Centers

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTraditional contact center metrics like Average Handle Time and Customer Satisfaction scores have served the industry well for decades. ...

Contact Center Coaching 2.0 -Turning QA Insights into Agent Coaching Gold

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMost QA programs score agents but don’t actually develop them—and that’s the problem. In this episode, we break down how to move b...

Beyond Words: Measuring AI Empathy Through Impact

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this thought-provoking episode of Advice from a Call Center Geek, we dive deep into one of the most contested questions in customer s...

Let's Get Real: The True Story of AI in CX & Your 2025 Game Plan

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTired of the AI hype cycle? In this straight-shooting episode, we're diving into what's actually happening with AI in customer...

2025 Predictions for CX and the Contact Center Industry

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAs we wrap up another year, it's time for our highly anticipated ACG 2025 Predictions Episode! In this special forecast, we'll...

The Future of Contact Center Outsourcing: What to Expect in 2025

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text(I apologize for the poor audio on this episode, we had a mic failure, but the content is awesome so I hope you still find value!)In thi...

The Future of QA: Why AI is a Game-Changer for Contact Center Quality in 2025

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text The way contact centers approach Quality Assurance is undergoing a major transformation, and AI is at the heart of it. In this episod...

Mastering Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Your Ultimate Contact Center Superbowl Playbook

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost here, bringing the year's biggest sales rush! For contact centers, this is the Super Bow...

𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁, 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁: 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗠𝗕 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of ACG, we explore how small and medium-sized businesses can harness authentic artificial intelligence to transform thei...

Unmasking False Hustle: Revolutionizing Customer Experience

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textJoin me for an exciting episode where I take a deep dive into the heart of my latest book, False Hustle. Many contact centers and CX lea...

Calming Irate Customer Interactions: 5 Proven Techniques

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of "Advice from a Call Center Geek," we dive into the challenging world of dealing with angry customers. Disc...

What Technology does a World Class 2024 Contact Center Have?

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text Did you ever ask yourself what the high-end contact centers are doing differently? In this ACGpodcast, we dive deep into the cutting-e...

Adapting to the Future of Contact Center Outsourcing- Lessons Learned for All

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe contact center industry is evolving, and with that evolution, contact centers of all types are starting to learn valuable lessons.In...

Everything We Learned from Starting An AI CX Company - OttoQa

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text Join us as we dive into the journey of founding and growing OttoQa, a cutting-edge AI-powered Customer Experience (CX) company. In thi...

Mastering QA: Crafting the Perfect Contact Center Quality Assurance Forms

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat if you could transform your call center’s efficiency and agent performance overnight? This episode guarantees you’ll walk away ...

How You Can QA Contact Center Calls Using ChatGPT (Desktop)

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this ACG episode,  we dive into the transformative impact of AI on customer service QA. Hosted by Tom Laird, the CEO of Expivia Inte...

Exposed: The Unvarnished Truth About AI Deployment in Contact Centers

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you overwhelmed by the relentless push to overhaul your contact center with AI? Let's clear the air about the real impact of AI...

Will Auto QA Platforms End the Era of Traditional CX Analytics?

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTune into our latest ACG podcast episode, "Will Auto QA Platforms End the Era of Traditional CX Analytics?" where we dive into...

Tips to Disrupt your Service Desk with Technology and Tactics

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textJoin Tom in this insightful podcast episode recorded at the HDI Philly event held at Princeton University. Delve into groundbreaking st...

Unlocking the Power of Prompts: Enhancing CX QA with Proven Strategies

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDive into the transformative journey of OttoQa, where we've uncovered the profound impact of prompts in elevating customer experien...

Creating an AI Roadmap for Your Contact Center from the Ground Up!

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis podcast is based on the presentation I delivered in Miami at the "CX Under the Sun Event" to more than 100 CX professiona...

2024 CX, AI, and Contact Center Predictions

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAs we step into 2024, the realms of Customer Experience (CX), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and contact centers are poised at the brink ...

Inside the Contact Center Evolution: Insights from John Coulter of Five Star Call Centers

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textJoin me, Tom Laird, and John Coulter from Five Star Call Centers, as we journey into a conversation on "Advice from a Call Center G...

AI Tools in CX: The Truth about ROI

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis podcast episode of "Advice from a Call Center Geek", titled "AI Tools in CX: The Truth about ROI," delves into ...

Navigating the Technology Maze for Small Contact Centers: A Practical Guide

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome back to "Advice from a Call Center Geek," the podcast dedicated to enhancing your contact center operations! In today&...

Contact Center Management, Hiring, Ratios and More- Effective Contact Center Management

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of "Advice from a Call Center Geek," we jump into expert tips for setting up a successful contact center, draw...

Best CcaaS Providers 2023-2024!

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of "Advice from a Call Center Geek," we dive into a topic that's known for stirring up plenty of debates ...

The AI Transformation: A New Era for Business Process Outsourcing

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textImagine navigating the rapid changes in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI). H...

Linkedin AMA Episode: Implementing AI into Your Contact Center Wisely- What To Do First

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis episode is less theory and more "What you need to do!"This audio recording is from the LinkedIn Audio Event we hosted on ...

"The Room Where it Happened" Special Episode!- Navigating the Future of Customer Service

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙄𝙩 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙"NICE's remarkable team flew Tom t...

Rethinking Contact Center Outsourcing (BPO) in the Age of AI

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of Advice from a Call Center Geek, we take you into the keynote speech that Tom gave at the Google Complex in Boulder Co...

A Deep Dive into the World of AI & Human Interaction with Deepdesk CEO Robbert Dijkstra

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textReady for a peek into the AI-driven future of contact centers? Dive in with our special guest, Robbert Dijkstra of Deepdesk. Discover ho...

The Power Merge: Analyzing Nice's Game-Changing Purchase of LiveVox

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHere is a quick min-pod on some initial thoughts on the 350 million dollar purchase of LiveVox by NICE.This is essentially a union of tw...

Evolution of Contact Centers: Modern Strategies for Managing PR and Recall Crises

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textReady to transform crisis into opportunity? In this episode, we promise to arm you with practical strategies and cutting-edge tools to n...

10 ChatGPT Prompts to Fully Automate Your Contact Center QA

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textReady to unlock the secrets of automated QA in your contact center? This episode is brimming with insights about using chatGPT to revolu...

Under 50 Seats and Using Spreadsheets for QA- MUST LISTEN

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDive into our mini podcast on our new value add OttoQA! Discover how we're reshaping the landscape of QA for call centers with few...

Best ChatGPT Prompts to Improve Your Contact Center!

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn "Revolutionizing Call Centers with ChatGPT Prompts," we unveil the power of AI in redefining call center operations. This e...

QA/AI Showdown: Chris Mounce from Evaluagent & Tom Laird Unmask AI's Reality in QA

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEpisode 200!Dive into the evolving landscape of AI in the contact center QA space with our next Advice from a Call Center Geek podcast! ...

CX Rockstar and Influencer James Dodkins Joins ACG for an LIVE AMA!

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEnvision a reality where Artificial Intelligence (AI) commandeers your customer service. Consider AI not merely conducting routine trans...

How to Automate Your Contact Center QA with Ai!

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEver wondered how your contact center could save significant costs while keeping up with the QA process? Brace yourself for an enlighten...

Transforming Your Contact Center: Effective Strategies for Cultural Change

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textYou are just a click away from transforming your contact center from a drab workspace to a vibrant one; come join me, Tom Laird, as we r...

The Evolution of AI in Reshaping the Contact Center Tools of Today

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textImagine having the power to reshape customer experience in your call center with artificial intelligence. What if you could emulate the ...

Decoding the Call Center Menu: A Tasty Guide to Metrics and KPIs- Must Listen for all New Contact Center Managers!

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEver wondered how the hustle and bustle of your favorite restaurant correlates with the operations of a call center? Picture yourself at...

Elevating Call Center Performance: Top Coaching Methods and Techniques for Agent Success

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you struggling with coaching your call center agents effectively? Join us as we explore five popular coaching methods and share pers...

Ask Me Anything (AMA) LinkedIn Audio Event: Analytics, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Routing, Best Practices, and Transitioning to the Cloud

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis episode of ACG was taken from the Linkedin Live Audio Even that we did with followers on June 13, 2023.Some of the topics brought u...

NICE Interaction 2023 Talk- 10 Ways to Disrupt your Contact Center using Technology and Tactics

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textReady for a game-changing episode that will skyrocket your contact center's customer experience? Join us as we unveil 10 tips on ma...

10 Tips to Disrupt Your Contact Center With Technology and Tactics

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHubie Brown is a renowned basketball coach known for his impactful strategies and insight. When I attended one of his clinics, the title...

Thoughts and Take Aways from the Call and Contact Center Expo: What is Real as it Relates to AI?

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textJoin us in this episode as we reflect on our learnings from the Call and Contact Center Expo. We delve into the realities of AI in the ...

Elevating Contact Center QA with EvaluAgent: Effective Scorecards & Expert Coaching Insights featuring QA Pro Chris Mounce

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of Advice from a Call Center Geek, we dive deep into the world of contact center quality assurance with QA expert, Chris...

Unlocking Social Media Success: Tips for B2B Sales & Personal Branding in Business and in the Contact Center World

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of Advice from a Call Center Geek, I share my insights and experiences on harnessing the power of TikTok and other socia...

Deconstructing the "Wow" Experience: Redefining Excellence in Contact Centers

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textUnravel the mystery behind the "wow" factor in contact center customer service in our Advice from a Call Center Geek Episode, ...

Beyond Chatbots: Unlocking ChatGPT's Power in Contact Centers

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text In this thought-provoking podcast episode, we venture beyond the traditional perception of AI and ChatGPT as mere chatbot tools, revea...

Ideas for Setting up a Contact Center Management Trainee Program

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPost covid, with many of our staff WFH, we have rethought how we train and prepare our contact center middle management and agent superv...

Improving your Call Center and Contact Center Agent Coaching

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of "Advice from a Call Center Geek" Podcast, we look at 9-10 ways that you can improve the coaching culture of...

5 Ways to Improve the Tone of your Contact Center Agents!

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWe all want a better CX, and doing that means we need to improve the tone of how we are interacting with customers.  I have seen it man...

BPO Financial Benchmarking Report with Eric Crouse- Partner Kommit & Company

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis episode is for you if you are a BPO owner/operator. In this episode of ACG, we talk about benchmarking the financial aspects of yo...

Building out an AI Contact Center the Right Way with a Bonus AMA!

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textOK, that was awesome.We did a Linkedin LIVE and a TikTok LIVE at the same time to record this podcast episode. The episode then turned i...

How to Implement the Blockchain into your Contact Center- Conversation with Shelli Ryan- CX and Blockchain Expert

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textOn this episode of Advice from a Call Center Geek, we bring together two of my passions, customer experience, and the blockchain. Shell...

TikTok Live- What I Would Ask Your Call Center Staff if Consulting

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFor a sports team looking to improve, they routinely will bring in other coaches to do an internal self-scout to try to show where the w...

TikTok AMA Episode- Hiring, Analytics, Games to Play and More

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis episode was taken from our first TikTok Live AMA that we did.  Followers sent us questions and we answered live on the spot!Some o...

Setting up a High End Contact Center (On the Cheap)!

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of Advice from a Call Center Geek, we look at all the tools that you need (and don't need) in setting up a high-end...

Unique Uses for ChatGPT Ai in the Contact Center

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textChatGPT has opened the eyes to what true AI may be capable of.  In this episode of Advice from a Call Center Geek, we look beyond the ...

Using Data to Route Calls in Your Contact Center

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of Advice from a Call Center Geek, we look at some unique ways to route calls in your contact center using data and CRM ...

Lets Talk Airline Customer Service 'Mageddon!

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of Advice from a Call Center Geek, we take a hard look at what happened specifically with Southwest Airlines and the tot...

Ultimate Guide for Outsourcing Your Contact Center!

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textUltimate Guide to Contact Center Outsourcing EpisodeThis is one of the best episodes of value/content we have ever created.If you are lo...

Setting Up a Weekly Call Center Agent Review

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textOne of the best ways we have been able to create stars in our contact center is by doing a weekly 15-minute agent review with our contac...

Three Technology Predictions for the Call Center in 2023

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn looking into my crystal ball, I wanted to talk to you all about three technology predictions that I see for 2023 as it relates to the...

Games in the Call Center, Necessary or Juvenile

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMost of us, as call center managers want to create a culture of fun and enjoyment in our contact center environments.  How do we do tha...

Personal and Business Branding 101- How I Do it

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textI was asked to talk to a class of pre-startups on the topic of Marketing and Branding at Gannon University where I am vice chair of the ...

Three Pillars of Call Center and Contact Center Metrics

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of Advice from a Call Center Geek, we take a look at the three pillars of contact center metrics, efficiency, quality, a...

Call Center Geek NFT Project is LIVE!

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToken Address:https://opensea.io/collection/acg-access-tokenWe have a FREE NFT project for anyone that is a call center supervisor or ma...

Discussion with Nick Corso, Community Success Lead at Veefriends (Gary Vee NFT Project)

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we welcomed Nick Corso AKA Corso, Community Success Lead at Veefriends, one of the most popular and largest NFT project...

New Technology in Your Call Center-Setting it up and the Resources Needed

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textI got this question Dmd to me in Linkedin.  This episode is my in-depth answer on setting up new tech in your contact center."Tom,...

My Take on Sanas Voice Product Controversy

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSanas is a startup in Silicon Valley that has developed software to make offshore accents sound more "American" or as some say...

10 Unique use Cases for Speech Analytics- 2022

16 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe use cases for using speech analytics are endless when you really put the tool to the test.  In this episode, we talk about 10 ways ...

Unique Contact Center Agent Engagement Ideas

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis was taken from a talk that I gave to a group of Wisconsin Customer Service Professionals back in 2020 on a range of contact center ...

Money Saving Tips for Buying a New Contact Center Platform (CCAAS)

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textBuying a new contact center platform is a HUGE decision for any organization.  In this episode, I give you all the tips that I can thin...

When Good Times Go Bad- Handling Confrontation in Your Contact Center

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhen you are working in the contact center environment, there are many people and personalities that you need to engage with in a positi...

My 5 1/2 Favorite Call Center Metrics

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we have a detailed discussion of my 5 1/2 favorite call center and contact center metrics that we look at and benchmark...

2022 Second Half Kickoff Episode- Overrated or Underrated, What Do you Think?

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTo kick off the second half of 2022 from an ACG perspective, we play a game of Overrated, Properly Rated, or Underrradted with different...

7 Tips to Help Your Contact Center During Economic Downturns

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWith the forecast of some rough economic waters ahead, let's take a look at some things you can do to help your contact center get ...

CCW Vegas 2022 The Good, the Bad, and What's Missing

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHere is my honest assessment of CCW 2022 (June) The Good:The technology is getting better and better with each show, the industry is st...

ACG Office Hours Ask Me Anything 6.17

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textOn this weekly "Advice from a Call Center Geek" Ask me Anything we talk about a range of topics.In this episode, I give my fir...

Deep Dive in Contact Center Ai with Level-Ai CEO Ashish Nagar

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textI am personally really excited about all of you listening to this episode!In this episode of Advice from  Call Center Geek,  I sit dow...

ACG Office Hours AMA 6.10!

12 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of our weekly Linkedin live AMA that we do every Friday from 1-2pm EST I talk about:Contact Center Conferences and where...

A Conversation and QA with CX Rockstar James Dodkins

06 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFor this of you that don't know him,  James Dodkins used to be an actual, real-life, legitimate, award-winning rockstar. He played...

Advice from a Call Center Geek Office Hour AMA 5.27

27 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of our weekly Advice from a Call Center geek AMA office Hour I answer questions on:A day in the life of a call center su...

Why Blockchain Technology will be More Disruptive than Ai in the Contact Center Over the Next 10 Years

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMy case for why blockchain technology will be the number one disrupter of the contact center and CX over the next 10 years.Blockchain wi...

Advice from a Call Center Geek Office Hour AMA 5.13

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEvery week we do an Advice from a Call Center Geek "Office Hour" which is a one-hour-long AMA on Linkedin Live.  Any question...

The Contact Center of 2030 and Beyond

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's take a trip into a time machine and see what the contact center and customer experience look like in the year 2030.How will t...

A Discussion on Contact Center WFH Security with Andrew McNeile- Chief Customer Officer at ThinScale

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of Advice from a Call Center Geek, Tom Laird sat down with Andrew McNeile, Chief Customer Officer at ThinScale.ThinScale...