Tales From The Cube
This podcast is about what it is like to work in a call centre. Funny good, and not-so-good stories and tips for the customer agent and anyone interested in learning about what it is like to work in a centre. Host Cliff Tooher has 20+ years of experience working within the industry and has worked in small and large centres for and on behalf of some of the biggest companies in the world. In this podcast, cliff shares tips, stories, and insights about the job that has good, funny, and not-so-funny moments that come up during a shift.
Episodes
This episode is about handling calls that are very difficult in nature. Centre staff today have seen a significant rise in bad behavior on calls from customers. Ranging from screaming to asking inappropriate questions, to racist taunts and threats.
Traditionally, the call centre industry has done poorly when it comes to dealing with bad attitudes from customers. This changing, and in this episode I go into what is considered b...
Recently I had to take some time away due to medical and also the death of my wife. I am now restarting to add new content to all my channels, I wanted to start with a bit of an experiment, a video podcast, which will also be posted on YouTube. The idea drives new people to the page and the podcast. Let me know what you think by commenting on the YouTube Channel via this link https://youtu.be/TlXbPHRJqQ4
This episode features actual questions that are funny and a bit off the wall. Also, I explain how you should handle them.
Welcome to SEASON 3
This is a short introduction to season 3.
This episode explores ideas for making Christmas and New Year's Eve more fun and easy for staff working in call centers during the holidays.
Call center staff are tasked with a variety of call types. Sales tech support and other account management-type calls. They also deal with many types of customers. One of those is known as the Tin Foil Hatter.
Separate from mental health issues or possibly due to mental health issues, the callers often call and tout ideas and theories that are outlandish. These kinds of nuisance calls to the center make the job hard to do, whi...
This episode touches on dating and does also touch on the subject of sexual activity. Listener discretion is advised.
Some dos and don'ts about close encounters of the employee kind are discussed in this episode. Getting jiggy with a colleague is not bad, but it can get you into hot water and even fired. So here are some pro tips to help you navigate this so things don't go blam.
Also, here are two articles that may he...
In this episode, some of the funnier calls that I get and, generally, are received in call centers are the subject.
Besides what is discussed in this episode, I am including some links here in the show notes to sites where some hilarious calls are shared.
https://www.ups.com/ca/en/support/shipping-support/shipping-special-care-regulated-items/prohibited-items.page
https://www.callcentrehelper.com/funny-customer-servi...
This episode features a talk about call avoidance. In it, we look at what it is, the root causes, and steps to resolve it.
This is the second of two episodes about how quality works in a call center. This talk outlines what a Quality evaluator does and why they do it.
Most call centers do not have a union in them. Generally speaking, employers and some staff prefer not to have them on site.
In this episode, I explain the rules and things one can expect during and after a vote to certify. Be advised that I am not suggesting one does or does not join a union. These are the facts; you need to make informed decisions before finalizing your choice. That is what this episode is intended to do.
...
We all have an opinion about our boss and company. It is normal not to be happy with a policy or a corrective action. How you give feedback is very important. Managers and other senior leaders in companies are highly sensitive to employee pushback. In a lot of call centers, management hates employee pushback. That is changing, but it is taking time.
In this episode, I dive in and offer some tips for feedback to the manage...
What do T1, 2, and 3 do in tech support? I explore this edition of the podcast. I also tackle the recent uptick in angry customer interactions with a message about the importance of being respectful on the call.
We cannot ignore the reality that AI is everywhere. Even in Call Centers, AI is having an impact. Good or bad whichever way you see it the fact remains that AI is changing the job and in this episode, I speak about AI and its benefits and drawbacks.
A CRM tool is software that helps you manage the customer relationship. In this episode I give a very basic idea of what a CRM is does and how to use it.
Premium rate, premium service, or 900 numbers. Whichever way you slice it, they are where billable services like adult chat lines, tarot reading, and special services, including tech support, are offered for a price, a very hefty one too.
Back in the 80s and 90s, 900 numbers generated huge profits for companies and people. Some still exist, but for the most part, billable offerings are offered on 800 numbers and are billed to...
The Operations Manager is a pretty important person in the call center. They intersect with Team Leaders and Call Center Managers. They have to have a lot of skills to do the work. The biggest among them is a keen eye for detail and the ability to manage many systems, and they should also be people-centered. That is a lot to juggle in a day, but a good OM can and does do it. Learn more about the role and what I think OMs should ...
Call centers are magnets for bullies. It's a very serious problem, and so is dealing with customers on calls who are bullies. This is a frank discussion about the problem and what can and should be done to address it.
Guy Winch, Ph.D. Author The Squeaky Wheel is quoted in this episode.
Blog post-Last Frontier Bullying in call centers
This episode is about humor on and off the call and some of the humor that you may encounter in a call center.
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