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Contact Center Show

Contact Center Show

By: Amas Tenumah & Bob Furniss
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 This is the public square for all things contact center. This is where the world's best Call & Contact center professionals come to get better at delivering a great experience for customers. Your contact center mentors - Amas Tenumah & Bob FurnissAll rights reserved 2022 Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Live from ICMI Conference - HR as a Contact Center with Bianca

    Live from ICMI Conference - HR as a Contact Center with Bianca
    Nov 11 2025
    Episode Summary Broadcasting live from the ICMI conference in Orlando, Amas and Bob discuss the evolving role of AI in contact centers, the ongoing struggle for strategic recognition, and welcome special guest Bianca, who shares her unique perspective on running HR as a contact center at Michigan State University. Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 - Opening & Conference Impressions Podcast introduction (running since 2020, available on all platforms)Day 2 reflections from ICMI conferenceThe shift in AI messaging: less prominent on vendor backdrops than previous year 03:00 - The Strategic Positioning Problem Why contact centers remain viewed as cost centers despite being more strategic than everThe CFO's perspective and the "drive to zero" mentalityAHT obsession vs. strategic value creation 05:21 - The Power of Storytelling Bob's insights on communicating with executivesThe binder story: metrics vs. narrativeMarketing's lesson: taking credit for soft impactGetting CFOs to sit with agents (the "three clicks vs. 19 clicks" story) 10:01 - Guest Interview: Bianca Pryson Background: retail, waitressing, Urban Outfitters merchandiserHow she "fell into" HR customer service at MSUManaging a 3-person contact center handling 10,000+ calls and 10,000+ emails annually 14:35 - Putting the Human Back in Human Resources Training team on de-escalation and service basicsPhilosophy: servant leadership + customer-centric approachTreating unit HR as primary customersThe "useless in email" turnaround story 21:24 - The Tips Debate Amas's controversial proposal: tips for contact center agentsBianca's counter: extra PTO as tipsUnder $50 purchase discussion (travel charger vs. Neti pot) 23:38 - When HR IS the Contact Center "Who polices the police?"Zero complaints or escalations since taking the roleUsing Genesys (not yet using AI capabilities) 26:00 - Technology & Generational Preferences Gen Z wants chatbots and modern techContact center as talent pipelineHR chatbot pilot program coming 28:15 - Final Advice Help HR understand the contact center's roleInternal customer service = external customer serviceContact centers should be talent funnels for the organization Guest Bio Bianca is the HR Customer Service Experience Manager at Michigan State University, where she leads a team serving over 50,000 students, 6,000 faculty/staff, and 10,000+ retirees. With a background in retail management and customer service, she transformed MSU's HR service delivery by implementing contact center best practices and achieving zero escalations since taking the role. Key Takeaways AI isn't going away - it's just not the flashy selling point it was; companies are focusing on service improvement outcomes insteadStories > Metrics - National Speakers Association wisdom: spend 80% of time on stories, 20% on data when communicating with executivesContact centers remain undervalued - despite increased strategic importance, most still lack a "seat at the table" and are viewed as cost centersInternal service = External service - Research shows poor internal customer service directly leads to poor external customer serviceThe contact center talent pipeline - Smart organizations use contact centers as funnels to develop and promote talent throughout the organizationSmall contact centers face unique challenges - With only 3 people handling 20,000+ annual interactions, operational efficiency becomes criticalGen Z wants technology - Modern contact center tech is a competitive advantage for attracting younger talent Notable Quotes "I believe the contact center is even more important today than it was pre-AI." - Amas Tenumah "My team and I put the human back in human resources." - Bianca "If you want to grow, the way you're going to grow is you're going to invest in us." - On marketing's successful narrative (and what contact centers should emulate) "Whether it's three people or 25 people, they're just as important." - Bianca on not canceling orientation "When you have poor internal customer service, you have poor external customer service." - Bianca Connect Find the Contact Center Show: Available on all major podcast platforms Frequency: 2-3 episodes per month since 2020 This episode was recorded live with a studio audience at the ICMI Conference in Orlando, Florida.
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    30 mins
  • How Contact Centers Became the Corporate Nervous System (Live from ICMI w Daniel)

    How Contact Centers Became the Corporate Nervous System (Live from ICMI w Daniel)
    Nov 6 2025

    Host: Bob Furniss (without co-host Amos)
    Guest: Daniel Thomas, Informa
    Location: ICMI Conference Expo Floor

    Guest Background
    • Daniel Thomas approaches contact center industry from a research background
    • Surveys audiences and writes research reports
    • Has "front row seat" to industry transformation
    • Conducts the annual State of the Contact Center survey
    About the State of the Contact Center Report
    • Comprehensive benchmark study surveying contact center professionals
    • Covers multiple verticals including:
      • Training and skills
      • Compensation and salary
      • Technology use
      • Leadership perceptions
      • Strategy
    • Tracks year-over-year progress
    • Recent additions include AI and workforce training questions
    Key Surprising Findings 1. Contact Centers as Strategic Intelligence Hubs
    • Major shift: Contact centers increasingly viewed as "strategic customer intelligence hubs" rather than cost centers
    • Described as "customer intelligence and nervous system"
    • No other department has closer customer proximity or more customer data
    • C-suite now acknowledges value with direct data funnels informing executive decisions
    2. AI Perceptions and Impact
    • 72% believe AI will transform roles, not replace them
    • Only ~25% think AI will lead to workforce reductions
    • AI expected to handle "level one, rote, monotonous, repetitive work"
    • Agents will focus on:
      • Complex needs and edge cases
      • Soft skills: empathy, communication, problem solving, critical thinking
    • 90% of surveyed leaders believe humans necessary as AI overseers
    • Gartner prediction: 40% of agentic AI projects will fail by 2027 (often due to neglecting human oversight)
    Agent Evolution
    • Agents increasingly viewed as:
      • Consultants
      • Solutions architects
      • Higher-tier problem solvers
      • "White glove service" providers
    • Rising expectations due to AI support
    • Agents becoming intelligence providers to C-suite
    • More analytical roles: identifying trends, patterns, creating intelligent summaries
    Top AI Implementation Concerns
    1. Customer resistance (top concern)
    2. Data accuracy
    3. Data privacy and security
    4. Lack of proper AI governance
    Workforce and Quality Management Insights Workforce Models (Nearly Equal Three-Way Split)
    • In-office full time
    • Hybrid
    • Fully remote
    • Models remain transitional and subject to change
    • Increased scheduling flexibility critical for retention
    Quality Focus Shift
    • Traditional metrics: CSAT, utilization, average handle time
    • New priority: Agent experience rising in importance
    • Recognition that internal customer experience drives external customer experience
    Customer Satisfaction Challenges
    • Current CSAT surveys often lack nuance
    • Can't distinguish between:
      • Poor agent performance vs. poor company policy
      • Single bad experience vs. overall satisfaction
    • Need for more qualitative feedback mechanisms
    • "Watermelon effect": High metrics but poor actual experience
    Channel Evolution
    • Significant jump from multi-channel to omni-channel implementation
    • Growth in non-traditional channels:
      • Social media
      • SMS/text
      • Video
    • Technology enabling unified customer history across channels
    Key Takeaways
    • Successful organizations treat contact centers as "valuable strategic sources of intelligence"
    • Organizations not recognizing this value are "dropping the ball" and will "see the consequences"
    • Contact centers serve as the "hub" and "nervous system" reaching everywhere in the organization
    • When no one knows the answer, they turn to the contact center
    Notable Quotes
    • "If your agents aren't excited about AI, then you actually haven't communicated to them how enriching and transforming it could be"
    • "Agents are increasingly going to play a role where they are the eyes and the ears... providing the intelligence back to the C-suite"
    • Contact centers as "the strongest data... the hub... the nervous system that reaches in everywhere else"
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    28 mins
  • Navigating Complexity in Contact Centers (live show w Luke Jamieson)

    Navigating Complexity in Contact Centers (live show w Luke Jamieson)
    Nov 2 2025

    Summary

    In this conversation, Amas, Luke and Bob explore the evolving complexity of contact centers, challenging the notion that they are becoming simpler. They emphasizes that while the intention may be to simplify processes, the reality is that sophistication often leads to increased complexity. They also highlights the reliance on outdated metrics, such as those managed in Excel, which can contribute to agent burnout and friction with customers. They advocate for a shift towards more effective lead metrics to enhance the overall efficiency and satisfaction in contact centers.

    Takeaways

    Contact centers are perceived as becoming simpler, but they are actually becoming more complex.
    Sophistication in processes can lead to increased complexity.
    There is a challenge in addressing the complexity of contact centers.
    Many organizations are still reliant on outdated tools like Excel.
    Using lead metrics can help prevent agent burnout.
    Improving metrics can reduce friction with customers.
    The conversation highlights the need for modernization in contact center operations.
    Understanding complexity is crucial for effective management.
    Agent burnout is a significant issue in the industry.
    A shift in metrics is necessary for better outcomes.

    Sound Bites

    "Sophistication also brings complexity."
    "We are still for the most part stuck in Excel."
    "Lead metrics could stop agent burnout."

    Live from Orlando at ICMI Expo

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    46 mins
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