Call centers are one of the most unique experiences from both a consumer and employee standpoint. As a customer, we often feel the frustrations of long wait times, being helplessly passed around from department to department, having to tell our story six different times only to be met with the “…why are you calling in today…” As an employee, it can be equally frustrating: long and/or strange hours, poor management, high churn, lack of training, and at times what feels like a never-ending stream of angry customers on the other end of the line call after call after call. Neither scenario is exactly a win for either party and this has been the sort of mindset for decades. It sucks, we know it sucks, and that’s just the way that it is. But what if there was a different way? Modern approaches that could simplify the process and increase first call resolutions, make the job easier for the agents, and much more. This week on The Malliard Report, Jim welcomes a guest that is taking this task head-on. This week we welcome Thomas Laird to the show to discuss the future of AI use in call centers, managing floors better, NFTs, and much more. “Tom Laird is the founder and CEO of award winning Expivia Interaction Marketing Group. Expivia is USA BPO omni-channel contact center located in the USA. Tom has 25 years of experience in all facets of contact center operations. Tom has the honor of being a member of the Nice inContact iCVC Board. The iCVC is a select group of Nice inContact customers selected to join as trusted advisors to help inContact validate ideas for new products and plans for future innovations. Prior to starting Expivia, Tom was the head of call center operations or a large BPO that specialized in financial services. Having this past know-how has given him the responsibility of running many service and sales programs for most of the largest 15 financial institutions the USA.” Tom does a great job at peeling back the curtain and showing a sneak peek of what is on the other side of the phone call that we all too often dread. He also shares how the future could actually be brighter for the industry. You can find Tom’s book Advice From A Call Center Geek on major online retailers. To keep in the latest loop with The Malliard Report head over to malliard.com where there are past shows, the newsletter, merch, the live chat, and so much more. Remember to rate and subscribe through your favorite podcast app!