How does a Basketball Player make it to the top of a very well known outsourcer in the Netherlands? My guest today is Nuno van Dunem da Costa, who’s sporting career and professional customer management career are an absolute inspiration! We are chatting about Nuno’s ambition and drive to succeed - as player of the Portuguese National Youth Team and later with a Dutch team, Nuno talks candidly about how he learned to pursue his dream, his career but at the same time not lose himself. He draws man...
Feb 23, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 87
I love showcasing successful Contact Centre leaders - especially those who started in the industry as an advisor or team leader! Today’s guest is an absolute inspiration…. Marianne Withers is the CEO of the Verity Centre - a british boutique contact centre and business solutions consultancy! Mariannne started her career many moons ago as Operations Manager for Golley Slater where she learned the ropes of contact centre service delivery. She then rose through the ranks before creating her very ow...
Feb 16, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 86
Guess what happens when you meet at Waitrose’ wine bar at KingsCross…. You end up working with the #Ateam and are going to win the best Outsource Contact Centre of the Year Awards at the European Contact Centre and Customer services Awards 2021! Speaking to William about Customer Management is just pure joy! When you meet up with people who absolutely love the industry, believe in the opportunities a good customer service centre brings to clients, BPO and agents - my heart just jumps! But not on...
Feb 09, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 85
Today you are in for an absolute treat! I’ve invited two of my business Besties, Bertine Crèvecoeur and Alicia Butler Pierre to discuss the Power of Collaboration! As we come out of the Pandemic - one thing we all learned is “thinking out-side the box” and working together for the greater good. Women do this particularly well! The three of us discuss Women working all the hours under the sun running businesses and the family Having a sustainable business infrastructure - if you don’t have them y...
Feb 02, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 84
With his extensive Financial Qualifications and operational experience in the Financial Services and Banking Sector, Mark founded Debt-IN (Now Capability Working Capital Solutions) in 2008. His hands-on approach, keen operational insight and extensive financial qualifications and experience saw the need to expand offerings to the broader Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) markets, both locally and aboard. Natural progression saw the formation of an umbrella brand, Capability BPO, which enabled t...
Dec 09, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 83
I’m delighted to welcome back my dear friend Alicia Butler Pierre! You remember Alicia from our discussion in 2020 (Episode 30 of the Operational Excellence show) - where we spoke about the importance of Operational Structure for Sustainable Success. Today’s discussion is very much centred around the fact that the pandemic put operations and operational excellence well and truly on the map right up to the board room! We zoom in on processes across the supply chain, the importance of continuous i...
Dec 03, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Welcome to part 3 of the people / process / profit mini series! In today's show we are diving into the third P - Profit - in the CX space! Operational Excellence / Customer Service and Customer Experience typically scream COST! Yet - When I speak to clients I am putting a lot of emphasis on the fact that a well managed customer service department indeed can save costs and return a profit - albeit those numbers are not easily drawn out or substantiated. We will cover how you can "Amplify" profits...
Nov 25, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Today we are diving into the second P in the People - Executing Process - Amplifying Profit - the 3 P’s I am referring to regularly! My guest today is Mark Buckley of MXB consultancy and Associate Director of Rutz Consulting! We are diving into operational delivery best practice! You will learn how to discover what’s “below the surface” i.e. the Iceberg principles, you will hear all about creating a meaningful visual board! And why these boards are so important to encourage accountability, knowl...
Nov 17, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Today we are kicking off a 3 part Series under the Header Leading People - Executing Process - Amplifying Profit - the 3 P’s I am referring to regularly! My guest today is Teresa Robertson of Endrick Consulting and Associate Director of Rutz Consulting! Everything in any business starts with people! In the new normal, nothing is exactly how it was pre covid. Equally important, is the fact that we can’t hide behind the pandemic any longer. An added challenge is the current economic situation driv...
Nov 10, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Peter Ryan is probably the best known and most trusted CX Advisor/Analyst in the Contact Centre Space! Peter has a love of Data, Analysis and Insights like no other - and he can bring figures to live! In today’s episode we speak about the changes in the BPO Market Place. Did you know South Africa is still up there despite the political unrest? Have you noticed the trend to Onshore opportunities companies are now looking for? And - How does cultural fit and acceptance influence decision makers on...
Nov 03, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 78
I love meeting influential women - today’s guest, Dion Johnson, is one of them! Starting her career in midwifery she is one of the most influential women of colour in the British Executive Coaching space who has taken the word “birthing” to a completely different level! In today’s interview Dion candidly speaks about how we show up in the world of business has led her to make a very bold statement…. “We are going the wrong way!” Dion tells us about how writing her book felt like she was pregnant...
Oct 27, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Caring for a parent is not something you can learn. Balancing the running of your business & caring for a parent brings many challenges. In this episode we examine those challenges & look at ways we can face those difficult circumstances face on. Links: Kolbe A Index: https://www.kolbe.com/kolbe-a-index/ Podcast Episode 28 - how to create an Operational Handbook fit for purpose https://operationalexcellenceshow.libsyn.com/episode-28-opex-with-marianne-rutz-how-to-design-and-produce-an-op...
Oct 20, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Today’s episode is slightly different! We are talking about celebrating success! And my two personal words for this business year…. Focus & Joy! What’s my secret sauce? Could that also be your secret sauce? Book recommendation: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Revelations-Business-Connecting-Your-Purpose-ebook/dp/B07965M5QC Marianne on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-rutz/ Rutz Consulting Website: https://rutzconsulting.com/ This Podcast is produced by: Andrew Madden Photography &...
Jul 30, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 75
What does CX have to do with French Cuisine, with Hongkong or Marketing! Actually everything if you are Julien Rio! In today’s interview my guest shares the 3 ways of gathering feedback from your customers. He also alludes to the Dunning-Kruger Effect - which he says is omnipresent in CX and where you as the CEO can start implementing CX without breaking the bank! We also open “Pandora’s box”... by asking the question - Who should the Head of CX report to…. An interesting and exciting discussion...
Jul 21, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Human Resources has evolved so much over the last couple of years - never mind throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic! Meet Jo Regan-Iles, Group People Officer for The Sigma Financial Group and one of the few Commercial HR leaders having the employees at the centre of everything She does. In today’s episode Jo is sharing with us what Business Transformation and Change looks like in HR. How TUPE can create risks for the business if not dealt with in a diligent manner. She also alludes to how to instil ...
Jul 15, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Automation is a big deal in the contact centre world! The tools we need and use, often at a significant cost, are supposed to make our front line agents more productive at the right time, the customers' life easier and the FCO’s cost reduction programmes successful. But… is this really what happens? Our guest expert today, Clive Elleforde will share insights and considerations with you, digging deep into his vast experience in automation and a comprehensive understanding of the impact voice auto...
Jul 07, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Today - we are diving into the why, what, and how of the German DACH Customer Experience Awards with moderator and organizer Marcus von Kloeden! Marcus takes us behind the scene of this very first DACH summit and CX awards - not something you do easily in the midst of a pandemic! We discuss the following topics What are the DACH customer experience Awards? Who should participate in this awards How can you apply and what can you expect from the Awards? When and where do the DACH CX Awards take pl...
Jun 30, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 71
I recently took my Customer Experience Management course with Daniel Ord of Omnitouch International with the view to sit my CCXP Exam in the next couple of weeks. Today - I am taking you through this course…. In an effort to give you some clarity what Customer Experience really is and what we deem to be the 6 Core Competencies in CX! DACH CX Awards Website: https://www.dach-cxa.com/ Marcus von Kloeden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusvonkloeden/ Omnitouch international: https://www...
Jun 23, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Heute unterhalten wir, Marcus und ich, uns über die allerersten DACH Customer Experience Awards! Marcus erzählt uns wie er dazu kam, diese Awards auszuschreiben, warum er glaubt, dass es ein Live-Erlebnis sein soll und was in ihm vorging, als die Pandemie ihn gezwungen hat, diesen Event von 2020 auf 2021 zu verschieben. Wir diskutieren die folgenden Punkte: Worum geht es bei den DACH Customer Experience Awards Wer nimmt an diesen Awards teil Wie nimmt man an den DACH CX Awards teil und wie ist d...
Jun 16, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 69
A CEO with conviction lets people’s brains relax, so to speak. She is letting them concentrate on what needs to be done. When people feel more secure in the future, they're happier and produce higher quality work. A leader who can demonstrate conviction will be more successful, and so will everyone she works with. That’s an assessment of Forbes - but absolutely measures up today’s guest speaker. Helen Hickin is not the conventional CEO, running her contact centre in Prague guided by economic pri...
Jun 09, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 68
This week’s leading Gent is Hans Luyts , a knowledge management consultant who helps the IT team solve the knowledge and communication challenges that bottleneck their productivity. He makes quite a bold statement…. Nobody should need to call the IT department. Full Stop. In this episode, Hans candidly shares the massive changes and challenges he sees when working in an IT team and how he helps his clients to: 1. Reduce Costs 2. Innovate faster 3. Deliver peace of mind to their customers and the...
Jun 02, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Daniela Semeco, a polyglot born in Venezuela, acquired her language skills during time spent in France, Germany, USA and Venezuela. Before starting her company, Polyglotte, she worked a few roles: as a medical and legal interpreter for over ten years, tour guide, and customer service agent at a small San Francisco company. At this last job, she remembers how one of her fellow agents copy pasted symbols from a Word doc all day long. He was French, but had always lived in California and didn’t kno...
May 26, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 66
With Brexit done - all of you serving customers in more than one languages, well more than just English, you know how difficult it has become to recruit the right talent for your French, German, Spanish, Dutch customer service teams. On top of the language - you also face the fact that the pandemic has accelerated digitalisation and automation in service delivery. Now you have got a double whammy - you need the language and the digital skill-set! Here is where CMR recruitment comes in! I’ve had ...
May 19, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 65
What if you could deliver High quality Customer Service and High profitability? In this episode I am taking you back to the Leaders In Service Summit from 12th May 2021! This was the opening keynote! How can you stand out in customer service and make money / reduce the cost? 1. Harvest your low hanging fruit You will find it’s not that difficult! 2. Empower your people to take action Give them the platform and tools to take action! 3. Use Automation wisely It doesn’t take much to get your IVR me...
May 13, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 64
In today's episode I will be discussing the topic of Holistic Service Delivery ......yes - really. Something of which I would never have heard myself saying 5 years ago. What is it though? How it is defined & how does it relate to the contact centre industry. The changes I have witnessed over many years in contact centres, in it's various sectors and how Holistic Service Delivery ties together with human values of wanting to deliver a great service. You will also learn of the upcoming online...
May 05, 2021•9 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Lee Houghton knows all about knowing…. And subsequently doing! If you are leading an operational team or a change team - you must meet Lee! As a Business Improvement Coach, Leadership Coach, Change Agent Mentor & Podcast Host, Lee has had the most random of journeys to get to where he is today. His journey has provided him numerous unique and transferable learning experiences enabling Lee to support Change Agents and Leaders to be more confident, more influential and deliver significant sust...
Apr 28, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Sarah Al-Hussaini is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Ultimate.ai, the world's leading customer service automation platform, powered by artificial intelligence. Ultimate has been named by WIRED, as one of Europe's Hottest 100 Startups and by Forbes, as a Top 100 Most Innovative Companies globally. Today Sarah shares her views and gives insights to the future of how emerging technologies can be used in the customer service sector and how women can & should be at the forefront of ...
Apr 21, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 61
A Mentor on a mission to guide you towards an exceptional life. Lorna wants you to spend your days feeling energised and fulfilled, continuously creating powerful results in all areas of your life. This is for you, your business, your career, leaders, teams & their employees. Lorna fell in love with Personal & Professional Development over 20 years ago. After studying Tony Robbins, her stagnant career took off and she enjoyed 20 years in senior leadership positions within global organisa...
Apr 14, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 60
You probably have used the chat function offered by a number of businesses such as banks, airlines, hotels, credit card companies…. And most probably you had mixed emotions and experiences with using this tool. Now - as a contact centre channel goes - chat has been around for a long time! Yet - it is also one of the tools, that if going wrong, it’s badly wrong! As a managing partner of the Live Chat Factory, Karen and her team work with brands on their chat presence. But not only does she train ...
Apr 07, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 59
My guest today is David Rumble - an out-sourcing expert like no other! But not only that, David is also a consultant, who has built more than one successful consultancy agency in the contact centre space! We all know that consultants have a mixed reputation - so what David has got to share is not only how to be a consultant but also what it takes to bring about real change in the industry. Adding value as consultants can be hard, as we are not only implementing change - we teach people how to do...
Apr 06, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 55
