Give 'Em The Pickle: https://youtu.be/lwYrB7y_VmY?si=pMAY-5ohR3XMmFE3

In this episode of CX Riot Radio, we break down Bob Farrell’s legendary customer-service lesson Give ’Em the Pickle! and translate it into the r world of plumbing, HVAC, and home services.

We dive into what “the pickle” really means for the trades: doing the small extra things that make customers feel valued, showing up on time, explaining repairs clearly, cleaning up your work, and following up after the job.

You’ll learn how to turn the “pickle philosophy” into a company-wide culture, how to train and measure it, and why it’s the ultimate differentiator in a market flooded with “good enough” service.

If you want your team to stop chasing transactions and start building loyalty... this is the episode that shows you how.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Sorry for the AI Slop Voice.

Most companies say they care about customers, but their actions tell a different story. In this episode of CX Riot Radio, David Powers tears into the profit-first mindset that’s killing trust in the trades.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Another one from the archives, all the way back from August 2023.

Customer Service isn't for everybody, and that's okay.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

We've all had bad managers, terrible supervisors, awful team leads, and non-existent advancement plans (right?). Here's how to break the cycle and become the leader you needed at the beginning of your career.Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

This episode gets raw about failure, not the motivational poster kind, but the real, bloody-knuckled kind that breaks you down and forces you to rebuild. From living in a van at 21 to blowing up CX initiatives and learning to fail forward, this episode digs into why failure isn’t the end, it’s the forge.

Because success might change your circumstances, but failure changes you.

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Heyyyy!

This weeks episode of CX Riot Radio is a Space Opera Business Fable.

Here is part 2 of my new book Legend of the Five Stars: The Rise of the Sorcerous Maleficum: A Business Fable. You can buy it on Amazon at this link: https://a.co/d/fe4tVMd

Enjoy!

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Heyyyy!

This weeks episode of CX Riot Radio is a Space Opera Business Fable.

Here is part 1 of my new book Legend of the Five Stars: The Rise of the Sorcerous Maleficum: A Business Fable. You can buy it on Amazon at this link: https://a.co/d/fe4tVMd

Enjoy!

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Some industries carry heavy baggage—plumbing, airlines, used car lots—places where customers often expect the worst. In this talk, we break down how companies in these “bad rep” industries can flip the script and win loyalty through world-class customer experience.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why first impressions make or break the service journey

• How to use technology (without letting clunky tools ruin trust)

• The importance of clear communication and expectation setting

• Why technician professionalism and presentation matter as much as skill

• How follow-ups and thank-yous create lasting relationships

• The role of empathy when customers are stressed, frustrated, or in crisis

By focusing on empathy, professionalism, and proactive communication, companies in challenged industries can not only improve customer experience—but completely reshape their reputations.

If you’re in the trades or any business where trust is hard-won, this conversation gives you the playbook to stand out and succeed.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

“If evolution is outlawed, only outlaws will evolve.” In this raw 30-minute manifesto, David Powers calls out the state of blue-collar call centers — where they excel, where they lag behind, and why leadership too often ignores their true value. From paper-thin training to duct-taped technology, from fragile morale to inconsistent customer experiences, this episode lays bare the outlaw reality of the trades.

But it’s not just diagnosis — it’s a rallying cry. David delivers a blueprint for evolution: structured onboarding, outlaw coaching cultures, consistent customer flows, proactive communication, tech investment, and a rebrand of the call center as the company’s true revenue engine.

This isn’t corporate lip service. It’s punk-rock CX. If you lead, work in, or depend on a blue-collar call center, this episode is your call-to-arms. The future belongs to the outlaws who dare to evolve.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

On this special bonus episode of Caffeinated CX Classic we talk about Stoicism and how Stoic Philosophy can be leveraged in the Contact Center.Why?Stoicism is the best Operating System for your mind, and it can help employees (and yourself) to prevent burnout, especially in stressful situations.https://linktr.ee/caffcx

AI is crashing into the call center with three faces: agent-assist tools that give reps a sixth sense, accent neutralization tech that risks erasing identity, and the all-bot fantasy that can torch trust. In this episode, we cut through the hype and get real about how AI can amplify humans without replacing them, or turning every agent into a soulless robot.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

I go inside the world of Offshore Call Centers to show what really happens when we tell agents to “use your other voice.” Fake names. Accent filters. Surveillance wallboards. Abusive callers. Clean dashboards that hide human dents. Destroyed Customer Experience. Wasted Marketing.

If your brand lives or dies on the phone, this is the truth you won’t see in a vendor deck.

What you’ll learn:

Why accent bias + strict scripts crush real customer experience

How KPIs (AHT/CSAT/compliance) get weaponized against agents

The hidden health/talent cost of permanent night shift

How to audit a BPO with receipts, not slides (abuse policy, monitoring, QA, pay ladders, promotion paths)

A simple operating standard: one team, one training, one truth

The “Offshore Pledge” to run starting today

This is blue-collar CX.

Plumbing/HVAC, home services, trades, any shop where the phone is the front door.

Stop masking the problem.

Fix the inputs.

Protect your people. Let pros be pros.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Your QA program is killing your call center, and nobody’s talking about it.

In this episode, I expose the truth about “check-the-box” quality assurance, how it frustrates agents, wastes money, and drives customers away. We’ll break down the outdated KPIs you should ditch, the outcome-based metrics that actually move the needle, and the specific changes that make QA a coaching tool instead of a corporate chore.

Whether you’re running an in-house or offshore call center, this is the blueprint for QA that delivers results for your team, your company, and your customers.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

In this episode, David Powers dives into the 2025 Keep Call Centers in America Act, a proposed bill that aims to stop the bleeding of U.S. call center jobs through offshoring and automation.

He breaks down what the bill actually says, why unions love it, why free-market capitalists are skeptical, and what the next five years could look like if it passes.

From patriotism to profit, from AI to accountability, and the validity of this whole thing.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Tech was supposed to make customer service easier. Instead, it buried reps in dashboards, metrics, and burnout. In this episode, we rip into the philosophical roots of modern tech fatigue and how contact center tools went from helpful to harmful. This is a wake-up call for leaders chasing automation at the cost of humanity.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

In this episode of CX Riot Radio, we break down how to delegate like a real leader. Not just dump tasks, but build a team that scales with you. If you’re stuck doing everything yourself, burning out, or struggling to trust others to get it right, this one’s for you.

We cover:

The difference between delegation and abdication

Why smart, capable people often suck at delegating

The 4 Zones of Delegation (what to keep, what to pass off)

How to use task-relevant maturity to coach your team right

How real delegation empowers your people and frees up your time for strategy, growth, and leadership.

Whether you’re a new leader, an overwhelmed manager, or someone trying to break into leadership, this gives you the tools to stop bottlenecking and start multiplying.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Dig into how cutting corners in customer service, marketing, hiring, and quality control quietly wrecks your reputation... and your profits.

Learn how to protect your brand, build customer trust, and scale your home services business without compromising your values.

Perfect for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and blue-collar pros who want long-term growth over short-term gains.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Let's go through the CX Leader side of the State of Customer Experience Report by Genysys. It'll be fun!

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Genesys' 2025 State of Customer Experience report came out, so let's give it a gander!

In part 1, we'll look at the consumer side.

For part 2, we'll look at the CX leader side.

So, let's go.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Are companies using AI the wrong way?

Let's explore why replacing employees with AI can be ethically questionable, economically dangerous, and a red flag for poor leadership.

Learn why the future of work should be about augmenting people, not replacing them, and how smart businesses can use AI to empower teams, not eliminate them.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx