You've probably met Hannah at the Contact Centre Expo, helpful positive and always helping put on a great show.

Hannah joins me to share details of the Next CX Summit in Manchester on July 15th and also we talk about the Contact Centre Expo in November and how you can get involved.

🎙 In episode #227, Martin is joined by Steve Powell of Alvaria CX to explore why proactive customer engagement is having a major comeback—and what it means for your contact centre.

Learn how Alvaria’s Outreach IQ framework is transforming outbound strategy by combining intelligence, integration, and compliance. This episode is packed with insight on how to move from reactive support to strategic outreach—and why customers are asking for it.

Key takeaways:

• Why reactive CX is broken

• What “Outreach IQ” really means

• The truth about outbound compliance and trust

• How top-tier companies are doing it right (but not shouting about it)

If you're rethinking your approach to outbound or want to deliver better customer experiences, this episode is essential.

🎧 Listen now or watch the full interview.

Join me and 50 people live from Linkedin today for the 100th episode of get Out of Wrap TV.

We chat about working from home vs in the office, what LinkedIn content we like and also what terms we'd like to see consigned to the bin.

Thank you for all your support.

In episode 225 of Get Out of Wrap, Martin welcomes back the inspiring Lee Houghton — this time to talk about The People Puzzle, his Amazon #1 bestselling book.

Lee shares the candid behind-the-scenes journey of writing a leadership book designed not just to be read, but worked through. From the original “Leadership Cheat Code” concept to evolving into four core puzzle pieces — Alignment, Relationships, Feelings, and Leadership — this episode is packed with value for leaders at every level.

We talk acronyms, Aristotle, safe spaces, and how real growth comes from reflection and feedback.

🎧 Tune in for a heartfelt and empowering conversation with one of the most genuine voices in leadership.

Brought to you by our partners: Alvaria and Quetzel.

On the 99th show of Get Out of Wrap TV ( over on Linkedin 10am on a Tuesday ) we discussed a recent article in the Guardian that was titled 'Is Customer Dead & why is it so , so bad?' No one better than the GOOW community to chat about this.

Outbound is far from dead — it's thriving in Loughborough.

In the latest episode of Get Out of Wrap, I’m joined by Steve Powell of Alvaria to introduce an incredible leader: Dan Luik, Head of Currys’ Loughborough Campus. Dan runs one of the most impressive contact centre operations I’ve ever seen. It’s profitable. It’s customer-obsessed. And it’s relentlessly focused on improvement.

We dive into:

• How Currys is redefining outbound as proactive customer engagement

• The role of leadership in a high-performance sales culture

• Why Alvaria’s outbound technology is central to their success

• Real-world use of AI to elevate people, process, and performance

• And why Loughborough is so much more than a contact centre — it’s Currys' largest virtual store.

If you think outbound is old-school or "just sales," this conversation will change your mind.

🎙️ New Episode #222 of Get Out of Wrap is live!

This week, I’m joined by James Connors, founder and director of Quetzel, a business built on honesty, curiosity, and problem-solving. In this episode, we dive into James’ unconventional journey—from life as a roadie to building a trusted tech sourcing partner that’s helping companies make smarter, faster CX and IT decisions.

We cover:

• How Quetzel helps clients navigate a noisy tech landscape

• The importance of authentic relationships with customers and suppliers

• Why being passionate, present, and personal matters more than ever

• Supporting rising boxing star Moses Itauma and Great Ormond Street Hospital

James is someone who lives and breathes his work, and this chat is full of energy, lessons, and laughs (plus a few Arsenal vs Spurs jabs!).

💥 A must-listen for anyone in CX, contact centres, tech, or thinking about starting their own venture.

In this engaging episode of Get Out of Wrap TV, host Martin Teasdale leads a thought-provoking discussion on the future of contact centres, exploring the rapid changes shaping the industry. The episode features lively audience participation and expert insights into how technology, workforce dynamics, and customer expectations are evolving.

One of the standout moments in the show comes when Martin poses a crucial question to the audience and industry professionals:

🟢 “What areas of our contact centres will undergo the most change in the next five years?”

This sparked a dynamic conversation, with insightful contributions from industry leaders. Key themes included:

• The Rise of AI and Automation: With AI becoming more advanced, Spencer Collins highlighted how customer service roles will shift from routine tasks to high-empathy, complex problem-solving interactions. AI-driven sentiment analysis and real-time assistance will reshape how advisors work.
• The Evolution of Workforce Management (WFM) and Quality Monitoring (QM): Nerys Caulfield pointed out that WFM and QM roles will need to pivot significantly, with AI taking on many traditional tasks. She also made a bold prediction: advisor numbers in the UK could drop by 50%, reducing from 900,000 to under 450,000 as automation handles more transactional work.
• The Changing Role of Advisors: With fewer but more skilled agents handling complex queries, there was debate over whether this would lead to improved pay and status for frontline workers. Barry Cooper suggested that while their roles will evolve, businesses need to ensure proper recognition and investment in training.
• Human vs. AI Balance: Morris Pentel warned about the challenge of maintaining human quality in CX while integrating AI. Ensuring that automation enhances rather than replaces the human experience will be key.
• Recruitment & Training Adaptations: Nick Holmes stressed that as AI changes job functions, recruitment and onboarding must adapt. Training will need to focus on critical thinking and problem-solving, rather than just process adherence.

The conversation also touched on controversial AI applications, such as Teleperformance’s use of AI to neutralise Indian accents in real-time. This sparked debate, with some seeing it as a way to improve customer experience, while others questioned its ethical implications.

✅ WFM Adoption: Surprisingly, 17% of contact centres still have no plans to implement a WFM system, raising concerns about efficiency and scalability.
✅ Agent Activity Breakdown: New data shows that contact centre agents spend over 50% of their time on talk time, but post-call wrap-up (11%) and admin tasks (5%) remain areas ripe for AI-driven efficiency gains.
✅ Marathon Fundraiser Update: Martin shares an exciting milestone—over £3,000 raised for Action Aid, with 40 days left until the big race!

This episode provides a compelling look at the seismic shifts coming to the contact centre industry. As AI and automation accelerate change, businesses must focus on employee experience, training, and maintaining the human touch in CX.

Don’t forget—Episode 98 is on April 1st, featuring the much-anticipated Duck Draw Giveaway! 🦆

📺 You can also watch the full episode on YouTube