First Contact: Stories of the Call Center
Because no one pictures themselves working at a call center, First Contact: Stories of the Call Center is a monthly podcast about how tech leaders and entrepreneurs found their way into the contact center industry.
All Episodes
From Intern to Innovator: Real‑Time Caller Insights & Entrepreneurial Grit, with Amanda Pietrocola
<p>In this episode of First Contact: Stories of the Call Center, Amanda Pietrocola, CEO of Momentum Technology, shares her unconventional journey from college intern to tech entrepreneur. Dive into the launch of the Telecom Trust Center, a groundbreaking solution for real-time phone number intelligence and fraud prevention. Amanda also discusses how she navigates innovation with integrity, champions company culture in remote settings, and balances AI with the human side of customer experience. A must-listen for CX leaders, contact center professionals, and anyone invested in the future of trusted communications.</p>From Cold Calls to Chatbots - The Evolution of Contact Centers: Phillp Bennett
<p>AI bots beat humans: what does that say about your contact center? In this episode of First Contact: Stories of the Call Center, Phil Bennett from Empire Today breaks down what most leaders get wrong about digital transformation. From the early days of chat support in 2002 to today’s AI-assisted agents, Phil has seen it all—and he’s got the hard truths (and ROI stats) to prove it. He shares why assigning your top phone agents to chat might negatively impact performance, how a chatbot designed as a fallback ended up outperforming human representatives by nearly double, and why true omnichannel success depends on understanding the unique skill sets each medium demands. </p> <p> </p> <p>Phil also reveals the overlooked value of voice analytics, the blind spots of traditional surveys, and why the real future of CX lies in combining human empathy with machine precision. Whether you’re scaling digital channels or deciding where AI fits in your strategy, this episode will make you rethink how you design customer experiences.</p>The Most Underrated Driver of CX Performance? Your Headset, with Vern Fernandez
<p>In this episode of First Contact: Stories of the Call Center, we go deep with Vern Fernandez from Jabra, the guy who's turning headsets into high-performance AI-powered CX tools. We're talking about devices that detect tone, improve agent empathy, reduce call times, and, even more impressively, alert you when your dog is barking too loudly to ensure a good customer experience. This isn’t some gadget talk -this is a wake-up call for anyone serious about performance, retention, and the future of work.</p>How to Build a People-First Contact Center That Actually Reduces Turnover: Sam Falletta
<p> How do you build a contact center where people want to stay? In this episode of First Contact: Stories of the Call Center, we sit down with Sam Falletta, CEO of Incept, who shares how he built a people-first company culture that reduces turnover and drives performance. From rewriting rigid attendance policies to embedding mental health support into operations, Sam takes us deep into the realities of leading with empathy while delivering results. We also unpack the evolution of leadership, the hidden cost of disengagement, and why automation without a human core is a missed opportunity.</p>