ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In the first guest episode of Average Speed of Answer — the podcast for the people behind the headsets — host Barry Cooper sits down with George Papureanu, a Team Leader at a UK-based contact centre who went from his very first call (and a complete mind blank) to managing a top-performing team in just 12 months.
George shares an honest, behind-the-scenes look at what it's really like to work in a contact centre — the pressure, the metrics, the nonstop call queues, and the moments that make it all worth it. From handling angry customers without matching their energy, to the power of letting your team leave half an hour early on a Friday, George proves that great leadership starts with one simple question: How can I help?
In this episode, we cover:
- What George's first day (and first call) was really like
- How to manage the pressure of back-to-back calls and avoid burnout
- Why emotional intelligence and patience are the most underrated skills in the industry
- George's take on AI — friend or foe for contact centre advisors?
- The journey from Customer Service Advisor to Team Leader in 12 months
- Why the contact centre industry deserves far more credit than it gets
Whether you're on the phones, leading a team, or just curious about what really happens behind the headset — this one's for you.
