You don’t need 400 agents on headsets to be running a call center.
If you’re a blue collar business with even one person answering phones, congratulations, you’re in the call center game. And according to David Powers, a Chief Experience Officer at Rooter Hero Plumbing and CX Riot Radio host, that’s a game you can’t afford to lose.
In this episode of Titans of the Trades, David joins Ryan Englin to pull back the curtain on how call centers work, what great ones look like, and why the customer and employee experience are two sides of the same coin.
Here’s a stat that’ll stop you in your tracks: David’s call center at Rooter Hero has a 12% turnover rate. Not 60%. Not 100%. Twelve. And the average CSR has been with them for over two years.
So how do they do it?
✅ They know their people. Leadership isn’t done from a spreadsheet. It’s done in conversations, in flexibility, and in showing appreciation (like bringing everyone lunch, not just the sales team).
✅ They answer quickly. Rooter Hero’s response goal for digital leads? Five minutes. Even after hours, the system is designed to never let someone sit in inbox limbo.
✅ They use AI wisely. Not to replace CSRs, but to empower them. With real-time call grading, AI-driven coaching prompts, and tools like AutoQA that provide actionable insights, tech becomes a teammate, not a threat.
✅ They track data in real time. David literally gets pings to his smartwatch every time a call isn’t booked. You don’t need to go that far, but if you’re waiting till the end of the month to pull call reports, you’re already behind.
But the biggest mindset shift?
Customer experience and employee experience are inseparable. You can’t deliver a five-star customer journey when your team is burnt out, unappreciated, or operating in chaos.
And if you’re worried that all this only applies to the “big guys” with big budgets, think again. David lays out how even the smallest shop can implement these ideas. Starting with understanding that speed, empathy, and follow-through are your competitive edge.
Want to hear how a World of Warcraft guild leader skillset turned into a world-class call center strategy? Or how AI is helping translate customer emotions into marketing gold?
Yeah, you’re gonna want to hit play on this one.
Listen to the full episode for more takeaways you can apply today.
Connect With David
Website: https://rooterhero.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjpowers2/
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