CX Gurus

From Crisis Line to Call Center QA — Lorne Wood on Fixing What Technology Can't

Episode Summary

Lorne Wood started on a suicide crisis line and built a 30-year career in contact center QA and BPO. He joins Fred to talk about the human problems tech can't solve — leadership gaps, cultural drift, and QA that actually moves the needle.

Episode Notes

Episode Notes: Lorne Wood, founder and managing director of Better Call Center QA, brings over 30 years in contact center quality assurance and BPO. His career began on an evening-shift suicide crisis line — and the lessons he learned there about helping people over the phone have shaped a no-nonsense approach to fixing what technology alone can't.

In this episode:

• Lorne's origin story: crisis line → outbound telemarketing → building a 300-seat center from scratch
• Why tech alone can't fix leadership gaps and cultural drift
• Building QA programs that actually move the needle
• Tackling attrition, compliance headaches, and coaching on the floor
• The three lessons from the crisis line that never left him