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

From Crisis Line to Call Center QA — Lorne Wood on Fixing What Technology Can't
CX Gurus
0:00 1:00:26
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Briefing 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

Produced by the Cloud Tech Gurus Team. Subscribe for more insights from industry leaders. Visit www.cloudtechgurus.com

Featured Guests

Lorne Wood

Lorne Wood

Guest

Fred Stacey

Fred Stacey

Host

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Key Takeaways

  • Lorne Wood has over 30 years of experience in contact center quality assurance and business process outsourcing, starting his career on an evening-shift suicide crisis line.
  • Technology alone cannot address leadership gaps and cultural drift in call centers; effective QA programs require human-centered approaches to move meaningful results.
  • Wood's crisis line experience shaped his approach to solving problems that technology cannot fix, including attrition, compliance, and floor-level coaching.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Lorne Wood's professional background?

Lorne Wood is the founder and managing director of Better Call Center QA with over 30 years in contact center quality assurance and BPO, beginning his career on an evening-shift suicide crisis line.

What career progression did Lorne Wood follow?

His career moved from crisis line work to outbound telemarketing to building a 300-seat call center from scratch.

What are the main challenges Lorne addresses in call centers?

He tackles attrition, compliance headaches, coaching on the floor, and the limitations of technology in addressing leadership gaps and cultural drift.