At CCW Las Vegas, SymTrain hosted a Think Tank featuring two powerhouse CX leaders:
- Colleen Beers, former President of Global Operations at one of the world’s largest BPOs
- Tamara Schroer, VP of Learning & Development at virtual CX provider Working Solutions
Their focus? How to scale coaching effectively and prove its value from day one of onboarding through every customer interaction.
Colleen Beers, Tamara Schroer, and Kali Sarim, VP of CX at SymTrain.
The Coaching Problem No One Talks About
Most contact centers train constantly, but they don’t always coach effectively.
Even when they do, few can show whether their efforts are actually driving business results. That’s where both Colleen and Tamara started:
“Everyone agrees coaching matters. But few know how to prove it moves the needle.” — Colleen Beers
Without proof, it becomes harder to get buy-in, harder to scale, and harder to innovate. Managers are left repeating the same coaching points. Trainers are buried in content creation. And agents? Often overwhelmed and underprepared.
AI Coaching: What It Really Is
AI Coaching with SymTrain uses real-world data—call recordings, QA scorecards, and performance metrics—to automatically generate personalized practice simulations.
This means agents no longer go through the same generic onboarding. Instead, each one trains on what they need, when they need it.
SymTrain enables:
- Simulation-based coaching based on real calls
- Faster ramp-up with spaced repetition (not cramming)
- Skill mastery through targeted, repeatable practice
The Real Costs of Poor Coaching
Colleen and Tamara shared what happens without a scalable coaching model:
- High agent churn due to stress and lack of support
- Quality and compliance gaps across BPOs and vendor teams
- Long onboarding periods (up to 14 weeks in financial services)
- Lost revenue from slow ramp-up and poor conversions
- Managers stretched thin, unable to coach consistently
"Before AI coaching, we were coaching reactively. Now we can do it proactively, at scale." — Colleen Beers
What Leaders Are Still Struggling With
From the Think Tank:
- Misalignment between Ops, L&D, and Finance KPIs
- Relying on completion metrics instead of behavior change
- Lack of clarity around how to measure coaching impact
- Fear of AI adoption due to complexity or perceived threat
Tamara emphasized that even experienced L&D teams hesitate to adopt AI due to concerns about job security or complexity. But when used properly, AI becomes a force multiplier, not a replacement.
Real Results: The Data Behind the Change
Financial Services Case Study
- Reduced onboarding from 14 to 8 weeks
- AHT dropped 8–9.5% in 60 days
- Annual savings of millions in support division
(Source: SymTrain Financial Services Case Study)
Global BPO Chat Program
- NPS increased from 24.2% to 63.6%
- AHT reduced by 23%
- Conversions up 162.5% in 45 days
(Source: SymTrain Startek Case Study)
Working Solutions (Tamara’s Team)
- 100% retention among new hires who completed 2+ simulations
- 50% reduction in content creation time
- 30-point lift in NPS
Sales Contact Center
- Revenue per call increased from $7 to $9.60
- Conversion rate increased from 13–15% to 18%
- CSAT maintained at 100%
The ROI Formula: How to Measure Coaching That Works
Basic ROI Formula:
(Productivity Gains − Training Investment) / Training Investment
Example:
If one agent saves 5 minutes per call, handling 40 calls/day, that’s 200 minutes—over 3.3 hours/week.
At $25/hour x 52 weeks = $4,290/year per agent in recovered time. Multiply that by 1,000 agents? Over $4 million in annual savings.
The Implementation Strategy: How to Get Started
Colleen and Tamara recommend:
- Start small: Pick one process or call type or line of business (e.g., billing, onboarding)
- Align KPIs: Agree across L&D, Ops, QA what success looks like
- Feed the AI: Import QA scorecards, calls, and outcome data
- Assign practice simulations: Use real-world scenarios, not generic roleplays
- Measure impact: Run pre/post analysis and share with leadership
What Coaching Looks Like Now
Final Thought: Coaching Is Not Optional
“The question isn’t whether coaching works. It’s whether you can prove it does.”
— Tamara Schroer
Coaching drives performance, retention, customer experience, and revenue,but only when it’s structured, personalized, and measurable.
SymTrain gives leaders the ability to scale coaching across teams, locations, and vendors, without compromising quality.
Want to See It in Action?
Book a 15-minute strategy call