In Episode 4 of Coach’s Corner, host Dan McCann welcome James Chaffin, Speech & Quality Manager at Revenue Group—and an unexpected coffee coach. James shares how QA, analytics, and simulation based training boost agent performance, while his coffee hobby offers surprising parallels to AI coaching.
🎧 Listen now: Episode 4 on YouTube Music
Meet the Guest: James Chaffin
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Role: Speech & Quality Manager, Revenue Group
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CX journey: From customer service rep (2017) → QA coordinator → Speech Analytics lead → Current QA/Analytics manager
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Coffee passion: Teaches coworkers better brewing, upgraded office equipment, even impressed the company’s owner
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Unique title: Coffee “Q Grader” (the sommelier of coffee)
“Leverage every piece of data you have available.” — James Chaffin
CX Coaching: Finding Blind Spots
James explained that one of the most powerful parts of AI coaching is how it exposes blind spots. Agents often believe they’re doing everything right, but data shows otherwise.
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In CX: Voice analytics and intelligent coaching pinpoint when agents miss empathy statements, compliance phrases, or tone.
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In coffee: Tools like refractometers show whether the brew is too weak or too strong—even if the person thinks it tastes fine.
Both examples remind us: what feels right isn’t always correct. Data helps uncover the truth.
Tools & Technology in Coaching
James drew strong parallels between his two worlds:
In coffee:
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Refractometer: measures dissolved solids in a cup to see how well the coffee is brewed.
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Roast meter: uses infrared to check how dark the beans are roasted.
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Water chemistry kits: balance minerals like magnesium or calcium to change taste.
In CX:
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Voice analytics: scan 100% of calls for quality.
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QA dashboards: identify trends and areas for training.
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SymTrain's AI Coaching: let agents safely practice challenging calls.
The key lesson? Tools alone aren’t enough. You need to learn and practice how to use them.
Breaking Habits and Assumptions
Both CX agents and coffee drinkers carry old habits:
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Some agents assume they’re empathetic when data proves otherwise.
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Some coffee drinkers think coffee must always taste bitter, so they drown it in sugar.
James told a story of giving a coworker naturally sweet Ethiopian coffee. She immediately added sugar—only to find the result too sweet to drink. The lesson: sometimes you need to let people make mistakes to see the better path forward.
The Human Side of Coaching
Technology gives the data, but human connection is what makes change possible.
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In CX, managers must understand when an agent’s performance dip may be due to personal struggles.
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In coffee, a coach encourages someone to try again after a failed brew.
James emphasized: effective coaching balances facts with empathy.
About James Beyond Work
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Hobby: VR flight simulation—he loves practicing skills in virtual environments.
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Coffee hack: Uses acupuncture needles for a method called WDT (Weiss Distribution Technique) to evenly prepare espresso shots.
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Movies: Loves Stalker (a deep Russian sci-fi classic) and Brazil (a surreal fantasy film).
5 Key Takeaways for CX Leaders
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Safe practice is critical. Let agents make mistakes use tools like SymTrain, not in real customer interactions.
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Data uncovers blind spots. Trust analytics to show where improvement is needed.
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Challenge old habits. Don’t accept “this is just how it’s done.”
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Keep learning. New tools and features can quickly raise performance.
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Balance tech with empathy. Coaching is part data, part human connection.
What’s your current brew method or coaching challenge? Use the comment form below—we’d love to hear from you.