Tips and Tricks: Coaching & AI Coaching

This week’s Tips & Tricks session on Coaching & AI Coaching was led by Ian Hall (CMO), Dan McCann (CEO), and Kalpana Verma (Senior Implementation Manager). The discussion covered the evolution of coaching in contact centers, the benefits of AI-driven coaching, and how SymTrain’s Intelligent Coaching solutions enhance training efficiency, skill development, and agent performance. Dan highlighted the importance of continuous coaching and how AI coaching provides data-driven, personalized training plans to help agents improve their skills in real-time. Kalpana shared insights from her experience as both an agent and a leader, emphasizing how AI-powered coaching eliminates inconsistencies, accelerates learning, and allows managers to assign targeted training efficiently. The session also explored training plans, and integrating SymTrain with QA and performance management systems to create a seamless coaching cycle.

Key Takeaways:

1. Coaching vs. AI Coaching: Traditional coaching relies on manual review and feedback, while AI coaching automates the coaching cycle by analyzing call recordings, identifying skill gaps, and assigning targeted coaching exercises to improve agent performance​.
2. The Power of Practice: AI coaching ensures agents practice in a safe environment, allowing them to refine their skills, build confidence, and eliminate common mistakes before interacting with customers​.
3. A Data-Driven Coaching Cycle: AI coaching follows a closed-loop system—analyzing performance, recommending improvement actions, validating progress through ongoing call analysis, and refining coaching plans based on real-time data​.
4. Training Plans for Continuous Improvement: Managers can assign training plans to agents for specific skill development, ensuring they improve between coaching sessions. Instead of spending hours manually coaching, managers can assign plans in minutes and track agent progress over time.
5. Efficient Coaching Assignments: Avoid duplicating assignments—edit existing training plans instead of creating new ones each time to streamline the process and maintain a structured coaching flow​.
6. Supporting Tenured Agents: AI coaching is not just for new hires—even experienced agents benefit from ongoing skill refinement to adapt to changing customer expectations and scenarios​.
7. Scalability with Intelligent Coaching: AI coaching can process thousands of call recordings, identify trends across teams, and automatically assign relevant coaching plans—ensuring continuous learning at scale​.

If you missed something or want to revisit the session, check out the full session video