Supervisors at the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) call center raised concerns about the length of staff telephone calls, the management of conversations, handling angry borrowers, and coping with day-to-day stress. The demanding and often stressful nature of daily calls created a challenging work environment that significantly impacted employee morale. To address these issues, I observed call center employees in their work environment, listened to recorded phone interactions, and conducted interviews with both staff and supervisors. Based on my findings and research, I developed a four-part instructor-led course focused on essential customer service skills and strategies for managing difficult and challenging phone calls.

The course employed a blended learning approach, integrating presentation slides, interactive exercises, and games to foster peer learning and collaboration.