The Call Centre – Did You Watch?

So, did you tune into The Call Centre last night? The first of a much-anticipated five-part docusoap started on BBC Three, starring Swansea-based call centre ‘Save Britain Money’ and its zany chief exec Neville Wilshire – a real-life David Brent.

'I'm like Napoleon,' Nev declared at the start. 'He was a dictator, but his troops loved him.' Indeed, his mottos of ‘happy people sell’ and ‘smile as you dial’ meant he was almost entirely focused on creating a fun environment for his 1,000+ staff.

His unique management style included pelting staff with doughnuts and leading impromptu karaoke and speed dating sessions, and he amused workers with slogans such as 'You've got to remember SWSWSWN. Some Will, Some Won't, So What, Next!'

Perhaps not to everyone’s tastes, but Nev’s staff are clearly very happy and think he’s inspirational – the third largest call centre in Wales is ranked second in the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For. It certainly made great TV and caused a stir on Twitter, registering more than 20,000 tweets in 60 minutes according to the BBC. I’m looking forward to the next four episodes.

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