Think about the last time you had to contact a call center. After being forced to take time out of your busy schedule to solve an external problem, suffering an annoying automated phone menu, sitting on the line listening to crackly elevator music and being passed through multiple hands before you finally reach the person you require, would you describe yourself as A) Cool, calm and collected B) Mildly irritated, but polite and courteous C) Ready to explode?

Now put yourself in the person on the other end of the line’s shoes. From the second they walk in the door to when they go home, call center representatives deal with clients in the same state of exasperation. They are the defensive linebackers who get thumped day after day by people w...