What They Never Warn You About in Training
The first day of process training always carries that air of uncertainty. But this one hit different. We weren’t just stepping into another classroom with the usual “Tell us something interesting about yourself” introductions—it almost reminded me of that unforgettable day I wrote about here. Instead, our trainers—Juan Miguel Relosa and Richa Sabharwal, who insisted we call them Jim and Richa—jumped straight into setting expectations. And they didn’t sugarcoat it.
Unlike our previous Voice and Accent (VA) training sessions, where the mood was lighter and the conversations often wandered off-topic, this felt like we were already clocked in for work. Jim had this way of making even the simplest instruction sound like a mission briefing, while Richa balanced it out with her precise, almost clinical approach.
What really threw us off, though, was how serious they took the “pluses and deltas” at the end of every shift. For anyone unfamiliar, pluses and deltas are a feedback system—pluses for what went well, deltas for areas of improvement. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, immediate feedback sessions like this improve learning retention by up to 34%. No wonder this became a daily ritual.
📚 Table of Contents
1. This System Walkthrough Felt Like a Test 2. The Moment We Faced the Real Challenge 3. Meet the Unexpected Classmates We Had 4. This Simulation Took Us All by Surprise 5. The Hardest and Most Fun Week CombinedThis System Walkthrough Felt Like a Test
We thought day one was intense—then came the system walkthrough. The trainers introduced us to the Star system, a training module designed to simulate real-life scenarios. It wasn’t just a demo. They expected us to grasp the basics almost immediately, and honestly, none of us were ready for that level of immersion.
What made it more challenging was how oddly familiar the system’s voice prompt sounded. Every time the module explained a process or regulation, I couldn’t help but think it sounded like Bobby, an old friend known for his overly detailed explanations. That little distraction didn’t help when we were expected to absorb complex workflow processes on the fly.
👉 Pro Tip: When dealing with system-based training, always take screenshots or personal notes—some platforms, like Salesforce or SAP, don’t let you revisit certain walkthroughs after completion. It’s a simple trick that saves hours later on.
The Star system focused on theoretical knowledge, but the real challenge began when we were asked to access the Premiere system. This was no longer theory—it was the live customer database we’d eventually use on the job. The interface wasn’t exactly user-friendly, and navigating it felt like solving a puzzle with missing pieces.
The Moment We Faced the Real Challenge
If the Star system was a warm-up, the Premiere system was where things got real. On our first attempt, almost everyone hit a wall. The search queries weren’t intuitive, error prompts popped up more often than successful results, and it took real focus to avoid locking the system with too many failed attempts.
But like any good learning curve, things started to click after a while. Some of us found faster ways to retrieve customer data, others figured out how to avoid common system errors. By the end of the third day, we were no longer just clicking through menus—we were actually understanding the logic behind the processes.
By the end of that first week, the Premiere system wasn’t this confusing black hole anymore—it quietly shaped some of the tiny habits I still use to stay organized today. It became the tool it was supposed to be—a gateway to helping customers more efficiently.
Meet the Unexpected Classmates We Had
One of the most surprising aspects of this training wasn’t the content—it was the people sitting beside us. You’d expect process training to be filled with new hires or fresh faces, but our class roster read more like a leadership summit. Randall, who was already a VA Trainer, sat just a seat away. Dens, a known Sales Trainer, joined in, and even Ronnie, the Workforce Manager, was in the mix. And then there was Brags—a Team Lead who admitted she had never handled a Voice & Accent team before but was jumping straight into product training leadership.
At first, it was a little intimidating. These were the people we usually saw conducting workshops or managing schedules, and here they were, struggling through system errors and asking the same questions we had. But that’s what made it interesting. It broke down the walls between leadership and staff, turning the whole experience into something more collaborative than competitive.
Seeing managers like Ronnie stumble through the Premiere system reminded us that no one really has it all figured out on the first try. It also gave us a rare chance to observe how leaders handle challenges. While some were visibly frustrated, others stayed calm and approached the training with curiosity. That was a leadership lesson we didn’t expect to learn so soon.
This Simulation Took Us All by Surprise
Just when we thought we were finally getting the hang of everything, the trainers threw in a curveball—the Sivox Simulation. Unlike the previous modules, this wasn’t just another walk-through. It was a full-scale, real-time simulation of customer interactions, complete with a virtual moderator named Samantha. And let me tell you—Samantha didn’t play favorites.
The Sivox system was developed as a speech and communication training tool designed to simulate high-pressure call center scenarios. According to a case study by Business Process Management Journal, simulation-based training can improve employee performance by up to 30% because it mirrors real-world challenges without real-world consequences. That statistic felt very real as soon as Samantha’s AI voice filled the room.
It was equal parts nerve-wracking and thrilling. There was something oddly motivating about trying to outsmart a computer moderator, only to realize she was always one step ahead.
👉 Fun Fact: Sivox’s AI training systems have been adopted by several Fortune 500 companies, including major telecoms and banks, to enhance their customer service teams’ communication skills.
The Hardest and Most Fun Week Combined
Looking back, that week of process training felt like a crash course in more than just systems and policies. It taught us patience, adaptability, and even a bit of humility. We walked in thinking it would be another round of basic onboarding but walked out realizing we’d been through something that actually prepared us for the chaos of the production floor.
The assessments, of course, were the final hurdle. While many feared them, they turned out to be more than just tests of memory. They challenged how well we could apply what we’d learned under pressure. The experience was exhausting—but it also left us feeling strangely accomplished.
👉 Pro Tip: Never underestimate the importance of hands-on training. Studies from the Association for Talent Development show that employees retain up to 75% more information through experiential learning compared to passive methods like lectures.
Even now, years later, it’s one of those experiences we still talk about when the topic of “toughest workweeks” comes up. And every time we hear a voice prompt on a customer service call, we can’t help but wonder—who’s behind that? And more importantly… is it Samantha?
