People

Take the “Fear Factor” Out of Agent Role Play

Published On: 9th Nov 2026 08:00

Role playing can be a brilliant way to build agent confidence and practise tricky conversations. But let’s be honest – not every agent looks forward to being put on the spot in front of their colleagues!

So, what can you try to make role playing a little less daunting? We asked our consultants panel for their top tips and advice on how to reduce the pressure and help make role play something everyone looks forward to!

Change the Name to “Conversation Labs” to Shake Off Some of the Stigma

“Right, let’s practise doing some role playing…” is a phrase that seems to make a room full of capable people wish they could vanish.

Maybe it’s in the name? So be creative here! “Conversation labs”, “customer simulations” or “conversation test drives” might spark a little more curiosity.

Of course, we need to change how it feels too. That starts with making it even safer. For example, explaining “We’re practising… We don’t need to get everything right first time.”.

Add a Little Gamification With “Pause”, “Rewind”, and “Help” Buttons

Add a little gamification with “Pause”, “Rewind”, and “Help” buttons – using cards (or actual light-up buttons) people can pick up whenever they need to:

Pause – For thinking time.
Rewind – To try a different approach.
Help – To bring in a suggestion from a colleague. 

Encourage everyone to use them, so nobody feels awkward about needing a moment or a little support.

Try Reversing the Practice With a Facilitator’s Demonstration Up First

Also try reversing the practice first. Agents can listen to a sample call or a facilitator’s demonstration and give feedback before taking a turn themselves.

Getting comfortable listening, noticing what works, and suggesting improvements can make receiving feedback feel a little less uncomfortable too.

And we need to hold the mirror up to ourselves as managers and leaders. How well do we give feedback? Is it specific, helpful, and delivered with care? Our ability to give feedback matters just as much as their willingness to receive it.

Contributed by: Emma Lloyd, Experience Director and Facilitator at Creator of Ripples

Use Coaching Questions to Slow the Interaction Down

Lou Carter, Director and Founder, Rising Vibe — Lou Carter

Traditional role play can feel artificial. Instead, we ask people to bring something real. A conversation they’re avoiding. A customer interaction that knocked their confidence. Something they wish they could have another go at.

Then we turn it into a coaching conversation! So, rather than telling someone the ‘right’ way to respond, we use coaching questions to slow the interaction down:

What was happening for you?
What assumptions did you make?
What might have been happening for the other person?
What could you do differently?
What could you try that you haven’t tried before?

The group can become part of the learning too, by sharing their perspectives, noticing things the individual may have missed and supporting the exploration of different approaches.

Contributed by: Lou Carter, Director and Founder of Rising Vibe

Don’t Announce Role Plays Too Early (As People Will Sweat More About It!)

For every one person on your team that loves a role play, there will probably be five others that are indifferent and three that hate it; that’s just the way it is, but that doesn’t stop them from being useful.

In my 20 years of experience using role plays, I have discovered three things:

People always say that it was not as bad as they thought it would be.
They are infectious, so once people try one, they are happy to do more, or once they see someone else do one, they are more likely to take part.
The application is 10 times more powerful than just talking about something.

That said, you can spend a long time discussing whether people want to use role plays, and this just leads to wasted time, so best to dive in.

With this in mind, I always say that the best thing is not to announce role plays too early either, as people will sweat more about the thought of them than the actual experience.

Try a “Forum Theatre” or “Goldfish Bowl” to Ease People In

To ease people in, you could use forum theatre – where two people do extreme versions at the front first and the team call out what they saw that was good or bad.

Or you could try goldfish bowl role playing – where two people start the role play, but you sub other people in at various points.

It can also help to lead with someone on the team who is well liked (and not necessarily perfect) to have the first go.

Contributed by: Faris Aranki, Founder and CEO (Chief Effectiveness Officer) at Shiageto Consulting

Ask Your Team, “Which Call Do You Least Look Forward To?”

Vicky Hampson founder of Victorious Consulting and Loveson — Vicky Hampson

Let’s be honest, role play can be a bit like Marmite – you either love it or hate it!

I’ve always loved what role play achieves: more skilled, self-aware, and confident agents. What I’ve often hated is how it’s delivered. It can feel forced, awkward, and nerve-wracking, and too far removed from the calls agents actually take. The good news? Agents can learn to love it.

Start by asking your team “Which call do you least look forward to?” Build scenarios from their answers: the repeat complainer, the bereaved customer, the cancellation that’s really about price.

When agents name the challenge themselves, it’s instantly relevant, they feel heard, and they actually want to bring it to life.

Lean Into AI Role-Play Tools for Replaying Real Moments

AI role-play tools and call recordings are brilliant for repetition and for replaying real moments too.

Don’t let them replace human connection, though! Play a recorded call, re-run it live, then debrief together on what landed and why. That conversation is where the learning sticks.

Make It a Weekly Habit – Not an Annual Fix

Don’t wait for a KPI dip to trigger a refresher either. Impact doesn’t happen because a dashboard demands it; it has to be engineered.

Just 20–30 minutes a week of relevant, real-world practice in a supportive setting beats hours of agenda time, every time.

Contributed by: Vicky Hampson, Founder of Victorious Consulting

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Do Your Agents Hate Role Play? Or Have You Found a Way to Help Them Look Forward to It?

If you have any stories or tips to share about how you’ve turned eye rolling into genuine excitement when it comes to regular role-playing activities, we’d love for you to join our LinkedIn community discussion on role play and tell us more about your experience so far.

If you are looking for more information on training and coaching activities, read these articles next:

Author
Megan Jones

Megan Jones, Editor, Call Centre Helper

Megan interviews inspiring people across the contact centre industry to capture these amazing voices and turn them into best practice articles – covering all elements of what it takes to deliver truly outstanding employee and customer experiences.

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