How to Write Winning Call Center Scripts

A call center script is a series of questions that are asked to an individual when they call in for customer service. To write successful scripts, it's important to consider the tone you want your company to have when speaking with customers, as well as what information you need from them.

The most common reasons people contact customer service are for order status inquiries, product or services related issues, and billing disputes. These three types of calls should be addressed in different ways so the caller feels satisfied with their experience. For example: if someone contacts customer service about an order status inquiry, they can provide specifics about their order details including purchase date and tracking number; if they have a problem with a product or service-related issues such as damaged goods or late delivery, they can provide specifics about those items as well. In the case of a billing dispute, callers often have copies of their bill and believe there has been an error made.

What Are Call Center Scripts?

Scripts are a form of customer service training that explains the proper way to handle different types of phone calls. Scripts for call centers can be written by managers and employees alike as an aid in communicating with customers and promoting best practices. A call center script can include specific questions, answers, or actions for those who answer the phones on behalf of a company.

Call Center scripts are typically written for the workforce to use as a reference when answering calls so they can act uniformly with customers, ensuring all experiences are consistent and streamlined. Scriptwriters must remember not to put too much stock in their ideas, because what works well for them might not be productive with all customers. As a result, the expertise of the workforce is vital in ensuring customer satisfaction is at its highest levels.

Why Are Call Center Scripts Important?

Call Center scripts are important for many reasons. In general, they provide a way for customers to be treated consistently even if the people answering the phones change each time. They also allow companies to train their workforce by giving them a basis from which to work and ensuring everyone is on board with how customers should be handled.

Whether you are updating an existing script or writing a fresh, new one for your call center, this article will provide you with the tools you need to get started. Using that information, it should be relatively easy to create a script that will help customers and keep them satisfied. By following the tips in this article, your scripts should also ensure that you are handling your customers in a way that is legal, ethical, and profitable.

The first thing you need to do is brainstorm. Think of the various ways your company helps customers and what information they may need to know when they call. You can create separate scripts for different products or services or include all the material on one script if it does not make sense to split them up. It is always beneficial to have an abundance of information at your disposal so you can be as prepared as possible for whatever a customer asks about.

The next step is to think about what makes the most sense from a business standpoint. The following list should help you determine which scripts you will want to use:

1) If customers have already been personally trained on how to use or make a reservation for the service or product, they should use the "self-service" script.

2) If customers have not been trained, provide them with an explanation of what to expect when they arrive at your business. For example, if you are a car dealer that has just introduced a new model line that includes rebates and other incentives, new customers may not be aware of what to look for when they get to the dealership. This would be an appropriate time to use the "informational" script.

3) If you are describing a change in your business or product, use the "update" script.

4) If you believe that customers will need additional information before they can make a purchase decision, use the "educational" script.

5) If you want customers to do business with your company again, be sure they know how to contact you and use the "reminder" or "coupon" scripts. Customers will appreciate such helpfulness.

6) Customers need to remember the people who are helping them, so use the "greeting" or "name-tag" scripts.

7) If you intend to call customers after they have completed a transaction with you, use the "follow-up" script. You may be able to save some of these customers from getting their vehicle serviced at another dealer.

8) If you're trying to sell a product or service that requires an up-front payment, use the "proposal" script. It's important to be as clear as possible about what your customer is committing to do and how he or she can pay for it.

Tips for Effective Call Center Script Writing:

Many elements go into writing a proper script. The following article will provide practical advice on how to write good call center scripts.

1. Know your audience and what they want when they call in to contact your business.

2. Keep your call center scripts positive. Avoid using negative wording, such as "no," in your scripts. Even when a customer is wrong, you can still positively phrase issues.

3. Match the tone of your call center scripts to the style and personality of the target audience. In other words, do not use business lingo with tech-savvy millennials or casual language with seniors.

4. Keep your scripts short and simple to avoid complicating the call or confusing the customer.

5. Read through your scripts before you start recording them to catch any errors in wording, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

6. Follow a specific format when writing call center scripts so that they sound professional and easy to understand.

7. Be sure to include a call-to-action at the end of your scripts so that customers know what is expected of them and what they should do next.

8. Praise employees when they use a winning script correctly or follow through on an issue in a positive manner by saying something like, "I'm glad you were able to handle that for me today!"

9. Ask employees to read scripts back to you before recording them to make sure they sound professional and easy to understand.

10. Include a question-and-answer session at the end of each script so customers know how their questions will be handled and who they can call if they need more help.

Conclusion

We want you to succeed and we've made it our mission to help you do so. If your company is interested in improving its customer service, contact us today for a free consultation on how we can help improve the way that customers interact with each other and your staff.