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I volunteered as an overnight deejay at a college radio station at the start of my creative career. I like playing music and communicating with insomniac listeners, but reading the news gave me a real boost. I would rip content from the wire service printer, and if I was lucky, a producer would transform that raw newsfeed into informational prose, which I would read into the microphone. The text was split down into manageable chunks that could be delivered over the air with ease. When my producer didnt show up for my shift, I marked up the paper, added pauses, and highlighted the phrases and sentence sections I wanted to emphasize. What was the point of taking five minutes at the top of the hour to give the news if I couldnt be understood over a shaky AM signal? I had a lot of fun, and I had to relearn how to “talk.” I still utilize the same strategies I learned while the “On-Air” sign was glowing over the studio whenever I do any live speaking now. Because I realize that effect is crucial, I make notes on my speech or the text excerpt Im reading. Its too long if Im out of breath in the middle of a phrase. My meaning is lost if the last word of a phrase is lost inaudibly. My audience loses faith in my message if I use an unknown word or name.
Live telephone operators in contact centers and answering services require the same assistance as any other live speaker. The call center operators role is to communicate the clients corporate image to the caller from the very first seconds of the phone call. Representatives demands for many small business owners never go past answering their phones with “XYZ Company, may I assist you?” and improvising the remainder of the discussion to get the information the client requires. When clients upgrade their accounts to more complex services, its critical that they write a script that works for both the firm signing up for the service and the operator reading the script. Your salesperson would gladly assist you in writing the ideal script for any of your sales or information requests.
The “answer phrase” is the first step in building a logical call center script, and the same ideas apply throughout the process. When writing your script, keep the following points in mind:
Avoid tongue twisters
Keep your welcome as simple as possible to pronounce. Even for a fluent English speaker, saying “Doctor Perkowicz Peoria Plastic Surgery Plaza” is difficult. Make sure your operators understand every portion of your answer phrase, as well as the rest of your scripts terms. Keep your sentences short and avoid repeating consonant sounds that may sound odd over the phone or cause the operator to stammer.
Think beyond the box
A “Good Morning/ Evening” greeting may work for some establishments, but not all. Consider utilizing a simple “Hello, XYZ Organization” for your customer on the other side of the world if your company does business across time zones.
Make your greeting more personal
Listen to your greeting with an objective friend or a trustworthy customer, especially if its a long introduction message of more than a line or two. Do you have a recording-like quality to your voice? If you give a caller that impression, the person on the other end of the line may simply hang up because she prefers to speak with a live person rather than a machine. When writing your script, keep all parts short and give the operator conveying your message time to breathe and sound like a real person.
Less is more in this case
Its tempting to try to cram all of your companys information into your call center script, including giving an operator a copy of your frequently asked questions list (FAQ) so that he or she can scan the file and answer 99.9% of your callers inquiries promptly. However, this talent requires the operators expertise and training, as well as the callers patience. Long pauses to hunt for information add valuable minutes to the call and are inconvenient for both the operator and the caller. If your budget allows, most call centers can provide extensive account training. If you dont have access to this resource, limit the information provided to operators to a few facts about your product or service, and let them know its fine to ask callers if someone from the appropriate department can return their call and answer their questions thoroughly.
Test
Call your account on a weekly basis to ensure that the operators are following your instructions, handling your scripts as expected, and having easy access to the information they require to accept your calls. Operators typically become loose after the honeymoon period with a new customer and reduce your script or improvise much beyond the call of duty. This could be harmful to your company. Make sure you check in with your call center to see whether theyre meeting your expectations.
Tweak, tune, and tweak some more
Check your script every now and again to see if its still leading to action. At the end of the day, your script should result in a sale, an appointment, a request for additional information, or a call from your office. On a monthly basis, review your call records and any information provided by your sales representative. Work with your salesperson to modify your script if you observe a declining trend in your results.
These ideas are just the start of developing a successful call center script for your company. Working with your salesperson and listening to their suggestions, adding your own, and conducting market research can ensure the success of your script. Clear directions from you and clear voices on the other end of your phone lines are the first steps toward clear communication. Your call center will collaborate with you to ensure that all of your demands are met to your satisfaction.
Date Added: Wednesday, 10-18-2023 01:14:57 PM
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