How To: Write An Effective Call Centre Script

Let’s face it: running a call centre isn’t cheap.

And while it can be tempting to try to automate calls as a means to cut costs, that can seriously impact your customer satisfaction levels. Did you know that 9 out of 10 people said they preferred to speak with a live service agent directly over the telephone than any other means of communication?

So how can you spend less on each inbound call without affecting your customers’ experience?

It’s simple: you need to create a stellar call centre script — and we’re going to show you how.

Why use call scripts for customer service?

Having operators use scripts when handling inbound customer calls can significantly improve call efficiency by:

• Decreasing the training time needed for recruits
• Reducing the number of human errors made on a call
• Promoting consistency so that every customer has a similarly excellent experience
• Improving the retention rate of key information

This increase in efficiency can have huge financial benefits. Research from SQM shows that a 1% improvement in response rate efficiency can lead to an annual operations saving of £208,500 ($276,000) for the average call centre.

We’ll show you some call centre script examples that really work so you can reap the benefits for your staff and your business straight away.

Perfect the opening

Your agents don’t get a second chance at a good impression, so it’s vital that you open your calls as well as possible:

• Get to the point — Whether you’ve called them or they’ve called you, your customer doesn’t want to waste time. Keep your introduction as concise as possible.
• Give the customer your name — Giving a name humanises the operator and reminds the customer that they’re speaking to a real person.
• Brand your call — Mention the name of the company in the introduction of each call to help customers associate the brand with good customer service.
• Let the customer know the call is being recorded — The customer needs to consent to this up front as you cannot record them without their knowledge.
• Invite the customer to speak — Wrap up your introduction by handing it over to them and allowing them to be heard. At the beginning of the call, your customer will want space to present their problem and know that they are being listened to.

Example opening:

“Hello, thank you for calling [name of company]. My name is [name of representative]. At this time, I’d like to let you know that this call may be recorded for quality assurance and training purposes. How can I help you today?”

Creating a script for customer service

Your customer service script will need to be adaptable enough to meet the needs of your customers, no matter what they need or what industry you’re in.

Regardless, there are some key things you should include throughout the main body of the call. Below are some basic customer service prompts and phone answering script samples to take a look at.

Ending the call well

The way you end a call will determine the last impression that your customer is left with once the conversation has finished. That means you need to make sure that everything the customer wanted to discuss has been covered and that they’re satisfied with the call.

Here are a few ways you can do that, along with an example of how it can all fit together.

• Summarise what you’ve done for the customer over the course of the call — Not only will this remind the customer that you’ve helped them, but it will also let them know if there’s anything that might have been missed as the call went on.
• Ask if there’s anything else you can do — Having heard what has been done, the customer can now flag anything that’s been missed.
• Thank the customer for their time — Even if it’s only a few minutes, the customer has taken time out of their day to speak with you. Thanking them reminds them that their time is valued.
• Brand the call once more — You’ve provided your customer with a great experience, so the ending of the call is another chance for you to associate your brand with that high level of satisfaction.

Example:

“Okay, [customer name], your account is now up-to-date, and you understand how this service now works. Is there anything else I can help you with today? [wait for response] Thank you very much for you time, [customer name], and thanks for calling [company name]. We look forward to working with you in the future. Have a great day!”

Some additional tips

By now, you should be equipped to put together a solid call centre script for your staff. These additional tips can help you take it to the next level and ensure it works for your staff and your customers alike.

• Use call recordings to monitor the quality of your scripts and to ensure staff are upholding your standards and following your scripts
• Be concise with your wording
• Give space in the script for caller responses
• Avoid cliche phrases like “Your call is important to us”
• Don’t over-rely on a script — let your operators improvise if it’ll provide a better customer experience on that particular call
• Constantly adapt your script to reflect any changes in the company or to provide a better experience for your callers
• Cut out long paragraphs that would make reading sound mechanical
• Build in some FAQs

Still need help?

If you’re reliant on automated systems and would like to provide a personalised service, but don’t have the resource available, CALLCARE can help. Thankfully, CALLCARE offers you a way to outsource your calls so that you can provide a professional, personalised approach to customer service.

We work alongside you in crafted tailor-made scripts for your company, so that when your customers call, they get a truly authentic experience of your brand, regardless of who is taking the call.

You can find out more about our customer outsourcing services here.

Posted by Gemma Harding

As Head of Client Services, Gemma is an expert in the customer service industry. With over 20 years of experience in the call handling process she will guide your organisation to an improved customer service strategy. Hobbies include all thing equestrian.

View other posts by Gemma Harding