Customer expectations are at an all-time high across every industry and contact centers must meet the demand to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Customers expect accurate and detailed responses quickly and efficiently, without spending unnecessary time on hold or in queues. This expectation presents an ongoing challenge for contact center leaders trying to manage high agent churn levels, which results in less experienced employees dealing with interactions.
Call center scripting software plays a crucial role in supporting agents through their interactions, helping them when they’re unsure of a process, and guiding them on how to respond or align with company best practices.
Although scripting software is a vital tool that creates consistency and structure, it can present its own challenges if it’s too rigid. For interactions to feel natural, agents need to be guided dynamically to the next best action so that each script follows the natural flow of the call rather than feeling robotic. Customers want personalized interactions, and inflexible scripting software negatively impacts their experience.
Call scripting must feel natural to the agent and the customer
The huge advancements we’ve seen in technology even over the last decade are now a normal part of our day-to-day lives. But despite this shift to rely more heavily on technology, one thing that’s never changed is the human need for connection—especially in customer service. In a ContactBabel and Creovai research report, live phone calls were the preferred contact method for customers, making up around 65% of contact center interactions.
Although the use of call scripting still provides human interaction, if the software is too rigid, human agents sound and feel robotic, unable to deviate from the script, and removing the personalized nature of the call. Customers feel frustrated and unsure that their query has been fully resolved as they only get vague, one-size-fits-all responses.
One call center team leader told us:
“When we had an old version of call center scripting, over the course of just one month, I registered 50 instances where different customers asked the agents if they were just reading from a script and asked to be put through to someone senior. We weren’t giving the experience we wanted to. When we were given an improved scripting platform, referrals to senior advisors dropped by 30% because customers believed what they were being told.”
For call center scripting to be a supportive tool rather than a blocker to customer satisfaction, it has to be dynamic and able to adapt as the call progresses, no matter how complex the query is.
How dynamic call center scripting software works
Despite all the choices of channels customers can use to contact companies, live calls are still a preferred method for customers. In a recent McKinsey survey, respondents said that live phone conversations were among their most preferred methods of contacting companies for help and support. Contact center leaders have to evolve operations to manage this continuous demand. Dynamic call center scripting provides invaluable support, guiding agents through every call to deliver the right information at the right time.
Next best action functionality follows the conversation between agents and customers and suggests the most relevant action, in real-time, for them to take next. It automatically guides agents through the most efficient process, which reduces the call length, and its flexibility means it can adapt no matter how the conversation unfolds. Agents feel confident in dealing with even the most complex calls, and customers receive a great experience.
With AI-powered agent assistance technology analyzing the conversation in real-time, it can also support agents in the moment with coaching prompts to effectively handle objections, or to guide them through an emotional conversation.
Scripting enables contact center leaders to proactively develop call scripts and workflows to support all processes and campaigns. Managers build scripts using a library of system controls that act as building blocks that can be customized to look and behave however needed.
Call script software provides a single interface point, meaning agents can easily follow any process, regardless of where the original information is housed. Agents can handle all their interactions in one unified, customizable desktop.
5 best practices for using call center scripting software
Involve agents with script creation
Agents are at the forefront of customer interactions, meaning they’ll have incredibly valuable insights to share during the script creation and editing process. They can provide feedback on what’s likely to work best and any potential pitfalls that haven’t yet been identified, which will add even more authenticity to scripts. Involving agents through the process also helps leaders identify early adopters who can support the deployment of call center scripting.
Provide the right training
Working with new software on live interactions can be daunting for agents, so it’s vital to give them the right training. Platforms are easy for agents to navigate, so the majority of training time is best focused on how they should work with the scripts–using them as guides rather than rigid dialogue to be read out verbatim to the customer.
If agents have worked with contact center scripting software previously that was inflexible with no room for personalization, some coaching sessions may be needed to help them relax into calls and interact confidently while working with the call scripting platform.
A/B test your scripts
A/B testing different variations of call center scripts will give actionable insights on which ones resonate most with customers and improve their experience. This can be especially important in outbound sales teams, where different sales offers or approaches need to be tested to gauge which delivers the best outcomes.
Contact centers can update call center scripting without waiting for IT resources, making quick changes as soon as there’s a clear winner in an A/B test. Integrating post-call conversation intelligence can provide even deeper insights as it analyzes every call to determine the intent and emotion behind them. Call center scripts and conversation intelligence can work together to help contact centers achieve their call and sales targets and deliver their intended customer outcomes.
Implement a script review schedule
Contact centers have to be able to adapt quickly to new processes implemented by the wider business as well as changing industry regulations. These factors will influence when changes need to be made to call center scripts, but it’s also a good practice to have an ongoing review schedule running alongside.
Planned reviews will keep scripts aligned with customer expectations, new common inquiries, and seasonal changes. It also enables leaders to take a proactive, rather than reactive stance on potential customer complaints. If there is an emerging trend for a particular issue, call center scripts can be updated to help manage and reduce complaint levels. Regular reviews also give agents an opportunity to give feedback on their experience with the scripts so they can be updated accordingly.
Monitor customer sentiment
Tracking changes to customer satisfaction levels after implementing a new or updated script will provide insights into its effectiveness. Over time, trends identified in customer satisfaction levels will show the scripts that are delivering positive customer experiences and those that may need further refinement. When swift action can be taken to update scripts to improve the flow, agents feel empowered, knowing they are being supported in their role.
One contact center agent said:
“The experience I had before and after we got new call scripting software was like night and day. Before, we had a clunky system that was constantly out of date, yet we had to keep using it as there was a three-month wait for updates. Customers could sense I wasn’t confident in what I was saying, so they weren’t happy, and it made me feel stressed. Once we got a more up-to-date platform that was more intuitive, it felt like I was finally being supported and could really help the customer. I started receiving thank you messages from the customers I spoke to, which was brilliant.”
Improve the customer experience with call center scripting
A flexible approach to call center scripting enables efficient, accurate and authentic interactions for agents and customers.
When agents get dynamic guidance to the next best action with scripts that follow the natural flow of calls rather than being rigid, they’re empowered to deliver exceptional customer experiences. This drives up job satisfaction and reduces agent churn. Customers benefit from personalized interactions that are accurate, efficient, and customer-focused, which ultimately increases satisfaction scores.
