Call centre scripting: What are customer service scripts & how should you use them? [+ scripting examples]

Get any group of people together and ask them to raise their hands if they’ve ever had a poor experience when calling a customer service call centre. We’d wager that almost everyone is likely to have their arms up as soon as you finish the question.

However, what if, instead, you could make sure your callers’ experiences are positive? Imagine winning them over with polite friendliness and understanding on the other end of the line.

How do you ensure your agents can navigate a potentially explosive situation so smoothly? One simple answer: call centre scripting. In this guide, we’ll explain call centre scripting and how to use it so your agents can make positive impressions on every call.

What are call centre scripts?

At the most basic level, call centre scripts are similar to any script read by an actor on stage. Only in call centres, the actors are your agents.

Of course, this is a simplification. Call centre scripting applies to real-world situations. As such, they perhaps have more in common with something like an email template. There are prompts and suggestions for information to impart, but then scope for change to allow for personalization and to react to natural deviations.

In essence, call centre scripts help customer service agents stay on track during a call. So, they often give a sequence of steps to follow, such as:

1. Greet customer
2. Gather information
3. Confirm what the customer’s saying
4. Take the appropriate action
5. Gain feedback during the call.

The above set of steps is merely an example. Each type of caller and question necessitates one or more call centre scripts—and we’ll cover some call centre script examples a little later.

The reason scripts shouldn’t be exhaustive or rigid is that today’s customers expect more than wooden, canned responses. As such, modern customer service centre scripts are sometimes referred to as “call flows.”

They’re flexible and modular, allowing them to be adapted and altered by capable representatives as needed. The primary goal is to provide the best customer service possible.

Why consider call centre scripting?

Besides keeping up with the competition, call centre scripts have several advantages:

Promotes consistent customer experience

You want your call agents to think for themselves. In fact, you spend a great deal of time recruiting people with the right skills, including problem-solving.

However, you can’t have Dave telling a customer one thing and then Marianne saying another. Again, you don’t want robotic-sounding agents, but scripts guide your team to follow a well-planned path. Repeatable responses and solutions help maintain brand consistency.

Faster call resolution

Customers who get in touch expect issues to be sorted on the first try. Effective call centre scripts can reduce handle times by streamlining a number of calls and improving first call resolution.

That’s because you’ll have scripts to cover the most common issues customers may contact you with. Your agents will have the answers that callers need at their fingertips. Those simple calls, therefore, will be resolved in no time, and agents will be freer to deal with more complex queries.

Improves agent training

Call centre scripts are like guide rails for agents during a call. They can read straight from the document if they’re nervous, which is particularly helpful for inexperienced agents. Even if they go off memory, they will have the script on hand for instant reference.

Alongside real call transcripts, scripts can be useful training materials. Being able to read through the expected dialogue helps with rote memorisation. It also helps your newer agents better understand what to expect.

Using call centre scripts this way helps agents memorise things like greetings, answers, and apologies more quickly. Less time spent training means reduced training costs. Plus, the quicker new hires are brought up to speed the better for everyone.

Reduce human errors

As Alexander Pope once wrote, “To err is human; to forgive divine.” Nobody is perfect. Your agents will make mistakes just like anyone else. If your agents typically deliver excellent customer service, it will encourage your divine customers to forgive and forget should an error occasionally occur.

However, it’s better not to tempt fate, and instead using call flows, templates, or scripts can guide agents to cross their Ts and dot their Is. This will help you to keep errors to a minimum.

Collect the right information

Hand in hand with call resolution is collecting the right details. A well-developed script directs an agent to ask the right questions and record the important stuff.

Some information from a current call might come up again at a later time. Having it already recorded in your call logs speeds up your customer service on the next go.

Challenges of call centre scripting to be aware of

That’s it. You’re sold. Call centre scripting sounds like a lovely idea, right? While scripts are powerful tools when welded properly, they also come with attached downsides. It’s important to be aware of these, so you can avoid the pitfalls in your call or contact centre.

Scripts can become a crutch

Call centre scripts will be part of training and daily use for most of your team. Early on, new hires may feel relief being able to rely on them. The good thing is that if you’ve spent a great deal of effort curating them, they are a great tool for delivering high-level customer service.

So, what’s the problem? Well, some agents may become too reliant on the scripts. They won’t take in new product knowledge or be able to think outside the box when needed. This can hurt their professional development and hinder performance on more complex calls.

Agents can sound robotic

Another caveat of using call centre scripts is that you must avoid your representatives starting to sound like machines.

If your agents start to sound robotic, it’s probably because that’s how your script or training materials sound. The bad news is that customers don’t like the idea of the people they’re speaking to reading canned responses. The good news? Spend plenty of time developing your scripts and training agents on how best to use them, and you can avoid the issue entirely.

Scripts don’t solve problems, humans do

Another issue that creeps in with scripts is improper expectations. Management, supervisors, and agents can all fall into the trap of thinking that a script contains all of the answers.

There certainly should be answers to basic problems and common questions. However, you won’t have a call script for every circumstance.

The pitfall of scripts, then, is that reps may try to fit a square peg into a round hole. You can avoid this with proper training protocols. Agents should be trained to solve most customer problems. However, they must also know when and how to escalate a call.

Call centre script examples for every scenario

Call centre scripting is a useful tool. While it’s impossible to anticipate every situation, you can learn as you go. The longer your call centre operates, the more scenario-specific scripts you can curate.

With that being said, here are some call centre scripts examples to get started with:

Call centre greeting scripts

Greetings are the first impression your company makes on a customer. It’s best to use a call centre introduction script that allows for a personal touch but doesn’t run on too long.

Here are a few examples:

• “Thank you for calling [Company Name] customer support. My name is [Your Name], and I'm here to assist you today.”
• “Hello, my name is [agent name]. May I ask who I am speaking with? [customer answers]. Thank you [customer name]. How can I help you?"

Existing customer greeting scripts

You can further personalise your call centre scripts for your loyal and repeat customers.

For example:

• “Welcome back, [customer name]! What can I help you with today?”
• “Hi [customer name]! Last time you called, you mentioned that you were dealing with [reiterate problem]. Has the [solution] been working for you?”

Apology scripts for upset customers

Sometimes callers are frustrated by long wait times. Or they may have already been on a previous call, failing to reach a resolution.

Callers may be angry, sad, confused, or any mix of volatile feelings. An upset customer is challenging, especially for relatively green call agents.

Here are a few customer service response examples to guide difficult call handling for your agents:

• “I’m so sorry about that [customer name], can you tell me what happened so I can help?”
• “We’re so sorry you experienced this inconvenience and I want to be sure to resolve this for you. Please give me a moment to find a solution, and I’ll respond shortly.”
• “[name of customer] please accept my sincerest apologies. I am so sorry you had to go through this. Please, don’t worry, I will help you find a solution right now. Can I transfer you to [department name or manager] right away? I am sure they can help you.”
• “I’m really sorry that you weren’t happy regarding [customer issue]. Don’t worry [customer name], let’s see what we can do to set things right.”

Billing and payment scripts

Sometimes customers don’t necessarily have a “problem.” They may need to make a payment or change their billing information. Rather than mess around with websites or mobile apps, some customers prefer to sort transactions out over the phone.

Here are some call centre script templates you can use:

• “Hi [existing customer name]. I can help you with your payment today. Would you like to pay by credit card or bank transfer?”
• “Hello, and thank you for choosing [company name]. My name is [agent’s name], and I’ll be helping you with your billing details today. To start, may I have your first and last name, please?”

Call centre follow-up scripts

Sometimes an agent (or even a supervisor) can’t fix a customer problem right then and there. In these situations, agents must gather and double-check all relevant information accurately and then promise a follow-up.

Here are some wrap-up scripts you can try out:

• “[customer name], I don’t want to leave you waiting on hold while I wait for a response from my supervisor. Do you mind if I go speak with them and get back to you? I will call you back at [customer phone number] in the next two hours. Does that work for you?”
• “Unfortunately, I don’t have access to the information I need to resolve your problem. However, I can confirm details with someone in our [department name]. Is it alright if I get an answer from them and then [email or call] you?”

Then, here is a dynamic script example for the follow-up:

• “I see you spoke with [agent name] on [date] about [issue].”

Then either:

• “I’m sorry we haven’t resolved this for you yet. Here’s what I know about the problem [insert info from interaction notes]. Is this still the issue you’re experiencing? I’ll work on it for you right now.”

Or:

• “I’m pleased to inform you that we have resolved your issue. [Explain the solution]. Do you understand all of that? Can I help you with anything else today?”

Best practices to get the most out of call centre scripting

There isn’t an exact playbook out there on how to operate a call centre. In other words, one could say that there isn’t a script for call centre scripting.

But don’t worry, follow these best practices and you'll build call centre scripts that make everyone as happy as possible:

Use call recordings and transcriptions

You might be thinking, where do I start with call centre scripting? The good news is, you’ve likely already got a vast amount of script resources available. After all, you probably already use call recording for quality assurance and training purposes.

That means you have examples of what works and what doesn’t on record. Of course, that could mean sifting through hours of recordings to find what you need. Things are much easier, though, with the right contact centre solution.

For example, Dialpad has automatic call recording and real-time AI transcription. This gives you fully searchable records of every call—a lifesaver when drafting up call centre scripts.

Be concise

In almost any form of business communication, less is more. Keep language simple and efficient. This principle applies to both text-based responses for live chat and scripts for calls.

Keeping sentences short and language simple helps to avoid misunderstandings. You don’t want to have to repeat questions or statements. That will only drive up average handle time (AHT) and test your customers’ patience.

One tactic to simplify sections is to use bullet points or numbered lists. This will help keep scripts digestible for both the agent and the customer.

Roleplay on customer service scripts

You and your supervisors need to get creative when making call centre scripts. Putting yourself in the customer’s shoes can be an eye-opening experience. It helps you approach each scenario from the opposite perspective.

Customer service roleplay doesn’t only inform the script-writing process. You can also roleplay with your team to test out your scripts. Have your team leaders pose as the most difficult customers they can imagine. Calling on experience, they will put your scripts through the wringer.

Roleplaying lets you experiment with your team rather than your customers. Treat each session as an educational experience for all involved. Learn from your team and fine-tune each script for a real-world situation.

Keep language flexible

Train your agents to use scripts as a roadmap. Each script serves as a guide for a corresponding scenario. It’s important during training sessions to emphasise that scripts don't necessarily need to be followed verbatim.

You hire agents with diverse backgrounds. You want them to represent your brand standards, but also allow for their personality to shine through. In this case, it’s better to add terms like “suggested phrasing” or “wordage example.”

In this way, reps can follow the spirit of a script and not rely on each and every letter.

Certain cases call for specific verbiage. For those instances, clearly note to the agent that no changes to the wording are allowed.

Use contact centre tools

Customers will throw a wide array of issues, concerns, and questions at your agents. They must be prepared for the times things go off-script. Rather than simply relying on improvisation, provide your team with the right tools for the job.

For example, Dialpad’s Real-Time Assist cards can help your agents deal with unscripted conversations. Predefined keywords trigger the cards, which pop up on your contact centre agents’ screens. They can then work as mini-scripts that guide agents in more natural conversations. They can work together with traditional scripts and step in when customers throw agents a curveball.

Always adapt your scripts

Call scripts work best when they’re adaptable and responsive to the needs of your customers.

Your front-line team members—those who use the scripts daily—are best placed to suggest any necessary changes or improvements to management.

Even if your scripts are well-written, there is always room for improvement. Schedule regular script reviews and invite constructive feedback from the entire team. Pay special attention to what your agents have to say about each script.

Provide your agents with easy access to their scripts

Templates, call flows, and other documents are all useful call centre tools. Give your agents a central space to handle all inbound calls with Dialpad’s Ai Contact Centre. It gives you an AI-powered omnichannel solution for customer support.

Instead of relying only on call centre scripting, your agents can also rely on Dialpad Ai guiding them every step of the way. Book a demo and find out how Dialpad can revolutionise your call centre today.