I don't usually condone "scripts" in customer service because I think every interaction with a customer should be natural. Have you ever talked to someone who sounded like they memorized their lines? It makes me feel like I'm talking to a robot!
However, after reading this post Condescending Customer Service, it makes me wonder if scripts might be ok for people whose first language is not English. With companies outsourcing their customer service to countries like India or the Philippines, sometimes you'll come across people who use words or language that may appear condescending when in fact, they just doesn't quite understand the English language.
So perhaps it would be ok to implement scripts for people to use who work in these countries? What do you think?
Photo Credit: Seb' Dej"
I agree that scripts can be used (sparingly) in some circumstances, but I disagree that non-english speakers is where the need is. I'd rather see companies NOT outsource and stick to people who can speak english. Generally you wouldn't put someone at the customer service counter in a store who had limited command of the language, so why would you put them in a call center, which is just as important and customer-facing? That being said, I think the place for scripts is with "tech" support in its highest form, when customers have a limited knowledge of the technology they're trying to fix and the person on the phone, who understands it perfectly, has to articulate the solution in language the average person can comprehend. In that case, I think the chance of sounding condascending unintentionally is much higher.
Posted by: Jeremy | November 19, 2007 7:25 AM | Permalink to Comment