The Best Answering Service Call Scripts and How to Develop Them

Although most people do not realize it, creating an answering service call script is as much an art as it is a science. In the same way encountering a great painting can put you in a positive mood; a well thought out answering service script executed by a friendly, professional operator can put your callers in a good mood. A great answering service script is also helpful in that it serves to answer the caller''s questions, concerns, or needs.

In basic terms, a great answering service script has two basic aspects. The first part is the call protocol, which is the structured process for assisting the caller as quickly and accurately as possible. The second part is friendly customer service, that personal touch that makes the caller feel cared for. When crafting these elements of the script, it can be helpful to plan out things on paper first. That way you can make sure every aspect is accounted for and fine tune things before you put the script to use. Writing things down on paper also allows your colleagues and staff to give their input as well.

First, you should make a list of reasons someone might call your business. For example, some of your callers might be new prospects looking for more information about your goods or services, other callers might be looking for the address or directions to your location, still others may be existing customers who wish to speak to someone specific within your company. Do you sometimes get calls from people looking to place an order by phone? This list will of course vary depending on the industry you''re in, but you should try to list even the occasional calls to make sure you have everything covered.

After you have a complete list of the kinds of calls you get, you then need to decide how these calls ought to be handled. When a caller asks for someone or a department in your office by name, should the operator attempt to transfer the call? If you decide to offer appointment scheduling, where and how should the operator book them? For this step, you also need to come up with backup plans for each possible call. For example, if you want the operator to attempt to patch a call, what should they do if no one picks up on that line or says they are busy? Your backup plan might be to have the operator take a message and tell the caller that someone will call them back soon.

When working out your call protocol, it might be helpful to use flowcharts or diagrams if you have a lot of steps that need to be taken or otherwise need more functionality from the call centers. Organizing everything clearly in writing helps the answering service train the operators and set up their database and phone system. When providing this scripting and list of requirements, you should also have any additional data that the call center might require. For example, if the operators are going to patch calls to your staff, provide them with a list of names and phone numbers. If they are going to be using your online appointment book, give them a username and password to access it.

The last step is the implementation of the script. Although this is primarily undertaken by the call center staff, you should take time to test things to make sure they are up to par. Communication with your provider is important here because they need feedback in order for you to get the most out of your answering service account. Once everything works to your liking, you can put your trust in the call center to represent your company well. This trust is indicative of a truly great answering service call script and a reliable answering service company.