Early in my creative career, I volunteered as a night deejay on a college radio station. I loved playing music and interacting with sleep-deprived listeners, but I got really kicked by reading the stories.
I tore up a copy and removed the cable service printer and, if I was lucky enough, had a producer turn that green media feed into information I had read over the microphone. The text was divided into logical sentences that were designed to be easily circulated.
When my editor did not show up during my transition, I made my own marking page, paused, and emphasized words and phrases that I wanted to emphasize. If I could not be understood above the ambiguous and weak AM signal, then what was the point of taking five minutes over an hour to deliver the news? I was so excited and learned how to “talk” again.
Whenever I speak live today, I use the same techniques I learned when the “On-Air” sign shone above the studio. I mark my speech or the text I read because I know that the effect is everything. If I run out of breath in the middle of a sentence, it means it is too long.
When the last word of the sentence comes out loud, my message is lost. If I stumble upon a word or phrase that I do not know, my audience loses confidence in my message. Call operators working in call centers and answering services require the same assistance that any live speaker needs.
It is the job of the call center function to communicate the client's business image to the caller, and this starts with the first few seconds of the call. Many of the needs of small business owners never go beyond the representatives who respond to their lines by saying, "XYZ Company, can I help you?" and to improve all communication to get the information requested by the client.
When clients upgrade their accounts to make complex services, it is important that they create a script that works for both the subscriber, the text-reading operator, and the customer. Your sales representative is very committed to helping you create the best script that fits all your sales or information queries.
Creating a call center text starts with a “response phrase” and the same principles continue throughout the process of creating a logical text. Here are some important things to keep in mind when creating your text:
• Avoid twisting the tongue:
Make your greetings as easy as possible. "Doctor Perkowitz, Peoria Plastic Surgery Plaza" is not easy to say, even for native English speakers. Make sure your operators are able to pronounce all the parts of your response sentence, as well as all the words in your script.
Keep phrases short and avoid repeating consonant sounds that will sound bad on the phone or that may cause the operator to stop me.
Travel around the world
The “Good Morning / Evening” greeting may apply to some businesses, but not to all. If your company is doing business at all times, consider using a simple “Hello, XYZ Company” client on the other side of the world.
• Personalize your greetings.
Ask a non-judgmental friend or trusted customer to listen to your greetings, especially if it is a long introduction with more than one or two sentences. Do you sound like a recording? If you give the picture to the caller, the person across the line may simply hang up the phone because he wants to talk to a live person, not a machine.
Keep all parts of your script short and give your message operator time to breathe and feel alive when you create your text.
• Less is more.
There is a temptation to try to pack all the information about your company into your call center script, including providing the operator with a copy of your FAQ so that he or she can scan the file quickly and answer 99.9% of frequently asked questions.
Questions for your callers. However, this skill requires training and training on the part of the operator and patience on the caller. Pause to view information, add expensive minutes to the phone, and it is a frustrating experience for the operator and callers alike.
Extensive account training is available through most call centers, if your budget allows. If this service is not your choice, limit the operator's information to a few facts about your product or service, and let them know it's okay to ask callers if someone from the right department can return their call and answer their questions in depth.
• Check:
Call your account every week and check to make sure operators are following your instructions, handling your documents the way you expect, and have easy access to the information they need to hold your calls.
After the honeymoon season with a new account, operators often grow slower and shorten your script, or do better than expected. This can be dangerous for your business. Make sure you keep in touch with your call center to make sure they are meeting your needs.
• Adjust, then adjust again:
Update your script from time to time, and see if it still leads to action. Finally, your script should lead to a sale, a deadline for a request for more information or for further communication from your office.
Check your call record and any statistics you are assigned to provide each month. If you notice a tendency to drop in your results, work with your vendor to change your script. These suggestions are a starting point for creating a successful text message for your organization.
Work with your sales representative and listen to their suggestions, add yours, do market research and your writing will be successful. Clear communication begins with clear instructions from you, and clear words at the end of answering your phone lines. Your call center will work with you to ensure that all your needs are met beyond your expectations.
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