Agent Scripting that Doesn’t Sound … Scripted!
Agent Scripting that Doesn’t Sound … Scripted!
By Gideon Hollander, CEO of Jacada Inc.
5th January 2012 - As companies work to ensure a consistent and positive customer experience, they are turning more and more toward scripting technologies to guide their contact centre agents through calls. This guidance can come in the form of an actual verbal “script”, as well as the steps necessary to progress through the call – in essence, the next best action to take.
As powerful as scripting technology can be, it is important that customers feel they are having a natural interaction with the agent, rather than the conversation being script-driven. In the past, call scripting for an agent in a sales role was not recommended because it limited the ability to have a conversational style approach to selling. In addition, customers can also feel as if they're not being listened to and, instead, are being forced along a predestined path. However, newer scripting technologies allow scripts to be far more conversational than in the past, eliminating many of the concerns organizations have in adopting a scripting solution.
To demonstrate the limitation and annoyance of static scripts, imagine you are calling into your telecommunications carrier to get help with a broadband router problem. At the start of your call, you may remark, “I’m having trouble connecting to the Internet. I have two computers connected through a wireless router and neither can connect. I have already rebooted the computers and the modem, but still no connection. I’m not sure if it’s due to the thunderstorm in the area.”
You obviously have clearly articulated the issues upfront. Imagine, therefore, how frustrating it would be if the agent disregards that wealth of information and asks scripted questions, such as, “How many computers do you have connected? Are they connected through a wireless router? Have you rebooted the modem? Has there been any severe weather in your area?”
The solution to this challenge is to use new scripting technology, which allows the agent to respond to the customer based on information provided at the start of the call.
Jacada Agent Scripting is a leading call centre scripting product that gives call centre managers the ability to easily create dynamic call scripts. Instead of static, linear call flows, agents have access to an adaptive user interface that can respond to multiple points within a conversation. Now, the software changes based on the natural call flow with the customer, instead of letting the system dictate the call flow.
Utilising an intuitive graphical drag-and-drop environment, call centre scripts and business rules are created in clicks, rather than code. Scripts can be instantly deployed to agents, monitored in real-time and then fine tuned. By continuously refining interactions, agents can meet and exceed customer service experience goals.
Jacada Agent Scripting’s intuitive, rapid, no coding environment ensures business analysts can easily write and maintain scripts and process flows. By empowering the business, organizations are able to more quickly react to changes in legislation, requirements, and compliance, as well as make processes more efficient.
Businesses using Jacada Agent Scripting will benefit from:
- Improved First Call Resolution (FCR) – By providing agents with a faster, more accurate diagnosis and better answers, fewer calls are escalated or repeated.
- Consistent Customer Service Experience – By introducing defined processes and guiding agents every step of the way, calls are completed accurately and correctly, which results in more consistent and repeatable customer service. With best practices and guidelines to follow, Jacada Agent Scripting empowers script authors to do the job themselves, without waiting on IT to create the code.
- Accurate Auditing and Reporting – By developing sophisticated reports, organizations have access to detailed analyses of customer interactions and how they are performing in the real world, as well as help the data to help them measure compliance and make continuous improvements.
- Reduced Training Time – By scripting interactions, training time decreases and more time is spent on improving the customer service experience, not creating complex call flow processes.
- Rapid deployment – By deploying agent scripting in days, not months, Jacada Agent Scripting follows the “build with clicks, not code” philosophy.
For more information about Jacada Agent Scripting, visit: http://www.jacada.com/products/agent-scripting/.
About the Author
Gideon Hollander is the co-chief executive officer and founder of Jacada. Gideon is highly regarded for his strategic vision and innovation-centred leadership, and is focused on ensuring that Jacada delivers high quality, best-of-breed solutions. Prior to founding Jacada, Gideon was part of the research and development team at Comverse Technology. Prior to Comverse, he served in various technology and management positions in an elite unit of the Israeli Defence Forces, where he specialised in expert systems and user interface design. Two of the projects that Gideon managed won the most prominent Israeli award for technological innovations. Gideon also has a passion for rock and mountain climbing.
About Jacada
Jacada provides solutions that optimise and improve the effectiveness of customer service interactions. Jacada agent desktop and process optimisation solutions help companies reduce the cost of their operations, drive customer satisfaction and provide a complete return on investment within the first year after deployment. More information is available at www.Jacada.com.