One of the most interesting of recent developments in the contact center industry has not been technical but rather cultural. For a long time, call center operators have used scripts to ensure consistency of service but, as the industry has grown and expanded, limitations to this approach have emerged.

People like speaking with people. That fact hasn’t changed and, because people are communicating with agents in contact centers more and more frequently, the formulaic approach and sometimes inflexibility of scripts has been shown to become increasingly unpopular. As a response to this, some leading actors in a number of industries have started to throw away prepared scripts and invest in training their agents so that they can hold a proper conversation with their customers.

Engaging with people in a more natural way can not only deliver a better experience to customers, but it can also result in better employee satisfaction. This is because agents are people too and they like to be able to use their imagination and to do a good job – liberating them from scripts can enable them to flourish while ensuring that customers get what they want.

So, while we can offer technical excellence, an effective contact center depends on processes and people too. The industry does seem to be shifting, so make sure you pay close attention to how best practice is evolving. Empowering your team to build a dialogue with customers could be a key part of your success.