Balto's Research Arm Discovers That 2/3 of Contact Center Agents Want to Change Their Scripts -- Here's What To Do About It

New report uncovers key script adherence insights, makes case for an anti-script approach for better call outcomes.

ST. LOUIS, June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Balto's Conversation Excellence Lab has released a new report challenging the role of call scripts in the contact center.

The report, "The Case for the Anti-Script: A Multifactor Analysis of Script Adherence," is based on survey responses from 567 contact center agents across the United States. Using statistical analysis methods, the Conversation Excellence Lab identified several insights that challenge the traditional view of call scripts.

Though scripts are a cornerstone of contact centers, they have not advanced at the same pace as other industry technologies. This presents pain points for managers and agents alike as companies have to pay for enforcement tools, perform ongoing training, and coach agents on a tool that may not lend itself to optimal results in terms of agent satisfaction and retention.

The report claims:

• Agents don't go off script because they forget what to say, they go off script because they want to — and that's a good thing.
• The more involved agents are in writing their scripts, the more they'll follow them, and the happier they'll be overall. 64% of agents identified something they would like to change in their scripts.
• The agent experience is universal. Factors like age, gender, tenure, industry, and more had no statistically significant effect on script adherence.

"This report is exciting because it expands on one of the core concepts behind Balto's innovation," said Balto CEO Marc Bernstein. "We call Balto the 'anti-script.' The anti-script doesn't mean agents should be winging it on every call. Rather, it means giving agents the ability to be human and stay flexible when talking to customers."

The report is available from the Conversation Excellence Lab for free. Coinciding with the release of the report, members of the Conversation Excellence Lab will discuss the findings in more detail today at 12:00 CT. Registration is available here. For those not able to attend, registrants will have access to a recorded video via the same link after the event.

The report is the latest in a series of industry-leading insights sponsored by Balto, the #1 real-time guidance platform for contact centers.

The Conversation Excellence Lab is Balto's hub for academic-level research. The Lab creates thought-leading content with the support of research teams and in-house data. Each report is published online and available for free. Readers can get reports sent directly to their inbox by subscribing to the Lab's newsletter.

Balto guides agents to say the right thing on every call. Top-performing contact centers trust Balto's AI-powered Real-Time Guidance, Real-Time Coaching, and Real-Time QA to increase sales conversions, prevent costly compliance mistakes, and improve customer experience. Founded in 2017 and based in St. Louis, Missouri, Balto has transformed contact center operations and guided over 130 million conversations worldwide. Balto.ai

SOURCE Balto