After a lively discussion this week in the Customer Service chat room on Twitter (#custserv) I decided to research and post my thoughts on the appropriateness of scripting in a customer service environment (inbound "care").

First, Mr Webster defines script as follows:

script 

 –noun

1. the letters or characters used in writing by hand;handwriting, esp. cursive writing.

2. a manuscript or document.

3. the text of a manuscript or document.

4. the manuscript or one of various copies of the written text ofa play, motion picture, or radio or television broadcast.

5. any system of writing.

6. Printing . a type imitating handwriting. Compare cursive.

–verb (used with object)

7. to write a script for: The movie was scripted by a famousauthor.

8. to plan or devise; make arrangements for: The week-longfestivities were scripted by a team of experts.

Origin: 1325–75; ME (n.) < L scrīptum, n. use of neut. ptp. of scrībere to write; r. ME scrit < OF escrit < L, as above

The discussion we had was whether scripts or scripted responses were appropriate in a customer service environment as they sound stilted and robotic. My point was that many of our clients (specifically those regulated by FDA) mandate specific verbiage at specific points of the call. Whether or not it is the best from the callers perspective is totally immaterial. 

A 5 second google search came up with a billion dollar settlement because representatives of this company in question did not provide customers (physicians detailed) with the appropriate verbiage during discussions. In this case they were accused of promoting for other CNS disorders than the product was approved for.  Take a customer service representative who could get the same question from a consumer. Without a strict set of guidelines, approved responses, script, whatever you want to call it, you couldn't deliver it with fair balance or be subject to potentially multi-billion dollar settlements.

Compared to other industries, like financial services, the amount and size of litigation isn't even close. A google search of pharmaceutical litigation brings you such stellar businesses as this and 293,000 other hits!  

My point, last week, is although we all believe that a free flowing, spontaneous conversation defines good customer service, that some industries mandate (and are audited against) a consistent documented response. Call it what you want. The key, as stated previously, is delivering that consistent message (while referring to a source document) and not sounding stilted.

Why Should You Have One?

Regardless of the nature of your business (whether social media is part of your business model), there are good reasons why. These are my thoughts only and have no connection to my present or previous employers.

1. Set Clear Expectations for Employees - 

• What is the expectation and policy around use of social media AT work? The policy content around this differs based upon business model. Some businesses actually engage their customers to provide service via Twitter and other channel and in that case are literally paid to spend time there!
• What are expectations about what employees can say on their own time? The case of the 20-year CNN employee who was fired for comments on Twitter (Octavia Nasr, detailed here).
• What is the expectation if someone posted comments about your firm of the employees abilities to respond? Another great example from the Price Chopper tweet when an employee took replying into their own hands by contacting the tweeters employer!

2. Legal Protection

• Many employers use social media as a form of background check. Stating this clearly in a policy clarifies their intent. A year old Harris Interactive study showed that 45 percent were using them; a number that has clearly risen!
• Recent FTC regulations - Employers are now held accountable for employee mis-use of brand claims in the new Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising 

3. Reinforce Existing Code of ethics - providing guidance on the positive behavior expected from all employees regardless of channel. 

4. Establish Rules of Engagement

Companies such as Intel were known for setting the standard in this area, defining when and how to engage. They urge employees to be transparent, dissociate themselves from the company (these opinions are my own and not.....) unless they are a designated spokesperson. They note that participation is not a right but at a responsibility.

They have provided training (Digital IQ), established a center of excellence and linked back to their Code of Conduct.

And What if You Are Providing Customer Service Via Social Media?

So these are things to think about for any firm and its policies.

For the subset of companies providing Customer Service via the social media channel, its even more complex, since at that point you are NOT dissociated from the company and instead subject to rules like the recent FTC one mentioned above.

On top of the policy and associated rules of engagement, these firms shoud have:

1. Procedures on how to respond to various types of conversations, whether directed to the firm or peer to peer
2. Have a way to control, review and assess responses. This is more easily done with popular tools such as Radian6.
3. Lastly, use the feedback to continually enhance and review your engagement processes.

I have long been fascinated by Quality and measurements of it (both quantitative and qualitative through certification).

Some years back, I helped start Merck's internal contact center to centralize their customer service delivery.  I worked for a guy who was a Malcolm Baldrige examiner.  

At the end of the day, companies choose to pursue Baldrige based upon a simple marketing payback. How would winning better position us in our markets?  How would improving the Quality of Merck's drugs or service delivery pay us back? At the time (mid-90s), pharmas were in the "blockbuster days",

A physician customer wouldnt be swayed by choice of lipid lowering agents based upon a Baldrige Award. So we decided not to pursue it, but the research done at the time seems worthy to remember now that I am in an environment where we sell customer experience to our clients.

The Criteria for Performance Excellent framework is shown below. The delicate balance between customer and workforce focus is many times achieved by suitably empowering employees. 

The classic example of this done well  (luckily experienced personally) is the only 2-time MBNQA winner, Ritz Carlton, in the service sector. Many case studies and books have been written strewn with success stories of how empowerment increases employee satisfaction (i.e., workforce focus) while obviously maintaining customer focus.

For those not familiar with the Ritz, each employee is taught a 3-step service process:

1. A warm and sincere greeting. 
2. Anticipation and fulfillment of each guest’s need.
3. Fond farewell. 

It is this second step that is key. Employees are able to spend up to $2,000 to fulfill each guests need. Employees are incredibly satisfied with their work as they can personally make a difference. There has been much written about empowerment and influence as a primary success driver and how they aren't mutually exclusive depending on the customer life cycle.

I had the opportunity to witness it first hand at an RC property recently in the Caribbean. When I checked in, the "casual" conversation queried what I'd be doing at the reception desk. I replied, "scuba diving."

I later returned to my room after grocery shopping to find a small wicker basket including some small dive items and a beautiful book on the best dive sites in the area.  

Feeling the experience an empowered employee can deliver as a recipient only validates some of the academic discussion. Workforce focus truly contributed to customer focus!

Its amazing to me what large companies spend on market research.  

For a potential billion dollar drug, it starts early to identify the need and who the advocates well before phase III. It continues after launch with more post-marketing surveys. Millions of dollars! CuttingEdgeInfo reports that more than 38 percent of a blockbuster's commercialization budget us spent on market research before phase II. If its a niche drug, its higher!

In fact, firms like Bioportfolio, expect market research spending to increase in the next 3-5 years.

Similar trends are seen in the packaged goods industries.

To complicate matters, my view into 40+ firms in my current role, finds market research departments most always sitting under the CMO and Customer Service groups distant and disjointed from an organizational perspective.

Organizations that recruit and pay contacts for potential research studies, have a willing audience for free right under their noses.

Yes, its the customer service or contact center. Whether its email, social media, telephone, snail mail or whatever the channel of the day is, you have a willing audience to craft future product direction.

It sounds so simple! But experience shows that the business objectives between marketing and customer service organizations are frequently at odds. 

All this in an era where relationship marketing is defined by customer retention and satisfaction, rather than a dominant focus on sales transactions.  

It is clearly those firms that capitalize on this captive audience and integrate it into their market tactics that will be more efficient.

Imagine:

• pointing a customer to a web survey you know their dying to answer based upon contact history
• opting-in callers for a quick survey at the end of the phone call scripted based upon that contact as well as previous ones.
• providing quick SMS pushes to opted-in customers for a quick, "must know now" exercise.

Limited experience from my desk tells you that responses are:

• at a rate higher than you'd expect
• a higher quality
• more targeted
• and...
  

After reading a recent post about all customers being equal, I felt the inner voice coming out.

Most companies have a cap on sales and marketing resources, therefore must target customers. Targeting, in and of itself, is giving preferential treatment.

I spent 27 years working for a large pharma company, in customer service, sales operations and other areas. When I was in sales, we had more than 7,000 field sales representatives to promote to a physician universe of hundreds of thousands. We paid companies like IMS millions of dollars per year to tell us who was writing what products through sophisticated techniques like geospatial projection and therefore who to spend the most resources on! 

Influencers were urged by pharma marketing to speak on the disease states to give maximum bang for the buck (spend on one, influence many).  Promotional dollars to support educational programs, send representatives to offices and every other piece of marketing collateral was skewed toward those targets.

Now, working in the current economy with even scarcer resources, we need to measure network infuence of our customers as a secondary variable (to their direct revenue stream) that inflences their value.

Of course, social media makes this easier and many of the listening and customer service tools like Radian6 use various algorithms to determine influence and the impact an individual voice can have on the Tribe.

What is the future of customer targeting and the influencer? Conferences have sprung up and a track at #SXSWi was dedicated to it. Some, such as Brian Solis, postulate that influencers, as people, become the "5th P" of marketing. Check out the interview below.

 

Does this sound like all customers are created equal?

I own lots of gadgets. As my Twitter Profile suggests, I am a gadgetophile.

There are dozens of brands I own.

There are dozens of reasons I own them.

Logitech products I own because of their customer service.

I have Logitech mice, webcams, 2 Harmony universal remotes and a Squeezebox Duet (which is also one of my favorite gadgets).

Today I had an issue with the Squeezebox. I called and got a CSR with no wait... BTW, its Sunday!! I explained my problem and that it dealt with the remote charger which had been replaced once already. He asked insightful questions and determined that it was the battery.

At one point, he asked how long I had it. I said I wasnt sure but I know its out of warranty! He said, "I see you have other Logitech products, thank you for your loyalty!"

Then got my shipping address, instructed me that he'd be sending a new battery free of charge and how to avoid draining the new one.

Its so simple, recognize your loyal customers and treat them as such they are your best ambassadors! Rules such as warranty limits can encumber good #custserv when they are too rigid.