30+ Winning Call Center Scripts Your Agents Must Know

Meet Abraham, a fresh-faced call center agent entering the complex world of retail customer service for the first time ever. His lifeline? A call center script with ready-to-use responses and next steps to guide him during typical customer service interactions. With the optimism characteristic of newbies, Abraham steps into the world of troubleshooting with confidence! 

It's true that call center agents must already possess a certain level of emotional intelligence and conversational capability, but even the most seasoned agents claim to struggle with emotionally charged scenarios. At such times, call center scripts can be a lifesaver. 

Think of call center scripts as cheat sheets that balance structure with flexibility, allowing agents to flex their problem-solving muscles while maintaining an on-brand tone of voice that fosters customer trust. When combined with call center best practices, scripts are particularly helpful with new agent training and onboarding as well as call quality assurance.  

However, there’s a catch. 

Rigid, outdated scripts that don’t offer room for improvisation and personalization can end up doing more harm than good. 71% of customers expect personalization and 76% get frustrated when they don’t find it, according to McKinsey’s estimates.  

It is worth noting that call center scripts are not an alternative to rigorous agent training honed through years of experience, but they can be a great starting point for new agents or agents at the risk of faltering. 

Whether you’re a call center manager, an agent or simply a curious individual trying to learn about the inner workings of a friendly voice on the other side of a customer service call, this article on call center scripts will help you understand it better and turn call center chaos into cohesion. 

What is a call center script? 

A call center script is a pre-drafted document that contains acceptable responses, instructions and next steps to guide your call center agents through customer interactions. The level of detailing in call center scripts can vary based on your overarching customer service philosophy and process complexity. They can be loose frameworks for customer conversations, watertight with specific responses or phrases, or flexible with suggestions and key points. Regardless, an effective call center script constitutes essential components such as: 

Greeting: Introduce the agent, establish your customer service tone of voice and welcome the customer. 

Objective: Clearly state the reason for calling (in outbound call flows). 

Information gathering: Uncover the customer’s intent via guiding questions and gather more context. 

Resolution paths: Trigger relevant customer service workflows and offer solutions. 

Recommendations: Offer cross-sell and upsell recommendations (if appropriate). 

Closing: End the call, encourage future engagement and set expectations about any follow-up steps the customer should undertake. 

What are the key features of a good call center script? 

Providing agents with a thorough call center script can be half the battle won in acing customer interactions. An effective call center script is a hallmark of: 

• Clarity and simplicity: A good starting point is to keep a call center script simple, straightforward and free of industrial jargon. 
• Customer-centric language: Scripts should be rooted in customer-centricity, encouraging agents to tailor the conversation flow and recommendations using historical customer data or gathered context.  
• Consistent tonality: Scripts should adhere to the predefined brand voice, enabling agents to embody the brand’s personality, no matter the scenario or touchpoint. 
• Empathy: Scripts should not be solution-driven always. The most customer-centric brands (like Zappos and Amazon) encourage their customer service reps to listen proactively and respond to emotional cues even if it means deviating from the script.  
• Compliance: It goes without saying that scripts should be checked for regulatory compliance and relevant industry requirements.  
• Accuracy: Call center scripts must be updated periodically to reflect any changes in products, services or company policies. 

 💡 Put Generative AI to Work for Painless Scripting 

If scripting sounds like a pain, give GenAI-enriched call center solutions a try. Using generative AI for your call center can help generate human-sounding, personalized call center scripts with the touch of a button. Not only this but also every element of your script - from the tone to the recommendations - will also be optimized for the human touch that modern customers crave. 

Gartner estimates that AI-led integrations can reduce interaction time by one-third. Our research also corroborates that AI and GenAI can redefine contact center efficiency in ways more than one. 

Curious to learn more? Take a tour of Sprinklr’s GenAI platform today 👇! 

Take a Tour of Sprinklr’s GenAI Platform 

Why are call center scripts critical for agent productivity?

Well-crafted scripts serve as operational and conversational tools that boost your agents’ productivity and overall call center efficiency in varied ways.  

Help achieve consistent tonality: A solid script reinforces brand voice and ensures every agent speaks in the same voice, which helps win customer trust and loyalty. 

Drive first call resolutions: Scripts provide agents with predefined steps and relevant resources so that they don’t have to spend time hunting for them. This way, your agents are empowered to deliver more first call resolutions, leading to improved customer satisfaction and agent morale. 

Assist with agent training: Call center scripts with examples that incorporate best practices can be excellent tools to train new agents and help them develop vital call center skills. 

Reduce human errors: When agents are handed a script and encouraged to stick to it, at least for factual information, issues of human errors and subjectivity are reduced.  

Improve regulatory compliance: One of the biggest benefits of scripts is that they can help you avoid legal and regulatory pitfalls by incorporating disclaimers and legal language into the script.  

Simplify quality assurance: QA teams can map call center recordings with scripts to evaluate agent performance and spot inconsistencies and non-compliance.  

Top call center script examples your agents must know 

Call center agents will encounter various customer service scenarios, some of which cannot be anticipated in advance. Below are scripts of what might work in typical scenarios, but the list is not exhaustive. These call center script examples must be modified to suit your brand guidelines, customer needs and specific use cases. 

1. Greetings 

Including a greeting in your call center script sets the tone for the conversation, establishes professionalism and gets the ball rolling for customer engagement. Here are some script examples you can use for greeting your callers: 

• Good [morning/evening]! Thank you for calling [Company Name]. My name is [Agent Name]. How may I assist you today? 
• Hello! I’m [Agent Name] from [Company Name] at your service. What can I help you with today? 
• Hi, you’ve reached [Company Name] and I’m [Agent Name], here to assist you with your inquiry. What can I do for you? 

✅ What works? Personalization and professionalism 

2. New customers 

First impressions with a new customer go a long way toward competitive advantage. It is important to let first-time callers know that you will cater to their needs just as well as older customers, so they don’t think about churning to a competitor. Here are some ways to tackle new customers: 

• Thank you for contacting us, [Customer Name]! Welcome to [Company Name]. We’re thrilled you picked us to meet your [product/ service] needs. How can we help? 
• Thanks for calling [Company Name]. Is there anything specific we can help you with today? 
• We at [Company Name] are so excited you want to know more! Tell us, how can we help with your journey? 

✅ What works? Context and enthusiasm 

3. Returning customers 

Customer retention is key to long-term business success. Repeat customers need to feel seen, heard and appreciated. Personal, contextual details peppered into the conversation can do the trick for your call center agents. Here are some script examples they may try: 

• It’s great to have you back, [Customer Name]! We see you have been a loyal customer for [number of years]. What can we do for you today? 
• Welcome back to [Company Name]. You are a valued customer for us. What can I do for you today? 
• We see you have been a customer since [Year]. Thank you for trusting us so far. How can I help you today? 

✅ What works? Attention to detail and customer appreciation.  

4. Identity verification or authentication 

It is imperative to pay attention to customer service security if you want to stay on the right side of the law and safeguard your customer details. This is where an identity verification or customer authentication script comes into play, however, it must be implemented tactfully, like this: 

• Before we proceed, may I verify your account details so I can assist you better? Could you share your [specific detail]? 
• For security purposes, I need you to confirm your identity. Can you share your details? 

✅ What works? Security focus and privacy reiteration  

5. Issue resolution 

Customer empathy and patience go a long way when you have a frazzled customer on the other end of the phone. A script that emphasizes both would look something like: 

• I’m sorry that you’re having to deal with [issue]. Can I have [XX] minutes to see how best I can rectify this for you? 
• I’m so sorry for the issue. It must be very frustrating. Thanks for letting us know and allowing us to fix it for you.  
• I apologize for all the inconvenience it has caused. Can I take [XX] minutes to look into the issue and come up with a resolution? 

✅ What works? Empathy and willingness to help  

6. Holds or transfers 

Often, an agent may need to put a customer on a long hold or transfer them to another team/agent. Instead of doing it abruptly, use a script that can weave in warning or permission to keep the customer updated. Here are some ideas: 

Holds: 

• Would it be okay if I put your call on hold for a few minutes as I gather more information to help you better? 
• Please stay on the line for a few minutes while I gather more details on how I can help you with this.  

✅ What works? Smooth transition and clarity on hold time 

Transfers: 

• Thank you for explaining your problem. Would you be okay to hold while I transfer your call to a supervisor? 
• Thanks for your patience. I believe the [xx] department can resolve this better. May I transfer your call to them? 

✅ What works? Problem-solving approach  

7. Complaint handling  

Complaint handling can be tricky especially when it snowballs into escalations and heated situations. In all cases, demonstrate a high level of patience and empathy, detaching yourself from the problem and looking at things objectively. Here’s how you could do that with a script: 

• I’m so sorry for the trouble you had to experience. I understand you must be frustrated, and I will try to resolve this to the best of my ability. 
• I’m so sorry to hear this! What can I do to set it right? 
• Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. Let me see how I can resolve this.  

✅ What works? Validation and empathy  

Some agents are blessed with great people skills, which makes them more adept at handling customer complaints than others. Identify these star agents using an AI scoring mechanism that identifies top performers and benchmarks your workforce against them. For a fair evaluation, you can use Sprinklr’s advanced quality management software that monitors 100% of agent interactions.  

Hit the button below and start your 30-day free trial today! 

Try Sprinklr for free 

8. Resource sharing 

Customers often seek troubleshooting assistance while configuring a complex product, service or process. Screen sharing or sharing detailed tutorials can help resolve these kinds of issues easily. Simplifying complex steps is good but avoid dumbing down and always ask whether they prefer to be walked through it or be redirected to the page. 

• We have a thorough guide that can explain this process to you. Would you like me to share that with you? 
• We have a step-by-step tutorial that you can pause and rewatch to guide you through this. Shall I send you the link to it? 
• Our video tutorial may be able to explain this better. Would you like a link to it or would you prefer if I walked you through it instead? 

✅ What works? Advanced troubleshooting and multiple media options  

9. Order Issues 

While dealing with customers, agents are likely to encounter situations where orders are damaged, misplaced or delayed. Handling these situations requires a delicate balance of sensitivity and smart problem-solving. Here’s how it can be done: 

• I apologize for the inconvenience caused by the missing/damaged/incorrect order. We will try our best to not repeat this. May I take a few moments to confirm your order details? 
• I'm really sorry to hear about the issue with your order. We can either send you a replacement or process a refund. Which would you prefer? 
• I'm so sorry for the trouble caused. I need to check how to escalate this issue for a quick resolution. May I proceed with this? 
• I am terribly sorry for what you have experienced. To make up for it, we'd like to offer you a discount on your next purchase. In the meantime, we will address this as quickly as possible. Would that be okay? 

✅ What works? Sensitivity and authenticity  

Read more: 19 Proven Tips to Handle Angry Customers 

10. Profile management 

Often, customers may request changes to their customer profile maintained in your contact center CRM. Even if you have an option to do so online, your agents must be equipped to deal with it on call. Here’s how it could play out: 

• I see you want to update your profile information. Can I guide you on how you can do it yourself on our website? 
• Okay, I see that you want to make changes to your profile. Can you help me with the details you want to change so I can update it right away? 
• You want to manage your account preferences. May I know which settings or preferences you would want to be updated? 
• Okay, you want to update your payment information. Would you like to do it yourself or would you prefer I change it from my end?  
• I see you want to change your subscription preferences. Currently, you are subscribed to the [package name]. Can you help me with which package you’d like to move to?  

✅ What works? Respect and customer empowerment   

11. Closing Scripts 

Positive Outcome: 

• Hope that was helpful. Is there anything else I can assist you with today? Have a great day! 
• Thank you for letting me help you with that. Hope your issue has been resolved satisfactorily. Have a splendid day! 

✅ What works? Positive outcome and no hard-selling  

Negative Outcome: 

• I’m sorry we couldn't resolve your issue to your satisfaction today. We will keep working on it and get back to you with updates. In the meantime, if you have any questions, do reach out to us. Thanks for your patience! 
• I apologize for not being able to help you resolve this issue today. I assure you that we will look into solving this at the earliest. Thank you for your understanding! 

✅ What works? Earnest apology and a promise for resolution    

Deliver memorable, consistent support experiences using Sprinklr 

To summarize, call center scripts can empower your call center agents with standardized, brand-approved guidelines, alternative solutions and acceptable customer service verbiage that helps improve their productivity, resolution rates and job satisfaction. Use these 30+ call center script examples as a starting point and craft scripts that meet your specific company needs.  

For other features that can improve your call center agent performance and efficiency, check out Sprinklr - a digital-first, AI-led, all-in-one solution that offers inbound calling, outbound calling, call recording, quality management analytics and more! Book a demo now!