What call scripts and client instructions should I request at an answering service?

Start by asking for a complete list of clients and the script set behind each one. A script that exists only in an operator’s head is a risk, so note which accounts rely on memory or on a single senior person.

Next, look at how instructions change. Ask who is allowed to update a script, how a client’s change request reaches the operators, and where the history is kept. Request a few recent changes and trace them from the request to the floor. If the trail is thin, expect surprises after closing.

Then listen. Ask to sit in on live calls or review recordings, and match what operators say against the file. Pay attention to emergency and escalation clients, because a missed instruction there costs the most. Check how the service handles a caller who asks something the script does not cover. Finally, ask what the client contracts say about confidentiality of those scripts. Your lawyer can tell you whether the files transfer with the business, and whether clients must consent first. Also ask how often scripts are reviewed with clients, because a script nobody has opened lately may no longer match how the client works.

Key takeaways

• Get a script and instruction file for every client, and flag accounts that depend on one person’s memory.
• Trace a recent client change from request to operator desk to prove the process works.
• Compare recordings with the written scripts, starting with escalation and emergency accounts.