What's with all the "scripting" on the job?

[OngletNYC]

I haven't worked at retail in a long, long time and I hope I never have to do so again. But if for someone reason I do, I'll just be there for the paycheck and will not have a problem with sticking to their script. If it isn't a job that is going to further my career, I'm happy to leave the thinking to someone else so I can brainlessly get through the day as painlessly as possible.

[MaryleeII]

I worked for a call center, those dammed scripts are oftentimes written by non-native English speakers, rife with syntax errors, grammer errors, etc.

First, our jobs go overseas. Then, we take what we can get, and they tell us how to speak our own language!

It was dammed if you do or don't----we would be written up if we went off script, but also, if we didn't make the sale, usually because of some stupid mumble jumble we were forced to say! One script we had to give the customer service number 3x, each time it was different! Talk about making me feel like an idiot! When the customer questioned the discrepency, WTH could I say? Try all 3, maybe you'll get lucky and someone will answer!

Also, One time there was a glaring typo, your s**t will arrive in 3-5 days. Well, we had a gal who changed it to the obvious, your shipment will arrive.....she was written up for going off script! So there we sit, telling people their s**t will arrive in 3-5 days, giving them 3 different customer service numbers, then got canned if our sales stats were low, when anyone with half a brain would cancel the order getting double talk like that!

Hope their **** arrived on time and we gave them excellent customer service!

[cwaggy]

I follow a script for badly behaving customers. Its only two words but very effective since they are in everyone's inner script.

If you work for a retailer they want to control the total environment, which means YOU are part of it. I bet you are not lovin' it!!!!

Makes you want to aspire to do something else where you can use your own brain.