The customer service illusion

I have been unfortunate enough to work in the customer services department of a large retail company, and have noted ever since a few things about the illusion of "good customer service".

The problem now, with customer service is that PEOPLE are transformed from living breathing creatures with a brain and a personality to dull lifeless ROBOTS. These corporate companies give their staff a script, a script that they must stick to, and god forbid what might happen if they skip a word. Do these companies not acknowledge that not only do the advisers have their own brain, the people on the end of the phone have their own brain too?

People cannot be given scripts to follow, because these scripts do not suit every customer that's on that phone.

I recall having to say sorry to every customer, and repeat what they had told me, so that they "knew I was listening". If I didn't listen, would I be able to resolve the problem? Not without asking a million questions and really irritating the customer right?

If the robot starts the query solving with the words "I'm sorry" not only does it bring the tone of the conversation down, but it puts some customers in the position where they feel the need to say something like "it's ok, I know it's not your fault".

Personally I feel the approach should be made to keep the conversation positive and helpful. So maybe saying something like, ok I'll look into that for you...and yadda yadda yadda, bla bla bla. If the customer service adviser knows anything about people, then they will be able to recognise when sorry is appropriate. The worst part about these "sorry" words, is that the adviser feels uncomfortable saying it, sorry is a difficult thing to say when quite frankly you don't give a sh!t if their nightie arrived in time for their weekend away or not. The customer also senses that it's false, they sense that they are talking to a robot, and not a person.

I don't know which chump thought that a script would be a good idea. People have brains, they have personalities, so my god, let them bloody use it, and stop giving me nonsense info every time I call!!