Devoted to the call center industry, the agents on the phones, and their managers

This reminds me of a client we currently have that has abolished the use of scripts in their center.  They believe that excellent customer service comes from the agent themselves and not supervisors or managers who create scripts for them.  The company grew fast and their sales speak of the service they provide, not marketing.

An article reinforces this concept. 

"According to Lloyds TSB's research, customers feel that call handlers who use scripts do not listen to their questions properly. A common-sense approach, combined with training, can counter this: "You will achieve the best results when prospects have the feeling that they have been treated like a human being," said John Price, managing director of Price Direct." - Contact Center Today, Is It Time for Call Center Workers to Ditch the Script?

Create guidelines to help agents transition to a free flowing conversation on the phone.  During a coaching session, go through the guidelines and let them paraphrase the script.  To make it more flexible, create scenarios and do role plays with them. 

This is not only for inbound programs but works for telemarketing as well.  We're not asking you not to comply with the laws but give your agents a chance to say something before or after the "script". This ensures compliance and a more human approach to a customer's experience.