15 customer service calls worth rehearsing

How to use this list

Pick the three calls your team gets most. For each, agree on what a rep is allowed to offer, then write a first line. A rep who has said that line out loud twice will say it on a live call without thinking.

The first lines below are examples. Change the words until they sound like your team.

When the caller is upset

1. Angry before you say hello. You are answering for something you did not do, and the urge is to defend yourself. Let them finish first.

"I can hear this has been frustrating. Tell me what happened and I'll sort out what I can."

2. The order that is a week late. They have already checked the tracking page. Repeating it back to them makes it worse.

"I have your order open. It should have reached you on the 4th and it hasn't, so let me find out where it is now."

3. The third call about the same problem. The real complaint is having to explain it again.

"I can see you've called twice about this already. Give me a moment to read the notes so you don't have to start over."

4. "Let me speak to your manager." Sometimes a manager is the right answer. Often the caller wants proof that someone is taking it seriously.

"I can arrange that. Before I do, may I try one thing that might fix this faster?"

When the answer is no

5. A refund the policy does not allow. A soft no sounds like a maybe, and the caller will call back to test it.

"I can't refund this one, and I'll tell you why. Here is what I can do."

6. Out of warranty by a month. They know. They are asking whether you will bend.

"The warranty ended in March, so a free repair isn't available. I can offer a paid repair at cost, or a discount on a replacement."

7. A cancellation you are asked to save. One question is fair. A second attempt is where callers lose patience.

"I can cancel that for you. May I ask what changed? If the answer is still cancel, I'll do it right now."

8. The discount that ended yesterday. Decide in advance whether reps can honor it, so nobody improvises.

"That offer closed last night. Let me check what I'm able to do for you today."

When you do not know

9. An outage with no fix time. Callers forgive a missing answer more easily than a wrong one.

"We know about it and the team is working on it. I don't have a time yet, and I'd rather tell you that than guess."

10. A question you cannot answer. Guessing feels helpful and creates the next complaint.

"I don't know, and I don't want to guess. Let me find out and call you back by three."

11. The caller who knows the product better than you. It happens in every technical product. Treat them as a colleague.

"You've clearly gone further into this than most people. Walk me through what you tried and I'll bring in someone who can match it."

When it is delicate

12. A billing mistake that was yours. Say it plainly and say what happens next.

"We charged you twice. That's our mistake. I've reversed the second charge, and you should see it back within five working days."

13. A caller who is distressed. Slow down. The task can wait thirty seconds.

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere, and we'll go through it together."

14. Identity checks that fail. You cannot make an exception, and the caller is already annoyed.

"I can't open the account without one of those details, and that rule protects you as well. Here are the other ways we can verify you."

15. The call that will not end. Everything is solved and the caller keeps talking.

"I want to be sure I've covered everything. Is there anything else on this order? Then I'll let you get on with your day."

How to rehearse them

Two colleagues can do it: one plays the caller, then they swap. It works, and it is hard to schedule and easy to go soft on each other.

An AI caller does not go soft. In murmur for teams the caller is written from your own scripts and help articles, so it asks about your products and pushes back the way your customers do. After each call the rep gets the transcript and the goals they hit. You can hear what that sounds like with the upset customer call at the top of this page, or read more about customer service call practice.

Updated 11 November 2026.