(part of a thread about customer service, telephone support, etcetera)
...when someone has no experience with the actual product, or (as is also common) isn't allowed to share their own personal experiences, all they have to fall back on is the script. STICK WITH THE SCRIPT is the mantra of the call center, often because deviation can lead to giving out the wrong information, or sharing somebody's personal info with the wrong person, or simply reflect badly on the company. And yet, that fear often backfires.
Salon published a good bit about this (in a computer tech support framework, but it still applies) earlier this year:
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2004/02/23/no_support/
"Several people confess that they've never done more with a computer than
check their e-mail. Others admit they haven't even gotten that far. An
impromptu contest develops to see exactly who knows the least. There
are lots of contenders. I'm listening to them battle for the crown of
incompetence as I'm dealt a new hand of cards when a frightening thought
occurs to me. Our clueless bunch is now part of the technical-support
staff for one of the world's top three computer manufacturers, and in
seven days we're going to be taking your calls."
