Interaction between an organisational representative (operator) and a customer conducted on the telephone. Operator and customer are located gimp at different sites. Operator interacts with a computer system. Focus on the practices the operator employs to communicate details of the system and their interaction with it.
The activity of call operation is represented in terms of process diagrams but these tend to sit apart from the actual activity and are used more as a means for the organisation to get to know itself. Of more interest are the scripts which drive parts of the interaction. For example, in the authentication sequence of calls the operator follows a script which stipulates the questions they ask. Also of interest and related to scripts is the representation of the activity in the interface and interaction model instantiated in the system interface. This serves to guide and organise the way in which the operator interacts with the system which in turn influences interaction between operator and customer. The operator can be seen to communicate a variety of information about the system to the customer which serves to configure the customer to interact more in accordance with the system.
Picture: Operator and Computer - Customer.
The operator uses various techniques in-and-through their talk to communicate details of their computer system and their interaction with it. Within a single call and over repeated calls this making this information available serves to guide the customer how questions and requests can be made to fit in with the system configuration. Simply through the questions the operator asks information is provided on what the system requires. For example, the requests the operator makes for account numbers and so on are done so in the series they appear on screen. Much is implicit in the way questions are asked. The operator also indicates their interaction with the system by using 'markers' to signal an up-coming engagement with the system and 'fillers' to continue this. For example, by stating, 'just let me look that up', 'bear with me', just a minute' and so forth. In a number of cases the operator with be quite explicit in detailing aspects of the system and requirements for interaction with it. For example, by stating how information needs to be formatted of packaged to fit with the system or even detailing what can be seen on screen. All this 'work' goes towards shaping the interaction.
Organisation-customer interaction between a bank phone operator and a customer.