Should a support specialist who relies on a script to respond to a user's problem situation ever deviate from the script? If so, under what circumstances? What are some possible risks to deviating from an incident management script?

Hello Caroline! Generally, the idea is to not deviate from the script. However, there could be reasons to do so. Please refer to my explanation below.

Explanation:

Generally, a support specialist should not deviate from the script. However, there may be times that the user’s problem remains undetermined even after following the script. Therefore, in order to troubleshoot the issue further, the support specialist should involve the next level support or the Software Developers to help. In cases where there is a time-critical function and no developers or next level support are available then the support specialist can deviate from a script. Deviating from a script may introduce untracked actions, further complicate the situation, and/or compromise the integrity of records available in the system.