Call Center Software For Technophobic Employees

It is frustrating to deploy the newest generation of call center software without the support of the staff. Agents and managers who resist technology tools hurt the company, but what can an organization do to bring them onboard during the transition?

Recognizing The Technophobe In The Wild

The cliché technophobe is the older manager who says he didn't need these newfangled doohickeys when he ran a call center shortly after Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Don't get caught up in the stereotype. Many older workers embrace new technologies and it can just as easily be younger people who view new solutions with suspicion.

Often those who resist new technologies have been burned by past experience. At their last job, maybe some new software was rolled out that turned out to be a nightmare. Lack of training, underpowered hardware, poor company support and other reasons may have turned the shiny new solution into a disaster that made the service center run worse than before. It has made them skeptical of any technology solutions.

Long Term Problems

It's easy to dismiss these few malcontents, figuring they'll just have to get used to it. However the "ignore it and hope it goes away" management style seldom works in successful companies. The complaints can discourage other workers. Suddenly the tiniest flaw looms large while major benefits are dismissed as trivial. Every hiccup during the transition is viewed as an omen of disaster.

When the resistant personnel are managers, the problem is much worse. Their attitude can quickly infect their entire department. They tell their people that upper management is forcing this new system on them, and employees view the change as negative from day one. They may even encourage employees to bypass the call center software, relying on outdated systems instead.

Education Is The Solution

Resistant employees should be some of the first people trained on the new call center software. Show them how easy the new system is to use and how will benefit each person individually. With agents, emphasize how it will give them faster and more comprehensive access to customer information. Managers could be shown how they can easily oversee the department at a glance. High level managers will appreciate how it simplifies strategic planning and staffing.

Don't adopt the attitude that the new call center software is the answer to everything. It isn't, and that very attitude can turn off people further. Instead demonstrate how this tool is simply one part of a comprehensive plan to improve department operations. Address the concerns the employees have rather than dismissing them.

You probably won't turn these people into cheerleaders for the new software, but you can at least open their minds. If they will simply allow for the possibility of success, that will make a huge difference in how they react to the solution after implementation.

Author writes about a variety of topics. If you would like to learn more about call center software, visit http://www.inovasolutions.com/.