just give them park buttons out of the gate. you can label them whatever you want. hold1, hold 2, etc. then they think of them as hold buttons, and just grab them from the hold button. if you do not tell them they are park buttons, i wont either. the receptionist tells them it is on hold 1, and they think, oh ok, hold 1, and they press it and they have the call. they know the word hold it does not scare them, park does, they do not know it.
i say, make all the changes you need from the way their old system works that you possibly can at the time of cutover. that is when they will accept them as inevitable. if you try to keep it the same, it often does not utilize the equipment investment. they are going to be afraid anyway, better to get the medicine all down at once then have them go through more change later, or feel it does nothing the old system did not do.
also, once they see it like their old system, it is like trying to ask your wife to return an entire house full of new furniture, and get your money back. after it is all delivered and arranged in the house. not gonna happen, unless you move out with the furniture at night, while she is working the graveyard shift.
clean house, put in the new the right way the first time. they may whine, listen, help them, hold their hand. sit and talk with the receptionist about how it is going to make her life so much easier once she is trained. smile at her big, and when she asks why, tell her, i know you are nervous now, but believe me. you are going to love me afterwards because it is going to be great for you, and make your life so much easier. then everyone is going to look at you like you can work miracles with this new phone system, because of what it will let you do. i can tell, you are going to do great with this, and i have seen so many phone systems go in, i know when they are really going to let people like you who are concientious and hard working do their job so much better and easier.
2 months after i install these systems, i walk in and the receptionsist tells me she loves it, and that she does not know how she ever got along without it. i am sure you will be saying the same thing, it will just take a little getting used to it, and i know you can do it. i will be here to help, we are going to be good friends.
ok, so that was pouring it on a little deep. fact is, as a tech the hard thing you are dealing with is not a new phone system to install, you do that frequently, and you are probably good at it. the real issue you are dealing with is fear. people lack confidence in themsleves, and their ability to take on new challenges, and duties. they fear change.
your confidence you show to them, and in them, and your assurance that they will do great is really what they need to overcome that fear. do not hold it back, and your confidence in them, and yourself will buck them up. if you waiver in that, they will fear. when they answer their first call, smile like they did great, it helps to add a thumbs up with a smile.
