The New Combat Zone Survival tactics for managers caught in the middle of IT and telecommunications skirmishes. By Bill Bleuel T he world of the call center is rapidly changing. What used to be a telephone center is now a conglomeration of technologies designed to accommodate the ever-changing world of the customer. The changes are coming so fast it is hard to keep up with the vocabulary and acronyms that appear and disappear seemingly on a daily basis. Of course all these changes are putting great stress on the people who are managing the call center.
Call volumes seem to be a source of stress for call center managers.
The battle I see approaching is in the area of technology. Hence, you might conclude that the battle the call center manager has to win is the technology war that is constantly being waged around him. Since there will never be sufficient time for the call center manager to adequately assess all the technology alternatives available, he loses by default. Hence, the fallback position puts him into a combat zone that he least expected. He must rely on people outside his organization for assistance in assessing technology.