Technophobia is usually joked about between friends and colleagues when someone is afraid to use a new computer program or some new piece of technology that is all the rage. However, this new fear can be a real problem for your business if your clients are infected by it.

I'm in no way technophobic, but I have an interesting story to tell about a recent encounter I had with a new form of technology that I hadn't run into before. I'm not one to go into my local bank (or in my case, my credit union) to conduct my transactions. I love a smiling, helpful teller just as much as the next guy but the speed and convenience of the ATM is what I normally prefer. Since I use the ATM on a semi-regular basis I keep deposit slips in my car in case I need them. A few weeks ago I needed to make a deposit, so I drove to the ATM near my house only to find that the new ATM machines didn't accept envelope deposits anymore. This new ATM takes your cash and/or checks without an envelope or deposit slip needed! I wish I could say I used the new ATM, but that wouldn't be true. Habit and routine were too strong and I drove another five minutes to find an ATM I knew took envelopes and completed my transactions there.

The same situation occurred this past weekend and this time I was feeling a bit more daring. I decided to try the new ATM to make my deposit. I started the process, making sure to pay close attention to every instruction on the screen. I was amazed at how much faster and simpler this new process was. The ATM scanned my check in seconds and showed me a copy of my check on-screen to confirm that what I had entered was correct. When the transaction was completed a miniature image of my deposited check was printed right on my receipt. The whole process took about half the normal time and saved two pieces of paper, the envelope and the deposit slip. I'll never go back to the old way of depositing at an ATM again!

Habit is human nature. Asking your clients to try a new piece of technology you've added to your business whether it be paperless deposits or Instant Gift Certificates, can be challenging at first. I've included a few easy things you can do to help your clients get over any form of technophobia:

1. Educate - make sure that you spend the time to educate your customers on the new technologies you add to your business. This can be as simple as letting them know that the technology exists to actually walking a customer who might use the new technology frequently through an example so they'll feel comfortable the first time they do it themselves.
2. Anticipate - realize that your customers might naturally fall back into their old habits. Make it a point to walk through the process you are implementing a few times looking at it from your customer's point of view. Doing this will help to identify areas that might create confusion or anxiety for your customers and will allow you an opportunity to make the process better and easier for your customer to use.
3. Communicate - make sure that your staff and customers tell others about the new technology you've implemented. Spreading the word can be the best way to help others become more comfortable using a new technology. They'll probably think "Hey, if they can use it, so can I". Also, having someone tell you about their positive experience with a new technology can help to ease the anxiety of using it yourself.

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One Response to “Curing your clients of technophobia”

1. Rick Says:
   September 10th, 2007 at 10:17 am

   Excellent post. As an employee of the financial services industry, I'm frequently amazed at how slowly both institutions and the public adopt technology surrounding something as mundane as banking. Clearly, technology can reduce costs for both parties to such transactions, but old habits (and perhaps intelligent wariness) die hard. While you describe adjusting to deposits without an envelope, the vast majority haven't warmed up to giving a machine their precious deposits in the first place; taking money from a machine is one thing, giving money to a machine appears to be another. In any event, I find the best communicators and evangelists for technology adoption to be friends and family. In other words, word of mouth from a trusted source is more likely to prompt any given individual into action, which underscores the importance of a good experience for those relatively few early adopters. Thanks to your post, I think I'll feed my next deposit into that mysterious box I'm accustomed to taking money from.

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