When you are a call center manager, you understand that a good quality headset makes the difference between satisfying customers and angering them. However, you might not know that you can do other things to ensure you boost productivity with good quality headsets. Much of the problem comes from background noise.
What Does Background Noise Do?
- Increase Your Bill — When employees can’t hear the customer due to background noise, they have to stay on the phone longer. This means that the company’s phone bill will increase due to the lengthier time of the call. If the customers can’t hear, they will disconnect the call, which means they won’t be satisfied and possibly angry. They might or might not call back.
- Employees Output Drops — Because they have to be with one customer longer, your employees will not be performing at their optimum. You are paying for inefficiency, which costs you considerably. You want an efficient call center that is the most productive. In addition, the frustrations from not hearing because of background noise will cause your employees to have lower self-esteem and lower performance.
- Customers Worry About Privacy — If the customer hears background noise, they will feel like their call is not private. They will worry about confidential information. This dissatisfaction and distrust will cause you to lose customers, and callers might stop. Your call center will be the most inefficient.
- Employees Turn Up Volume — Employees make the problem worse by increasing the volume on the headset. This action distorts the signal and creates what is known as “temporary hearing fatigue.” When this happens, your workers are exposed to loud sounds for extended periods of time. They will not be able to hear correctly by the end of the day, which reduces their productivity.
How Can Headsets Help?
- Noise-Cancellation Technology — Microphones on inexpensive headsets pick up every sound near it, but high-quality headsets feature noise-cancellation technology. With noise-canceling microphones, you can eliminate background noises near and far. Therefore, your employees will be able to focus on their calls, speed up the process and be more productive.
- Compression — Sound characteristics are different for each call. Sudden changes in decibel levels annoy both the employee and customer. The amplifier in a high-quality headset will compress sound, so the decibel level remains constant. It delivers greater clarity for both parties, making employees more productive.
- Quick Disconnect — This feature lets your workers leave their desks to disconnect from their workstations without ending the customer’s call. When you have quick disconnect, you can talk with colleagues across the room without leaving your customer. You also can reduce the amount of time employees spend doing non-call duties after their shift ends.
- Two-Ear Headsets — Although call centers might need headsets that use only one ear, often, employees could benefit from the two-ear types. If the majority of their contact is with customers, you want two-ear headsets. These also increase call clarity, the ability to consistently get the right information and prevent temporary hearing fatigue.
Author: Usman Raza is freelance writer, an author and content marketing specialist at Headset Zone, and Telegiants. When not working, he’s probably spending time with his family. Follow him on Facebook @usmanraza40 and Twitter @usmanintrotech
