Headsets: how to make a sound choice…and make them last longer

 

What you are buying and why.  Our experts look at the types and the technology and make some suggestions for the future

Cordless sales are small, but the UC boom is on the way

 

IN RECENT years, headset technology has developed significantly.  There have been enhanced features — and improved audio processing — for corded headsets, the introduction of cordless models and professional grade USB headsets for Unified Communications (UC).

However, many call centres have yet to implement wide scale wireless working or UC architecture and corded headsets are still the primary style in use.

Wireless professional grade contact centre headsets are slowly increasing in adoption, but sales, although growing in volume, are still minimal by comparison to corded variants.

 

Cordless Adoption of wireless headsets has only been high among team leaders and supervisors.  These people are more effective when able to freely roam among their teams of agents and support them when required.

Meanwhile, most agents use corded headsets which are cheaper than wireless models, but still with advanced features such as noise cancelling and wideband working if not the personal freedom of wireless.

 

Unified Communications Similarly, the adoption of newly developed UC headsets is nominal as well.   A technology in its infancy, most call centres do not have UC headset adoption high on their agendas; and many have yet to implement the internal UC architectures that would enable them to take full advantage of UC capabilities the headsets would support.

 

 

The UC boom is coming.  A recent survey (Astute, August 2009) said that two in five (41pc) of The Times Top 500 companies are evaluating or will be evaluating UC in the next 12 month.  And it said that more than half of the UK’s largest councils are investigating the benefits UC can bring.

We will continue to see trials; and roll outs in back office and call centre operations will follow.

You should seriously consider the benefits that the latest UC headsets can offer by:

Unified Communications headsets are still new.  The benefits they will provide by supporting better training processes, delivering faster call resolution; and seamless integration of VoIP and traditional telephony lines will help lead to a more satisfied customer and a more profitable business in the long run.

 

This year, call centres have had to prioritise the prevention and spread of swine flu.  They have focused on minimising the sharing of equipment and encouraging good hygiene, in some cases looking at equipping key personnel for remote working and home shoring options.  There has been a significant growth in sales of consumables and headset hygiene is documented in many pandemic process documents.

 

Richard Kenny, contact centre segment manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Plantronics; richard.kenny@plantronics.com

 

 

Quality counts for comfort and crystal-clear calls

WHILE headset makers have reached a bit of a plateau in terms of specific new innovations for call centres, they are re-focusing on call quality to ensure crystal clear conversations.

Wideband and digital headsets continue to lead the way in this area, with new models to satisfy increased demand and higher customer expectations.

In the headset market quality counts.  Manufacturers recognise that their products need to combine comfort with high performance.  It’s important to improve the overall experience for staff and customers — crystal clear sound is paramount.  Less repetition creates a more natural and satisfying experience for both parties, building relationships and ultimately increasing business.

Another area which should not be overlooked is health and hygiene.  There are some relatively straightforward ways to improve the call quality of different headsets, as well as meeting best practice methods in the workplace.  Maintaining peak performance of headset equipment is becoming a growing priority for call centre managers.  We know that some call centres can suffer from poor call quality due to a lack of headset care and maintenance, so it’s important to develop regular programmes which address any hygiene issues.

More and more call centres are becoming aware of the benefits of regular maintenance, guaranteeing a clean and pleasant working environment for staff as well as ensuring the highest call quality.  Effective cleaning will not only prolong the life of the equipment, it will also lead to increased call clarity and general performance.  We advise that ear cushions and voice tubes should be replaced every six months and equipment regularly cleaned with wipes.

We can provide colour-coded voice tubes you know exactly when they need to be changed, for example blue for the first part of the year and red for the second.

Philippa Parrish, corporate sales director, Nimans and Rocom; philippa.parrish@nimans.net

 

 

How you’ll save with VoIP and wideband

CALL centres have benefited significantly from new technologies in recent years.  Early adopters who have gone through the implementation stage are now reaping the rewards and starting to see a return on their investments.

The biggest example of this is VoIP, with the majority of call centres now running a VoIP system to handle their inbound and outbound calls.  In 2008 it was estimated that more than two thirds of businesses had or were in the process of implementing a VOIP system (Network Instruments, State of the Network Global Study, 2008) with a number of households also having access to VoIP through operators such as Skype and BT.

The savings can enhance profits and cut telecoms costs.  However, these savings should be reinvested in complementary technologies that will enhance the current tools in place so that further savings can be made. 

 

 

Headset manufacturers have worked hard in recent years to develop new solutions to complement this new technology.

Good examples of this are wideband headsets — still a new concept for call centres — which offer clear benefits when used in conjunction with VoIP.  They now allow for a wider frequency range (150Hz–8kHz).  Wideband

 speech gives the user and customer a more natural sound experience and enhances the quality of voice, offering a significant improvement to the overall customer experience.

In addition wideband can allow for seamless integration with soft phone applications by offering users the full call control functionality without the need for a phone on the desk, freeing up desk space.

For those who are installing a VoIP system, in the decision making process or looking to upgrade their headsets it is advisable to think about future proofing their equipment now by investing in wideband solutions reducing the overall investment needed when eventually migrating to VoIP.

In addition, VoIP solutions should not only focus on the benefits to the organisation and its internal employees but should offer the flexibility to support their external sales force and allow them to benefit remotely.  The cost savings seen from migrating to VoIP from traditional PSTN can be mirrored in the costs of mobile phone calls, by offering a soft phone solution.

This now removes the need for having separate headsets for different devices and when choosing which headset to use look for a manufacturer who can integrate with your existing equipment whilst offering the flexibility of allowing connection to more than just your phone.

Mark Andrews, product manager, Sennheiser Communications; mandrews@sennheiser.co.uk

 

 

It’s a sound idea to cancel repeats

OVERALL, we are finding that call centres are keen to use headsets that will improve their key performance indicators (KPIs).  Boosting customer satisfaction, aiding staff retention, and employee wellbeing are all top of the call centre agenda and selecting the right technology can make an enormous difference in making their targets become a reality.

Sound quality in particular has a huge impact — for agents and callers alike.

For example, headsets with full wideband audio (up to 6,800 kHz) offer superior sound, eliminating the need to repeat information, which can be frustrating for both parties.

It’s surprising how many call centres are unaware how the working environment — as well as the customer experience — can be improved by the use of noise cancelling headsets, in exactly the same way as better sound quality.

The problem is that some call centres use a random mix of sound tube and noise cancelling headsets but, in doing this, they don’t get the full benefits of the more advanced noise cancelling features. 

Our advice would always be to carefully match the solution with the environment and the type of calls agents handle.  For example, teams dealing with customer complaints will need superior noise cancelling features to reduce the stress that can be felt by both parties.

As well as reducing stress, ensuring agents are comfortable will also help create a happy workforce and reduce staff churn.  Traditionally, agents use corded headsets.  However, we are beginning to see a trend emerging where call centres offer staff a range of wearing styles to ensure that everyone is comfortable, no matter what.  For example, wireless headsets, ear cushions and adjustable headsets are now on offer to suit personal preferences.

As health and safety continues to become more and more prevalent, the “noise at work” protection which is built into many of our headsets make them very popular as managers can rest assured they are adhering to guidelines.

Part of health and safety is also preventing the spread of illnesses and a popular practice is to personalise headsets to ensure each person has their own individual headset.  This is especially important at the moment as companies try to prevent agents contracting swine flu.

Making life simpler for agents also helps with KPIs, and related to this is ensuring mobility.  For the more mobile employee, i.e. technical staff or supervisors, wireless headsets are a must.   In being wireless, people can multitask while they are on a call and move around, for example to ask others questions.  Being wireless means they can keep a customer on the line during this time, which removes the frustration of being placed on hold.  Wireless headsets with a conferencing facility mean that supervisors can listen in or join calls too, which is good for training and resolving difficult caller problems.

Andrew Doyle, sales director, GN Netcom; adoyle@gn.com

 

 

Some ideas to make your budget go further

WITH the economic slow down still biting, customers are fairly reluctant to invest in upgrading to new technologies.  This is evident from the relatively slow take up by call centres of VoIP and the new buzzword, Unified Communications.

Even the well-proven and successful cordless headset products still have a slow adoption rate.  They are only really finding a place with team leaders, managers and supervisors — the majority of agents are still wearing the traditional corded monaural and binaural styles.

This has not stopped the manufactures introducing new ranges of high end corded headsets.  They include Plantronics’ Encore Pro and Jabra’s Biz range.  And these are complemented with unified cordless ranges — Savi Office and Savi Go, from Plantronics, and the all-new Pro and Go Jabra model Jabra with touch screen technology — which still points towards the need for call centres to start taking UC more seriously.

Clearly, customers are trying to make their budgets go further and with swine flu thrown into the mix things seem to be at their toughest.  And with price increases this year, it is becoming more important that the supplier works with them to offer more of an all-round service.

Some of the pressure is being alleviated by:

Jason Welsh, Agent brand manager, Corporate Telecommunications; Jason.Welsh@corpteluk.com