Tuning In on Wireless Headsets in the Contact

Call Centers are turning to wireless headsets to help to improve customer satisfaction and CSRs productivity. In a contact center, new wireless headsets help improve call speed resolution of customer problems and enable floor supervisors to remain "on call" and engaged even when they're away from their desks.

Ensuring Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction level is the criteria of success of most contact centers. While there are many elements that impact customer interactions, the speedy resolution of problems is one of the most important.

Wireless technology helps supervisors resolve the customer grievances in real time without the need to put customers on hold or call them back once they've retrieved the necessary information. Floor supervisors can be more efficient, thus decreasing call time, by moving about the office to perform supportive tasks and actively engage with agents. The latest headsets let users roam hundreds of feet away from their desks, with excellent call clarity, while staying connected.

In the event that a call needs to be escalated to a supervisor, hold time is minimized, since the supervisor is available to answer the call even if away from their desk with the remote call answer/end capabilities of the newest wireless headsets on the market. The supervisor can also visit the agent's desk to lend support and provide quicker resolution.

Whether new hire orientation or a refresher session with a senior agent, keeping the agents properly trained is a round-the-clock task. Wireless headsets increase training effectiveness by allowing the coach to observe agents' key strokes and body language from afar without the agent knowing -- eliminating the need for desk side monitoring. This creates a more natural training environment, where supervisors can gain a true assessment of agent performance.

Guaranteeing Employee Comfort and Convenience
In addition to the well-known ergonomic benefits of headsets, the latest wireless systems provide other features that are useful for contact centers. For example, most headsets now offer extended battery life so that contact center associates can work an entire shift without having to stop and plug in to recharge the battery.

Some systems also offer a base that easily pairs with several different headsets so that as shifts change, agents can immediately start working. Using a shared base also helps lower expenses as contact centers only purchase an additional headset top, versus an entire system.

Maintaining Sound Quality
One of the main elements affecting a customer's impression of a contact center is the sound quality that the customer encounters. Background noise and crackling audio can make a contact center seem unprofessional, no matter how skilled the agent. The latest wireless headsets have noise-canceling microphones that filter background noise and enable crisp audio quality. Digital signal processing (DSP) is a new technology that some of the latest headsets use to mitigate echo and uneven amplitude.

Headsets that are 1.9GHz DECT 6.0-compliant are gaining popularity in contact center environments because they promote clear calls without interference from typical office equipment, like WiFi networks, security systems and microwave ovens. These headsets are particularly attractive because they operate in a protected, voice-dedicated frequency.

Today's wireless headsets are compatible with a variety of telephony infrastructures, including IP, and legacy PBX equipment. This is beneficial, as audio deterioration, like latency issues, pops and ticks, often occurs as a result of incompatible signals or equipment.

It's clear that wireless headsets offer contact centers many benefits that can help improve service and impact the bottom line. As innovations in the space continue to develop, so will the positive affects on contact centers.