To control noise levels and ensure that both your representative and client are heard, there are a few options to consider…
The simplest–and least expensive–way to improve sound quality is headsets with noise cancelling microphones. There are four main designs:
A unidirectional microphone picks up the sound of the voice right in front of the mic. This tech is dated and professional headsets are scarcely still produced with this design.
A voice tube or sound tube is an adjustable boom that bends toward the user’s mouth. The tube acts like an echo chamber—taking the voice and ambient noise directly to the caller. For this reason, they are mostly practical for quiet or private offices.
Directional noise cancelling microphones are the current standard for headset manufacturers. These come with sensors on both sides of the mic. This way, redundant ambient noises cancel, reducing background noise as much as 80%.
Ultra-Noise Cancelling is similar to directional noise cancelling, but uses many microphones to cancel or reduce unwanted sounds. These provide around 90% noise reduction!
Binaural headset designs cover both ears. This helps to fade environmental noise, so you can speak normally. Some binaural headsets have an Active Noise Cancellation/Control feature. ANC fades out distracting sounds around you, allowing you to hear your caller in noisier environments.
Binaural headsets can be used with ANC and a noise cancelling mic to maximize communication effectiveness.
Visual sound indicators–such as the Jabra Noise Guide–train call center agents to keep their voices at a reasonable level. The Noise Guide is a portable device that monitors noise levels in open office environments. It provides two measurements: the ear measures live volume levels, whereas the panel at the bottom of the Noise Guide indicates the average sound level over the last 15 minutes. Use this with the provided analytics software to measure noise trends and identify problem areas.
Acoustic treatments are panels installed on a wall or ceiling. They work by absorbing, diffusing and stabilizing sound in different room environments. Also referred to as ‘sound dampening’, these can be the difference between a noisy office and a productive office, and should always be one of the first considerations of any open office design.
Here’s a few more tips to reduce noise in your call center or office:
– Privacy cubicles
– Designated eating or social area
– Webchat system available to agents and supervisors
– Email each other instead of shouting across the office
– Avoid meetings in the middle of a call center floor
– Put all noisy machines (like printers or copiers) in a self-contained room
– Use a series of doors and corridors to separate working areas
– Seat same-shift agents together
– Review past calls to check for background noise
– Play recordings back to noisy agents to show them how loud they really are
– Ban mobile phones or implement a policy to switch phones off
– Put artwork canvasses on the walls
– Plants can cheer up an office as well as absorb noise
– White Noise Machines can mask external ambient noise and improve the call experience for the agent and caller