Headsets are designed to give the benefits of hands-free capability, whether they are used with: telephones, workstations, laptops, or mobile phones. It is a must for anyone who uses a telephone for the larger part of the working day. Therefore, it is an exceptionally vital piece of equipment for call centers and contact centers. It is the final link between the customer and the agent in a contact center, and the quality of voice—received and transmitted—is key to the center’s productivity.

Due to the critical nature of the headset in a contact center environment, sophisticated headsets are being offered by leading vendors, to provide: comfort, increased productivity, and protection against muscle strain or RSI (repetitive strain injury).

Technology Trends
The market has a wide range of headset solutions for varied communication needs. Although the basic technology is the same for all vendors, the difference lies in the features offered. The headset could be wired or wireless, ear-bud style or more conventional, wired or wireless, or even mono or stereo.

Users should select their headset style and then choose the microphone option that best suits their environment. Two features are particularly important in choosing a headset: voice-tube technology and noise-canceling features of microphones.

Voice-tube Technology
A voice tube is a gently curved plastic tube, which can be easily positioned by the user for optimum performance. The voice tube acts as a collector of sound for the microphone, which is situated in the body of the headset. Thus, the sensitive microphone is protected—giving it enhanced durability. Also, it makes life easy for the users because they don’t have to make an effort to speak into the microphone. The voice tube is easily replaceable, allowing the headset to be kept in optimum condition. Also, it offers better hygiene as users can easily switch to their own voice tubes in cases where the headset is shared.

Noise Canceling Technology
Noise-canceling technology is critical in enhancing the efficiency levels of agents as well as ensuring the quality of interaction with the customer. A correctly positioned noise-canceling microphone can cancel-out up to 90 percent of the background noise level. This means that, the customers can clearly hear what an agent is saying, without being distracted by the background noise. In a call center where calls may be recorded, this is of particular advantage.

l Microphone Selection: It is important to select the optimum microphone type for your specific application. Using a sound level meter, the ambient noise level in the office or call center can be measured in dB, and the optimum product combination can be selected.

l Receive Sound Quality: Research by product companies has shown that reception of natural sound is vital if a phone is to be used for extended periods of time. Also, customers too should be able to hear an agent clearly and without straining. Thus, the sound-frequency response of each headset has to be developed to meet this objective.

l Transient Protection: Transient protection is necessary to protect the users from sudden increases in volume, which can damage the hearing.

l Product Comfort: Headset comfort is vital for the productivity gains that are expected from headsets. It is important that the product design accommodates all the critical human factor elements.