Contact Centre Headsets: Survey Results

This article contains the extracted Headsets Chapter of our ‘What Contact Centres Are Doing Right Now’ 2021 survey report, which was sponsored by Poly.

Do You Offer Your Advisors a Choice of Headsets?

Most Advisors Purchase Their Headsets

71.2% of contact centres enable advisors to purchase a headset model that they themselves choose.

In addition, 18.2% of operations have an approved list of headsets, which the advisors purchase independently, while a further 1.8% offer advisors a choice of models that they provide.

Both of these options can also work well as advisors again get to choose a style that suits them and offers comfort.

The results are, therefore, very promising, yet 5.3% of contact centres still give a standard model to all advisors. If the design is uncomfortable for the advisor, long shifts can prove problematic.

Note, this is particularly important as agents tend to have a preference for either binaural or monaural headsets – rather than that choice just being made for them.

Are You Using Wireless Headsets?

The Dawn of Wireless Headsets Is Happening, Slowly

More than two-thirds of contact centres (67.5%) are not currently using wireless headsets.

However, 14.8% of these operations are considering switching to wireless models to prevent advisors from feeling tethered to their desks all day.

These figures indicate that the technology is set to become ever more present across the industry, providing potential benefits in improved morale and performance.

Such performance gains come from the freedom of increased movement when taking calls. Just standing up alone has been linked with increased rapport, as it helps advisors sound more confident and assertive.

What Do Your Contact Centre Headsets Connect To?

Audio Tends to Connect Directly to a Computer

As expected, most contact centres (78.8%) use headsets that connect directly to the advisor’s computer. However, some will employ headsets that plug into other devices too.

A great example is a handset. 27.7% of contact centres choose headsets that can connect with handsets.

This is interesting because if the two figures of 78.8% and 27.7% are combined, the total percentage passes 100%, which indicates that many contact centres choose headsets that can do both.

In addition, many wireless headsets function through Bluetooth technology. This also allows headsets to connect with smartphones and tablets, like those employed by 7.7% of contact centres do.

What Types of Real-Time Information Would You Like Your Headset to Provide You With?

Background Noise Measurements Interest Many

Background noise measurement is the most favoured form of real-time analytics to come through a headset, according to our contact centre professionals.

In fact, a headset with the capability to do so would interest 46.5% of survey participants.

Two further types of real-time information that attracted lots of attention were sentiment analysis and
speech analytics.

40.6% of industry professionals stated that they would like to add these capabilities to their contact centre.

What Innovation Would You Like to See in Future Headsets?

Lighter Headsets Are in Demand

47.3% of contact centre leaders would like to see the future of headset innovation focus on creating lighter models.

With that being said, several other ideas also sparked interest.

For example, 46.1% would like increased battery life in wireless headsets to allow for longer talk time.

Also, 40.7% of contact centres would like headsets to come at a lower price point, while 37.1% would enjoy a longer wireless range.

Other Key Headset Innovations

7.8 % of the hundreds of contact centre professionals surveyed wished to highlight other innovations that they believe should dictate the future of headset design. These included:

• Added durability
• Enhanced adjustability for individual users
• Improved noise cancellation
• Increased user comfort

Follow this link to view the full Call Centre Helper survey report ‘What Contact Centres Are Doing Right Now‘.

This survey was done in partnership with Akixi, NICE, Nuance, Odigo, Poly and ProcedureFlow.

Author: Robyn Coppell