Telephony Technology Tools

The right equipment- phone systems, headsets etc. can make or break the business in a call center. The requirements of a call center are different from that of an office and thus the equipment used also needs to be suited for that environment. In certain offices, there are sound reducing barriers separating agents, but in many others, the agents just sit in rows without any barriers separating them.

In such a noisy atmosphere, noise canceling microphones are a necessity. Headsets with ‘voice tubes’, which pick up noise from a distance of 10-15 feet are not at all suitable for a call center. This microphone will pick up the voice of not just that caller but eight others in the radius as well. The person on the other end should be able to hear the agent clearly and at the same time the conversation of one agent should not interfere with that of others. Noise canceling microphones themselves come in two varieties- ‘standard’ and ‘ultra.’ The latter variety is of the best use in a call center. The ‘standard’ kind might still pick up some background noise, which can distract the caller.

The quality of the headset speaker is also equally important. In environments which are particularly noisy, a binaural headset too might work. A binaural headset is one in which there is a set of two speakers, one for each ear. In addition to these requirements, the headsets have to be comfortable, sturdy and should contain a warranty.

The call center phones offered by companies have a variety of features. The DSC phone system can process incoming phone calls and later distribute them through the ACD system. Callers can perform self-help functions through the IVR system by making selections on the phone set using the keypad. These phones can even connect the calls to employees who work at home or in other locations. The DSC phone system can perform outgoing calling functions such as voice broadcasting, progressive dialing, preview dialing etc.