Headsets don't get nearly the respect that they deserve. They are so ubiquitous, so mundanely everyday, that we often take them for granted. And yet they are the most intimate part of every agent's daily experience. They are close enough and personal enough to actually be touching people's bodies. Doesn't that at least merit some attention?

We think it does. That's why we bring you our annual headset roundup in two parts. First, a guide to selection criteria and best practices. We've combed through our best sources for lore and wisdom about how people in real world situations are using (and should be using) their headsets. We bring it to you in part one.

Part two is a more detailed look at the product offerings available from the key headset vendors. We checked in with the major headset manufacturers to find out what their latest headsets and amplifiers have to offer. Some of the newish features making their way into mainstream headsets in recent years: USB connectivity, VoIP readiness, wireless, and the ability for a manufacturer's headset to work with amplifiers from different vendors.

Headsets in Small Centers

A reader poses this question: To what extent is the use of headsets required in small call centers, and what experience does the industry have with agents who refuse to wear them?

Becky Simpson, a U.K. consultant, has this answer: "In my experience, it is frequently those agents that work in small call centers that feel that headsets are unnecessary -- I sympathize with the situation!

"Some years ago I was responsible for a small call center where, traditionally, staff had always used handsets. This 'preference' seemed to have grown up on the basis that staff were involved in a number of activities as well as call handling and therefore they did not want to be wearing headsets at times when they were undertaking these other types of work.

"I felt that the reasons why staff in small call centers should wear headsets were exactly the same as the reasons why their counterparts in large call centers wear them. For example:

• Allowing agents to concentrate on the caller rather than being distracted by what is going on in the background
• By using noise cancelling headsets, cutting out background noise so that the caller receives a more 'professional' experience
• Freeing up the agent's hands to be able to enter and retrieve information simultaneously with call handling, thus improving their efficiency and reducing after call work time
• Eliminating the need for agents to cradle the handset between their head and shoulder, thus improving their posture and general well-being
• Facilitating the use of the auto-connect facility so that calls can be answered immediately because the agent no longer has to wait for the phone to ring before picking up the handset

"Like all call center managers I had the responsibility of improving the quality and performance of our output. The use of headsets potentially allows quicker speed of answer, an improved caller experience, greater efficiency and improved health and safety in the workplace.

"Because my staff had come from a traditionally administrative focused background, wearing headsets was something that was alien to them. Therefore, I had to find out what their reasons were for not wanting to use headsets in order to understand their issues and find ways to overcome them. The reasons I identified were mainly around their fears about a lack of personal freedom (being tethered to the desk) and concerns about health and hygiene. The staff had never had the opportunity to use headsets before and really had no experience of them so there were also issues around making what they felt was a great change.

"In order to overcome these types of concerns:

• Agents were given a full choice of headsets to choose from so that they could select binaural or monaural versions, leatherette or foam ear pads or the versions that hook over one ear
• Agents could choose collectively to have wireless headsets to overcome the issue about lack of personal freedom and mobility
• Agents were promised, and received, their own personal headsets for which they had the responsibility of looking after
• Agents received antiseptic wipes each week to ensure that headsets were maintained in a clean, hygienic state

"Involving staff in the choice of headsets gave them ownership and it wasn't long before they became so used to the 'new way of working' that they wondered why they ever thought using handsets had any advantages!

"My personal experience is that if you consult and involve staff and work with them to overcome issues and, importantly, give them choice, you will be onto a winner. There are now so many headset suppliers and choices, the only problem is that it could take weeks for your agents to make a selection!"

Headsets in a Loud Center

We recently spoke to staff at a call center run by a nonprofit foundation where the agents interview senior citizens -- people who are often hard of hearing. The center is moving to a new location and the agents are concerned that the new space, which is rumored to have an "open, ecological design," will make those interviews difficult. If the agents can't have their own offices to conduct phone interviews, how can they make sure that they don't disrupt each other with all the shouting they have to do to be heard by the seniors they're talking to?

This seems like a logical question for a lot of centers, not just those that deal with seniors. In any constant communications environment, the ambient noise conditions have an effect on the quality of the customer experience and on the morale (i.e., turnover) of the agent pool. We wondered if there were any dedicated solutions for the very loud center.

Pro Tech Communications has a line for loud centers called Trinity, which have large cup-like earphones. The company has a line of consumer audio headphones called NoiseBuster. For some reason the company hasn't used this technology for their call center headsets.

One really different approach comes from a Korean company called Vonia. They make bone conducting headsets that transmit sound through your skull, not your ear. The company website explains the fascinating concept: "The Bone Conduction Transducer converts electric signals into mechanical vibrations which transmits sound. Converted vibration signals go through the temple of a person's head and stimulates the auditory nerve via bone vibrations. This process allows sounds to bypass the eardrum."

It's apparently great for people who get sore ears and headaches from regular headsets, but we're not sure how well they'd work in a loud center. However, the company seems to suggest that when you use something else to cover your ears, the bone-conducting headsets work great in loud places.

Do a Little Internal Research

You run a call center, so you are bombarded by numbers and metrics all day every day. Have you considered that there may be a correlation between the headsets your reps choose and their performance? We've seen stranger linkages.

Try running a series of comparisons of rep performance across a variety of different scenarios. While it's unlikely that a headset can make someone a better seller or a more sympathetic person, it's very possible that a particular model or style can influence someone subtly by encouraging them to stay on the phones for longer periods. Are breaks less frequent with certain types?

Is there a common headset to your chronic absentees or to your highest volume agents? We have never seen anyone even do this research, so if you come up with anecdotal evidence from your center, not only would we love to see it, but you might become the first to discover a competitive differentiator that can put your center on top.

Part Two: What's On The Market

We mentioned a couple of headset models that we found interesting above, but the market is pretty broad and deep for the savvy buyer of head-mounted interpersonal communications gear.

We surveyed the landscape to see what some of the top vendors are working on these days.

Andrea Electronics (Bohemia, NY) has a line of headsets for call center use that include the CS-900 Monaural Noise Cancelling Headset and the CS-950 Binaural version. Both feature a coiled cord with quick release and modular handset plug and the rugged Pro-Flex microphone boom. And they feature the company's proprietary noise-cancellation technology that reduces noise about four decibels per octave.

The main difference, as you might have surmised from the product names, is that the CS900 has a single speaker, and CS950 has two speakers. Since the sound is the same from both speakers it is not a "stereo" headset, but instead is referred to as a "binaural" headset.

The headsets also feature something called an "external windsock" -- a foam piece on the end of the mic whose purpose is to reduce "wind noise." When speaking consonants like "p," the breath of air can be picked up by the microphone and heard by the person on the other end of the phone. Some manufacturers use internal windsocks, but Andrea says that they are generally less effective than the external windsock they use.

Both headsets are designed to be used with the Andrea CA-910 Amplifier, as well as amps from Plantronics (the M12 or M10 amplifiers).

A neat peripheral that you might consider is a Y-cable, which lets two headsets connect to the same amplifier. They sell it for under $10. The two headsets themselves sell for less than $60 a unit in bulk.

One of the key ingredients that you're going to have to decide on is the issue of wireless vs. wired. Several of the major manufacturers have broadened their product lines to include headsets that appeal to the office user outside the call center, and that has led them to push their wireless headset lines. Wireless tends to be more expensive than wired, and you really have to wonder who in a call center would really benefit from using wireless.

However, that's not to say that wireless headsets aren't good. And if you're going to spend the money on style and aesthetics, there's no model we've seen that's cooler than the GN 9350 from GN Netcom (Nashua, NH). In the wireless family this device offers full convergence between traditional and IP telephony.

The company says it's the first wireless headset to offer Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and, for IP telephony, wideband audio with an impressive 6.8 kHz audio bandwidth that is more than twice that of conventional telephony. Users can roam up to 300 feet from the base station and take advantage of the headset's multi-unit conferencing capability. That's all great, but at $349 list, you might find it too much of a good thing to equip all your agents with such fineness. All your supervisors, maybe.

Full scale deployment for reps might call for something both more durable and less trendy - perhaps something along the lines of the GN 2100 line. These corded headsets are lightweight, flexible in style and come in versions that are optimized for either traditional telephony or VoIP. Or, agents can also use the slightly less complexly variegated GN 2200 line of "performance with value" headsets.

A similar dynamic is apparent at Plantronics (Santa Cruz, CA). They have dozens of models to choose from, varying across every possible permutation of style, wireless/wired, VoIP/TDM, and ranging up the price/durability scale.

One thing that's very nice is the educational aspect of their website. You can read, for example, about how to properly use their headsets during agent training (a period in which you can probably expect a lot of breakage and repair).

Their sets range from the H251 Supraplus Voice Tube, a no-frills but still usable tool that has no noise cancellation but runs you just $79 each, all the way up the ladder to the H171N DuoPro convertible style headset with noise-cancelling microphone and Quick Disconnect (listing at $154). If wireless is your bag, then you're going up to more than $300 per unit, and of course amplifiers run from $100 to $150. Again, the Plantronics website makes it easy to see a full spectrum of choices and compare them.

In their VoIP line, they've recently debuted the SupraPlus Wideband headset and Vista M22 amplifier. Used together or separately, the products support increased productivity and help reduce common problems with conversations that stem from poor audio quality -- including repeats, errors and listening fatigue.

Also new and interesting is the CS361N SupraPlus Wireless Professional headset. Besides standard features, this high-end beauty sports 64-bit digital encryption to ensure call privacy and up to ten hours of talk time on its battery.

Pro Tech Communications' (Fort Pierce, FL) latest offerings include the Apollo headset line. Emphasizing the durability of these models, the company says that they are sturdier than competing products because of fewer movable parts.

The Apollo features a solid, one-piece traditional slide headband for added strength and stability, with a rocker receiver housing that delivers perfect ear placement while still being directly connected to the headset housing. The spiral flex boom tube is stainless steel, not plastic.

The Apollo Freedom headsets include a powerful pre-amp microphone and are designed for use with phones with built-in amplifiers.

On the amplifier side, their Apollo Multimedia Amplifier is designed for simultaneous telephone and computer use. This multi-purpose amplifier works with any Pro Tech headset and most single- or multi-line telephones. The Apollo amp lets you simply and easily control settings like the volume and mute functions.

Designed with call center training environments in mind, the Apollo features dual headset jacks and dual mute switches to facilitate agent and trainer communications.

Sennheiser is a German audio technology company with roots in making concert and music recording equipment. They have a technology they call ActiveGard, which safeguards users from acoustic bursts -- the sudden and unexpected variations in sound levels that can potentially cause lasting damage to the human ear.

Before an undesirable incoming signal even reaches your ears, the ActiveGard technology acts as an automatic control in your headset to instantly lower the volume of unacceptably loud, high or deep sounds. Using sophisticated electrical circuits, the energy of the acoustic burst is actually removed and not just reduced. At the same time, the sound itself is compressed without distorting it. This technology is embedded in all of Sennheiser's headset models.

Their main line of headsets is the CC 500 series, which are designed for periods of heavy-duty use in high noise-level, open-plan offices and contact centers. There are at least seven models in this line, varying by number of speakers, whether you prefer earclip or headband, and other aesthetic (and personal preference) issues.

Another line, the SH 300 series, emphasizes higher-end features like comfort, styling and sound quality. The ear pads are made out of a specially designed acoustical foam, for example. This series is of lighter weight than the CC 500s.

And they also offer the entry-level SH 200 series, which seems like something of a compromise between price, durability and style with the emphasis on being economical.

Sennheiser also makes headsets that are sold under the Danacom brand.

Last but not least, Korean company Vonia (represented in the U.S. by Vonia USA, Lombard, IL) makes something really different, the aforementioned bone conducting headset line.

The EZ 4100S (monaural) and EZ 4200S (binaural) don't actually require ears. Bone conduction is the process by which sound is conducted to the internal ear through the cranial bones. Using this method, a bone conduction transducer is an electromechanical transmitter intended to produce the sensation of hearing by vibrating the bones of the head. It's a little like using your skull as a sounding board.

These headsets do cover the ears, primarily to keep ambient room noise from interfering with the sounds coming through your head. Vonia claims this both improves headset comfort, and protects your hearing by eliminating things like acoustic shock and excessive loudness.

One thing to take away from this brief tour of head-mounted interpersonal communications technologies is this: even though headsets are mature, they are still constantly improving. And that's good, because in call centers they are constantly wearing out and being replaced. It's nice to have lots of options.

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A Buyer's Headset Checklist

From our sister publication, Call Center Management Review, we found this handy checklist for selecting headsets and comparing the qualitative values across different vendors. We suggest making a grid with the models you're looking for down one side, and the data for each question on the right.

SOUND QUALITY

- What's the Frequency Response (up to 96%)

- Static-resistant components?

- Noise-cancelling microphone?

COMFORT

- Ergonomic design?

- Flexible boom?

- Choice of wearing styles?

- Pliable ear-hook?

DURABILITY

- Quick disconnect between amp and headset?

- How many bends can the flexible boom tolerate?

- What's the cord strength (should be at least 47-60 pounds)?

- Turret integrity - how many adjustments can it tolerate?

AMPLIFIER

- Universal, for most/all phone systems?

- Compression for audio protection?

- Mute button?

- Handset/headset switch?

- "Representative not available" feature?

MAINTENANCE

- Warranty (two-year minimum)

- Repair/replacement costs?

- Repair/replacement turnaround time?

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HEADS UP

Here's how to reach the headset makers we mentioned in the article.

Andrea Electronics 800-707-5779

GN Netcom 800-826-4656

Plantronics 800-544-4660

Pro Tech Communications 772-464-5100

Sennheiser 860-434-9190

Vonia 630-629-1897

Copyright 2007 CMP Media LLC. All rights reserved. 2/1/07, Issue # 2002, page 34.

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