For Today's CX, Every Detail Matters — Even Down to the Headsets in Your Contact Center

Written by Simon Kruger and J.P. Dundas

It requires C-suite leaders to extend beyond traditional CX strategies to transform their organizations through their data, technology, and talent. Why is that so critical? They need to continually find ways to simplify, streamline, and add comfort and choice to enhance their employees' experience so that employees, in turn, are satisfied and motivated to deliver outstanding results for customers. Recent global research from PWC shows that 92% of the C-suite reported they are satisfied with the technology experience they provide for their workforce. The disconnect is, only 68% of the staff interviewed agree with that assessment*. This experience gap really makes a difference when it comes to employee satisfaction and productivity. Having an accurate understanding of how your talent uses technology to perform their jobs, and knowing what they need and want from the tools they use on a daily basis, can enhance the overall experience. 

Focus on the agent experience to improve customer experience

Since the contact center is your central hub for most or all of your customer interactions, and a customer's first point of contact after a sale is often a contact center representative, your brand reputation is continually reflected by the agents who work there. With this in mind, it's important to remember that customer service agents have repetitive, challenging jobs. They're on the frontline when it comes to dealing with the delivery of your product or service.  

Whatever you can do to make your employees' jobs easier will go a long way in keeping them satisfied, productive, and client-focused. One meaningful way to ensure greater agent satisfaction is to provide them with the proper hardware and equipment—even down to their headsets. Whether you offer your agents an all-day comfort headset or advanced features like active noise canceling or sound guard, these considerations can help improve their overall, daily experience. Think of it this way—your brand doesn't need an angry customer trying to talk to an agent when they're hearing noises in the background—especially if they're going to post about their terrible experience afterward. That can all be avoided with the right hardware which mutes noises and alleviates interference, creating a better experience for your employees and clients. 

Before selecting headsets, consider the conditions of your call center 

There are many factors to consider when planning for the type of equipment you want in your contact center. For instance, the size of your contact center is an essential factor. If you have thousands of agents on one floor and they're all using Bluetooth headsets, the competing radio frequencies could cause a delay, which would slow voice response, cause crackling, or even cross signals. In these cases, a wired approach might be more appropriate.  

Other considerations include: 

• Are there nearby conversations and/or interruptions? If so, noise canceling is mandatory as well as algorithms to improve voice clarity.
• Do your agents work in a hybrid situation where they may require two headsets—one for home and one for the office?

By offering agents the right hardware, you can ensure reliability and minimize disruptions; block out noise, making it easier for the agent to hear and speak to the customer; and enhance the experience for both the agent and the client by delivering quality, clarity, and continuity. 

Comfort is another essential factor. When agents are comfortable in and with their devices, they can concentrate on their role in meeting client needs versus worrying about their technology. (i.e.: the cable needs to be at a certain angle to avoid crackling, etc.) 

Remember, one size does not fit all 

Because contact centers—and agents—come in all shapes, sizes, and types, WWT and HP | Poly experts will help you know for sure you have the right technology to meet your current needs. 

WWT's Dynamic Persona Assessment is different from standard persona assessments because it merges data and institutional knowledge, building a sustainable persona framework you can leverage to guide technical decisions and initiatives. A persona framework helps simplify your technology selection process, identifying the type of workers you have in your contact center and helping you categorize the products that are the best fit for those types.  

You'll see very different types, such as office collaborators, road warriors, remote collaborators, etc. Each persona type tends to prefer certain technology choices. We have insights into how, when, and where particular hardware is used. You don't need to be an expert in this area, you can lean on WWT and  HP | Poly for that. For instance, if you have an influx of road warriors, they're on the road and in planes every day, therefore wired devices would not be a good fit for them. They want technology that stays in the ear. They want noise cancellation and good, long battery life. Giving agents their choice of headsets can also go a long way toward creating a positive agent experience.  

HP | Poly provides a broad range of styles and connectivity options so all your employees can benefit from the ideal device for their work. Multiple wearing options are important, but so are the health and safety of your agents. HP | Poly has conducted several clinical studies on the ear and the importance of decibel volume. Since your call center agents don't have control over how loud their conversations become, and they wear their devices every day, all day, HP | Poly incorporates sound guard into the headsets. This important acoustic safety feature limits the maximum decibel exposure an agent can experience, keeping your employees' ears healthier over time. 

Not only will WWT and HP | Poly provide you with a wide range of products and solutions, but they will also give you a chance to test your hardware in WWT's Advanced Technology Center (ATC) before you buy. In the ATC, you can uncover wearing style details that matter. For example:

• Do your agents have long hair, or short?
• Would they prefer a headset that comes up around their head and covers their ears? Perhaps they want to keep one ear free so they can hear what's going on around them.

These details may seem insignificant, but they are essential factors when it comes to selecting the right technology for your employees.  

Cloud and hybrid cloud contact center platforms to manage contact center costs  

By engaging WWT and HP | Poly, you can rely on our combined expertise to recommend "good, better, and best scenarios," depending on your specific needs. WWT and HP | Poly work to enable organizations like yours to balance both cost-effective devices with a comfortable working environment for maximum satisfaction of both employees and customers. 

HP | Poly supports all of the leading contact center vendors, which gives it the advantage of having a vast knowledge base. As the market changes, HP | Poly continues to adapt, offering solutions that are tried, tested and ready.  

WWT and HP | Poly will help you ask and answer questions that lead to faster implementation of your solutions. Some of the questions you will want to address are: 

• What platform are we on today? What solutions work best with that platform?
• Do we have legacy technology to consider? Do we want to refresh it?
• Should we consider cloud solutions?

Many companies are moving from traditional, on-premise contact centers to the cloud for simplicity and cost efficiency. Since the C-suite is tasked with future-proofing the business, moving to the cloud is one way to prepare for that. According to research, 36% of call centers are moving to the cloud**.  Why? Results showed that financial flexibility is one of the biggest motivators. By converting your fixed costs of on-premises technology to more predictable costs associated with the cloud, you will have more flexibility to scale up or down depending on customer traffic—thus reducing your costs and avoiding unnecessary infrastructure expenses. 

The hybrid model between on-premises call centers and the cloud is also increasing in popularity. This flexibility gives the C-suite a way to prepare its business for whatever is coming next.   

HP | Poly delivers a true advantage because it works with some of the biggest technology companies out there, such as Google, Zoom, Microsoft, etc. This gives you compatibility right out of the box, and the peace of mind knowing HP | Poly has the most approved devices for Zoom and Microsoft. 

Nobody wants to spend a million dollars on a recurring revenue stream on software, half a million dollars on hardware, and then have compatibility problems. It's added assurance having multiple manufacturers for your headsets, desk phones and video devices—that you can manage HP | Poly devices on a single pane of glass. Now that's employee and customer satisfaction you can take to the bank. 

How WWT can help

WWT technical experts can assess your existing environment and provide unbiased feedback and proven options for all your contact center needs. As a HP | Poly Platinum partner, we have more than 11 years of partnership expertise in designing, testing, and delivering best-in-class, integrated solutions that accelerate digital transformation and drive your business forward.   

We can help with all aspects of workplace and office space solutions, from identifying personas and matching appropriate hardware to pricing and implementation. 

You can also leverage our Advanced Technology Center (ATC) for hands-on access to explore these hardware solutions and interact directly with expert solution architects that can provide product comparisons and recommendations.  

About WWT and HP | Poly

As a Platinum partner, WWT and HP | Poly bring world-class solutions to help solve the dilemma of working from anywhere on any platform. HP | Poly and WWT are trailblazers when it comes to solving the dilemma of working from anywhere, creating equity between those in the room and those who aren't. Whether in an office setting, a remote hub, or your home office, we've got you covered. WWT outfits your office space and personal space, even those in outer space, with the HP | Poly gear you need to look and sound your best. 

References:  

* "Our Status with Tech at Work: It's Complicated." PWC. 

** "Five Reasons Why Contact Centers Move to the Cloud." Aberdeen Research.