How to Reduce the Noise in a Call Center?

One of the major problems faced by agents working in a call center outsourcing company is the background noise. Management needs to take care of this problem as it creates a very unproductive working environment for employees. They are constantly distracted by it and are not able to focus on the task at hand. Further, this noise is also heard by the callers at the other end and makes it difficult for both agents and customers to communicate effectively over telephone.


Mentioned below are some of the tested and well proven strategies for reducing the effect of this noise.
Increase The Space Of Agents: This is probably one of the most effective but expensive strategy of reducing the effect of sound on the quality of your call center services. An ideal setup would require you to provide more than 120 square foot of space to each agent. This will provide proper space to each agent and will help them in focusing on their jobs.

Install White Noise Generators: This technique uses sound to kill noise. The white noise generators produce a predefined level of background noise which overshadows the more distractive & obstructive sounds that make it difficult for agents to hear what is being said from the other end.

Cubicles: Another great way of reducing the sound levels is by providing cubicles to call agents. These cubicles can be walled with voice dampening materials to make them more sound proof. However, this might require complete redesigning and furnishing of the center therefore it would be better if cubicles are installed during the development of offshore call center.

Reduce The Number Of Machines That Create Noise:
Machines such as fax machine, servers, photocopiers etc should be placed in a separate room. If such devices are placed on the floors where agents work then they are bound to get distracted by them. The coffee and vending machines should also be placed outside as they also produce sound when being used. Further, coffee machines are the most favorite spots for office gossip. This will also distract other agents.

Never Hold Meeting On the Floor:
Unless and until you have to inform your whole staff about something, avoid having meeting on the floor. Small gathering and private meetings on the floor are sure shot distraction points. Even if other agents are not able to hear what you are talking about, still they will be distracted by you and won’t be able to focus until the meeting is over.

Offshore call centers need to take special care of noise levels in their delivery centers as their productivity and efficiency will directly reflect in the performance of their clients. Poor performance is liable to invite undesired actions from such clients.

A Short Note of the Rudiments of Call Center Outsourcing

The rising cost of the technology infrastructure and demanding labors in the developed nations have forced many prime businesses to outsource their business operations to approach the professionals that are located far away from their business locations. The concept of outsourcing is a widely applied methodology that determines the businesses to perform better and efficiently. For an existing firm that has been following this method from a long time can easily find out the conditions and how to handle the market situations in an adept manner. But for the establishments that are very new should understand the basics and a few questions that can help them to find out the best call center outsourcing establishments.

In the up-to-date economy, outsourced activity has extended beyond manufacturing processes to embrace diverse business functions that can include human resources, marketing, technical support, customer service and many more. Whether it is retail or finance, banking or insurance, etc. it has become mandatory for these sectors to make a guardian that are handling all the complex processes in a tactful manner. The feasibility to technical skills, multilingual ability, and lower costs due to less expensive labor markets have all made outsourcing the best option of all times. There are also some inbound call centers that offers specialized services such as consulting or professional services and can assist in providing advice on offshore strategy and management. Therefore, the companies that have already planned to outsource any outbound or inbound call center services should follow some basic questions which can help them to find the best outsourcing partner:

The following questions will help provide some important guidelines.

  1. Which detailed professional or dedicated services do you offer that set you separate from your competition?
  2. Will the outsourced call center services be translucent to my business partners and their customers?
  3. What would be the concern in project implementation and the transition of the business?
  4. Will be my data secure?
  5. What if you sell ma data base to me competitors?
  6. How can you promise a continuous transition and how will you exhibit commitment to my brand and company?
  7. How will you adhere to my company’s values and maintain a high level of quality and service?
  8. Explain your agent-training process, including acculturation and accent training if you use offshore agents.
  9. What are the specific metrics used to measure accomplishment and how often will I receive performance updates?
  10. Will there be any references provided?
  11. What is your disaster recovery plan? Is there a practicable system in place that ensures ongoing business operations and negligible disruption to customers in an emergency?
  12. What is the exit strategy if I’m discontented with your service?
    Follow them and may be you can be on a safer side from now onwards.