Headset for Call Center job?

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tardtasticx

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#113431 16-Jan-2013 20:21

So recently I started a new job at a call center answering inbound calls for a household name company.
The job has its downsides, most of which are the nearly 2 hours commuting each day, rest are the few truly nasty prank callers. Otherwise, I love it :D

Anyway,
We were given a really basic headset, it does the job but it hurts the tops of my ears so I'm looking for a new one.
Requirements are reasonable price,
comfort,
and plug and play usability.

The systems at work run windows XP, but they dont have much Internet access. We have intranet and can get to google, but cant open anything after that, so downloading drivers is out of the question. The headsets we do have run through some adapter called "Jabra" which Ive never heard of. The headset itself has a kind of altered USB plug but the PC's themselves have USB on them and I've seen other agents use headsets with them.

So which one would you guys recommend? I dont really wanna spend too much but its starting to get quite annoying and leaves a bit of pain at the end of a full week.

Cheers :D

btw, 4th year badge was on here for me when I logged in, been so long already!

gehenna

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#745919 16-Jan-2013 20:25

Jabra have a decent range, might be worth looking at.

sbiddle

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#745936 16-Jan-2013 20:43

Jabra.

johny99

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#745948 16-Jan-2013 21:20

will yr manager not get you one i.e. OSH if its a hazard

antoniosk

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#745957 16-Jan-2013 21:30

I don't work in a call centre, but I do use a wide range of headsets at work.... Great for hands free working.

Plantronics c420 is a great USB one with boom mic and both ear covers.

I also use a gn netcomm 9350 wireless - Jabra is the market name for their products, and they have both USB and phone connectors.

But I agree with one of the posters that you should be supplied with one as part of your job, given its mandatory to doing your job... The employer may not agree, but if its causing real discomfort and pain, it can become an OSH complaint.

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gzt

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#746141 17-Jan-2013 09:26

What kind of prank callers do call centres get?

A different headset for the adaptor already present could be the best way to go. Save yourself any possible driver problems and minimise cost which you should not be paying for anyway imho.

raytaylor

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#746994 18-Jan-2013 17:10

I highly recomend plantronics. They can be expensive but accountants love them - they are cordless with a little charger base for when you go on lunch.

If you are primarily answering calls, rather than the occasional call then a wireless headset will not work for you - the battery will not last the day.

The guys at All Ears are a specialist headset company that i find are awesome to deal with.
http://www.allears.co.nz/index.htm

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gehenna

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#747042 18-Jan-2013 17:44

I'd go for Jabra over Plantronics, purely for the affordability factor. I've yet to use a Plantronics device that outperforms it's Jabra counterpart.

ubergeeknz

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#747044 18-Jan-2013 17:47

gehenna: I'd go for Jabra over Plantronics, purely for the affordability factor. I've yet to use a Plantronics device that outperforms it's Jabra counterpart.

QFT. Jabra make the best gear. Just compare a Jabra and the equivalent Plantronics in person, and you'll understand the difference. At my previous job we sold jabra (formerly GN Netcomm) headsets to contact centres for years and never had any problems with them.

Suggest you get in touch with cackle (cackle.co.nz) - great team, and they'll even give you trial units to try.

tardtasticx

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#749118 22-Jan-2013 20:23

I had a look at the Jabra ones but couldnt seem to find one that wasn't unnecessary compared to how much I earn,
but in a stroke of luck it seems, my headset broke today, like actually broke.

Had about 4 inbound calls, no one replied but I could hear noise, put line on hold and spoke to a co worker, he sugguested getting someone to call me so I got my mate in the next cubicle to do it. He called and I could hear him but he couldnt hear me. Problem found. Logged off, not fixed. Went to supervisor, he was like "oh yeh they break all the time" which seems pretty accurate considering its my second one of that model. He ended up replacing it on the spot for a different one, a GN NetCom GN2000. Slightly larger, but with more padding so the ears arent so uncomfortable. Problem sorted :D

But it still uses that stupid Jabra link thing so useless outside of work, cant really see what its like with anything other than voice calls or a dial tone haha.

Thanks for your help anyway guys, so what do you lot use at your call center jobs then? I cant be the only one on here that still works in a call center

LittleGold

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#749124 22-Jan-2013 20:36

My first call centre used plantronics, vile produce.

The prank calls can be both tiresome/entertaining I found. When I worked at trade me I loved them because its an 0900 number so I kept them on as long as possible while they paid for the privilege of yelling/laughing/whispering or breathing at me. Haha stupidity knows no cost!

DjShadow

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#749134 22-Jan-2013 21:03

+1 Plantronics, make sure you get wireless ones also

I believe PB tech sells them

Also would it be worth speaking to the Health and Safety Rep about it? incase others have the same problem

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Kyanar

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#751230 26-Jan-2013 16:32

LittleGold: My first call centre used plantronics, vile produce.

The prank calls can be both tiresome/entertaining I found. When I worked at trade me I loved them because its an 0900 number so I kept them on as long as possible while they paid for the privilege of yelling/laughing/whispering or breathing at me. Haha stupidity knows no cost!

I feel jipped now. I used to work for a market research company (want to do a survey?) and we never got any of that sort of thing, just new curses to use when we get angry!