Missed the first two blog posts in our headset series? Check out Choosing The Right Headset to Benefit From Unified Communications and How The Best Office Headsets Improve Efficiency.
New research shows that more and more companies are using softphones, conferencing services, and unified communications clients (UCC) in their organizations, leading to a significant growth in the deployment of unified communications (UC) and PC-based communication tools, particularly headsets. Once deployed only among call center agents and high-level executives, headsets are now the norm across all employee levels and departments in most organizations, and decision-makers are looking at how to improve the ROI of their company-wide adoption of headsets.
Consumer-Grade vs. Business-Grade
According to research conducted recently by Logitech, there appears to be inconsistency between what businesses say they want and what they actually need, resulting in some businesses choosing entry level consumer-grade headsets for business environments. Critically, many consumer-grade headsets are not built for the typical all-day usage that a business environment requires, and don’t offer the advanced features that make the UC experience seamless, such as call answer/hang-up and digital signal processing (DSP) professional audio.
For business-grade headsets, research shows that 1) product features, 2) brand, and 3) vendor recommendations are the top three decision factors. Surprisingly (for some!), price is NOT one of the top 3 reasons. This is primarily because businesses that look for the least expensive device typically sacrifice critical features, which can lead to a decrease in usage and the need for faster replacement.
So should price determine the type of headsets you buy?
It’s tempting to go for the most budget-friendly device in the market, but often, decision-makers recognize that low cost does not typically correlate with high performance. Headsets that are inexpensive but provide poor audio quality—or are uncomfortable to use—only end up diluting ROI. Adoption and usage rates of such devices among employees are low, and this, in turn, affects employee engagement with the applications and services these tools are meant to support and enhance. Productivity suffers, and your business profits from neither the headsets, nor the related apps and UC services.
What to Look for When Purchasing Headsets for Your Business
When purchasing headsets for your business, it’s important to think about what your employees need. Not all of them are going to require every single feature available with some of the more advanced headsets. The average headset user needs only a basic device to help them focus on the call.
One option would be to provide different devices for entry-level and advanced users. Opt for headsets with excellent sound quality and durability for entry-level users, and high-end devices with advanced features for employees familiar with, or in need of, such functionalities. If that sounds too complicated and impractical for your business, a simpler solution might be to invest in headsets with universal utility. Ensure that the range of features includes:
- UC platforms certification and optimization
- Comfort
- High-quality audio input and output
- Sturdy construction
- Ease of use
- Strong vendor heritage
- Low price point
- In-line controls such as call, answer, and mute
What’s the most important consideration for you in purchasing a headset, whether as an IT decision-maker or for personal use? Take a 360-degree tour of our audio portfolio here.
