Acoustic Engineering in Contact Centres Can Increase Productivity

Recent studies have revealed that British businesses are losing a fortune due to distractions and stress caused to their employees from high levels of noise in the workplace. This is especially true in contact centres, which are claimed to be the fastest growing business sector in the world and are an organization’s first point of contact with existing and potential customers.

Though there are many advantages to working in call centers, they can also be the most complex and stressful work environments. By employing acoustic management in call centers, British businesses can realise increased staff productivity and save millions of pounds.

In a release, Peter Timbrell, managing director of Workplace Consultancy Services, said many businesses could maximize staff output by making a few simple changes to their contact centre design. Stress and poorer productivity can be brought about by asking staff to carry out a demanding job in an acoustically challenged environment. Constant verbal communication, background noise from telephone conversations or spontaneous meetings, telephones ringing and other mechanical noises can all disrupt concentration and customer service levels.

Recent research shows that broken concentration and stress can make office workers lose up to two hours of productivity daily which is equivalent to 45 days a year and in terms of revenue loss it is £4,903 per employee in a year and £139 billion a year for all British businesses. A survey of 1,800 office workers revealed 64 per cent felt they were distracted up to 20 times a day while 18 per cent felt they were distracted more than 20 times. Vocal colleagues and mobile phone ringtones were named as the worst distraction offenders while the noise generated by emails was also cited.

Timbrell -- whose Derby based Workplace Consultancy’s division deals in interior design, commercial furniture, complete office renovation, and a key element of this is acoustic engineering -- explained that acoustic management in call centers can be done by installing sound absorption fillers on walls, sound blocking screens and sound masking on the ceilings.

He said call centre sound masking systems are the ideal choice, as they lower “noise floor,” or the level of continuous noise, to a comfortable and acceptable level. An added benefit is that it decreases the amount of noise customers hear over the telephone which lends itself to better experience for them.

12th March 2010