Study Finds Call Center Background Noise Leads to Increased Turnover and Angry Customers

The contact center is a noisy place. Many of us have experienced the problem: in an effort to communicate with an agent, we find ourselves distracted by the background noise of other agents serving other customers. But in an era where quality of service is an important competitive differentiator for many companies, the nightclub level of noise in the background may be costing companies customers.

While it’s frustrating at the customer end, it may be even more so at the call center agent end. Call center work has high turnover rates, and the chaotic atmosphere in which agents are expected to work may be contributing to the costly problem.

Voice isolation software company IRIS Clarity (News - Alert) recently conducted a study that surveyed contact center agents in the U.S. and U.K. The results, which are presented in a white paper, concluded that 89 percent of agents believe noise negatively impacts call quality, the ability to communicate, and time to resolution. Eighty five percent of those surveyed noted that noise results in agents and customers needlessly repeating themselves, which costs the business money. And 69 percent say noise has a negative effect on their mental health — a key factor in an industry with staff churn of 30 to 45 percent.

Excess background noise also leads to longer average handle time and reduced customer satisfaction scores. CSAT scores are already on the decline: the world seems more impatient and more short-tempered as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Even remote work doesn’t entirely eliminate the noise problem, which can also come from the customer side, or the agent’s home. In addition to spacing agents out from one another and installing sound barriers, noise canceling technology can help mitigate the problem.

"Background noise is a crucial issue that needs to be addressed in the workplace, particularly in call centers,” said Jacobi Anstruther, CEO of IRIS Clarity, in a statement. “As companies grapple with the acceleration towards virtual communications and the strain that places on productivity and wellbeing, it’s time to consider how we improve both the agent and customer experience.”

Edited by Greg Tavarez