Creating Smarter Customer Service Contact Centers: High Performance Headsets and Digital Processors from Plantronics

Plantronics announced the new Plantronics EncorePro 500 Series and next-generation DA Series USB Digital Audio Processors for their headsets.

Specially-designed to cater to Customer Service Representatives, Plantronics EncorePro 500 Series is the new contact center solutions, which was built considering both past experiences and the need of the future ahead. The new solutions offers increased reliability, which is expected to aid in managing costs, better comfort for long-time wearing, and clearer calls because of its excellent noise-cancelling feature. These features are enough to entice the CSRs to be more satisfied in wearing their headsets, which can lead to better conversations with the customers.

The industrial design of the solutions, which are professionally graded, are created using new technologies and materials, which leads to excellent comfort brought about by ergonomic fit, lightness and excellent durability. One of the technologies used is the noise-canceling feature, which helps in making sure that conversations will be heard more clearly and at the same time reducing the background noise, from close talkers to keyboard clacks, which also helps to minimize misunderstood words.

The Plantronics EncorePro 500 Series includes:

• Dedicated-over-the-head EncorePro 510/520
• Over-the-ear EncorePro 530
• Convertible EncorePro 540 (which has a unique and simple design, and also offers high performance audio)

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Wideband audio are supported by all models.

Completing the entire audio experience, the Plantronics headsets DA Series USB Digital Audio Processors provide context in each and every call. The effects of these new Plantronics solutions for customer service is evident. Better metrics, agents’ attraction and retention, and improved customer experience are the results.

The new Plantronics digital audio processors are intended to connect the quick-disconnect headsets using USB ports to computers. Different user controls are incorporated including:

• Volume adjustments
• Call controls
• Mute features

With the Plantronics SoundGuard digital technology as the basis, the all support Noise @ Work is used, which helps to protect CSRs from sounds which are above 118 dBA. There is also anti-startle protections which can detect if there is a sudden increase in sound and could eliminate it as well. A Time Weight Average (TWA) measurement is also incorporated, which can help in managing CSRs’ average sound exposure daily. Containing firmware, which based the notifications they generate on the changes of hardware’s state, all devices are smart and Plantronics Hub supported. There are other models though that use acoustic events in order for notifications to be generated. Other telemetry aspects which are important to service centers are also used but have not been available. The Plantronics DA-90 is a good example since it offers logging for acoustic events, for an effort to help customers to continuously be compliant with initiatives; with G.616 recommendations of Australia is an example of these initiatives. The APIs of the software solutions in Plantronics Spokes suite have these events tracked and exposed.

Shifting the customer service center’s balance of power, Smartphones today offer self-service features that provides more freedom and action than customers can ever think about. Smartphones nowadays provide enough information and self-service options that once a customer calls for the help of CSRs, it means that they have already made use of these methods and still was not able to have the information they need. This would mean though that the customers would want their issues quickly resolved since they have tried all the methods they could do. Because of this, these calls are considered an escalation, which pressures the agents to perform excellently despite how questionable and low the audio quality of the customer’s mobile environment may be. In addition, these over-the-phone transactions have high value and could be complex. Center managers so are required to make sure that all calls have high quality sounds and that customers won’t be able to hear any confidential information from other callers talking to other agents in the center. This is why there is a need for a comprehensive solutions for these customer service heroes.

In order for the CSRs to cater to the problems and issues of the customers, they will have to communicate effectively and clearly, especially with how self-service smartphones are now leading to higher customer expectations on calls.

The best comprehensive solutions for CSR is the combination of Plantronics Hub, Plantronics Digital Audio Adapters, and Plantronics EncorePro 500 Series. Expected to provide better customer experience, this solutions is meant to provide the best aid for the CSRs. The assimilation of these three will make it possible to provide the necessary actions, with the aid of the interaction’s metrics and events. In addition to this, with SDK integrated to the call routing systems, APIs are made available and so are in real-time and will give way to new possibilities in these areas: agent status updates automations, headset inventory and warranty status dashboard management, security feature screen-locking for disconnected headset, supervisor alerts about agent-call conversational conflicts, and tracking of agent’s physical call controls.

Another big advantage is the integration of Plantronics with several vendors like:

• Alcatel-Lucent
• Aspect
• Avaya
• Cisco
• Enterprise
• Genesys
• Interactive Intelligence

Other alliances are expected to enter the 2015 market.

Principal Analyst in Customer Contact, Frost & Sullivan, Nancy Jamison said, “This launch covers everyone—usability and personal comfort for the agent, agent monitoring of events, ordering, budgeting, and inventory tracking for the supervisor. Particularly intriguing is the enablement of event tracking for things such as agent status when the headset is disconnected allowing for actions to occur such as screen locking.”

Vice President, Enterprise Communications Solutions, Plantronics, Bill Loewenthal said, “We are building on the world’s most successful professional grade headset, the SuprPlus, and this is a challenge we did not take lightly. Our deep understanding of the new business needs and role of Customer Service, and availability of new materials, design philosophies, manufacturing techniques and core technologies resulted in a new portfolio that is not only state-of-the-art by today’s standards, but also future-proofed to adapt as the landscape changes. It is no longer just about a first-class audio experience. With our new portfolio, organizations will immediately see the value that we bring by providing equipment and intelligence which enable operations to be more effective, and create a positive experience for both the CSR and the customer.”

The new Plantronics Customer Service Solutions prides itself with a lot of excellent and exciting features. The call control feature of Plantronics DA-80 and DA-90 can easily be accessed in your fingertips. With the adjustable fit and Quick Disconnect™ feature, comfort and convenience are part of its nature. Complete with positioning guides flexible boom, the custom noise cancelling microphones offer next-generation kind of service. In addition to that, the anti-startle feature of Noise @ Work with the G616 compliance helps protect CSRs with the regulations. Some also use Wideband Audio with SoundGuard® technology that offers outstanding audio quality. The design is ergonomic, stylish and cutting-edge. And the company even provides a great and extraordinary global support and service.

Plantronics Customer Service Solutions also offer firmware updates accessible through Plantronics Hub, as well as Plantronics Manager Pro in early of year 2015. All key call events are captured and reported when the solutions are integrated with the softphones. With reliable and strong materials, they are indeed unparalleled.

Some models are immediately available like the convertible EncorePro 540 and over-the-ear Encore 530. On December, voice tube versions and noise-cancelling EncorePro 510/520 and the DA-80 USB Digital Audio Processor will be made available too.