VoIP calls demand clear communication. Yet, the challenge of background noise often ruins conversations and detracts from the real matters at hand. Whether it's the sound of traffic, the hum of an air conditioner, or a nearby conversation, unwanted background noise can significantly hinder the quality of calls. Background noise reduction is fast becoming an urgent issue for many call centres.
Businesses will enjoy the following benefits if they consider noise cancelling apps and software for their VoIP calls:
- Enhanced call clarity
- Improved customer satisfaction
- Increased agent productivity
- Better professional image
- Reduced background noise during call and miscommunications
- Enhanced speech analytics accuracy
- More cost efficiency
- Improved call resolution rates
- Enhanced security and privacy
The Four-Pronged Approach
Many online meeting platforms have built-in solutions for noise cancellation, but most VoIP services are still lagging. This discrepancy leaves a gap in the market for specialised noise cancellation apps designed to enhance the voice and cancel out disruptive noise. IRIS Clarity (which you can try for free) has become a leading noise cancelling software solution, employing advanced AI noise cancellation to offer noise removal capabilities on calls for call centres and businesses.
The four primary sources of noise in VoIP calls present distinct challenges:
- The sound the agent hears from their end of the call.
- The sound the agent hears from the customer’s end.
- The sound the customer hears from the agent’s side.
- The sound the customer hears from their end.
Understanding these four primary noise sources in VoIP calls is important to ensure clear communication. Each source presents unique challenges that can significantly impact call quality, customer trust, and agent productivity. Here's an in-depth look at how these sounds can potentially ruin VoIP calls, as well as the simple measures companies can take.
Addressing noise from the agent's end
The sound an agent hears from their end can include background office noise, such as colleagues talking, phones ringing, or even machinery. Such distractions not only affect the agent's concentration but also the clarity of the call for the customer. Noise-cancelling headsets are the primary solution for this issue, offering a way to filter out unwanted background sound and focus on the customer's voice. This technology works by producing a counter-wave, acting as a "sound eraser" to neutralise consistent background noises like air conditioning hums. This, combined with apps for noise cancelling like IRIS Clarity, creates a high-quality call environment.
Eradicating noise from the customer's end
The sound an agent hears from the customer’s environment, which can be anything from traffic noise to other voices in the background, is also distracting. This type of noise can make it difficult for agents to understand customer queries or requests clearly, leading to miscommunication. IRIS Clarity's AI-powered noise cancellation technology effectively removes such background noise from the customer's side, ensuring that agents receive a clear, noise-free signal. This enhances the ability to address customer needs accurately and efficiently.
Cancelling noise from the agent's end
Noise from the agent's side that reaches the customer can significantly detract from the customer's experience. It makes it hard for customers to understand information being provided, leading to frustration and a lack of trust in the company's professionalism and confidentiality. By employing software like IRIS Clarity, businesses can eliminate this problem. The app's AI noise removal ensures that customers only hear the agent's voice, free from any disruptive background noise. This clarity promotes a positive customer experience, building trust and satisfaction.
Noise from the customer's end
While IRIS Clarity primarily focuses on eliminating noise from the first three sources, the fourth source—noise from the customer's environment that they themselves hear—remains largely outside the direct influence of such technology. Encouraging customers to find a quiet space if possible or to use noise-cancelling headsets themselves can mitigate this to some extent.
The benefits of clearer calls
When customers enjoy a high-quality, clear call environment, it reduces frustration and builds confidence in the service being provided. Agent productivity also rises with clear communication. Agents can handle calls more efficiently and effectively when they don’t need to repeat themselves or ask for clarification. This not only enhances first call resolution rates but also contributes to a quieter, more focused work environment.
Additionally, IRIS Clarity's technology stands out for its versatility across various stages of customer interactions. It can be integrated as an app, making it adaptable for use in live customer service calls and and even in analysing post-call recordings for speech analytics improvement and accuracy. This multi-pronged approach not only improves immediate communication quality but also enriches data collection and analysis for businesses, driving improvements in customer service metrics like first call resolution and enhancing speech analytics for call centres.
To see how you can reduce background noise in VoIP calls with noise suppression apps like IRIS Clarity, get in touch or start your 7 day free trial.