Headsets are a central piece of equipment in telephony-enabled contact centres, powering a large portion of agent productivity. And they also come with a hefty CapEX – a powerful pair of headsets can set you back by up to £100 per agent, making this investment worthy of careful consideration. Always consider the average lifespan or expected age of agent headsets before you make a choice. Follow a set of simple headset management best practices to prolong lifespan and prevent the CapEX from becoming a recurring cost.
What is the Average Lifespan of an Agent Headset?
The notion that hours of use render agent headsets useless beyond a few months is a myth. Business-grade headsets are purpose-built for extended usage in complex scenarios, with mechanisms for durability, comfort, and protection from the elements.
Most headsets ship with a warranty of 2-3 years, during which the vendor will provide maintenance, free of cost (subject to company-specific limitations). Among the popular headset providers out there, Jabra offers 2/3 years of warranty, depending on the product you purchase, Sennheiser products are covered by a 24-month or two-year warranty. For Poly, headset warranties vary from 1-3 years.
In other words, the average age of an agent headset in a contact centre should at least be a year, and this can go up to 10 years.
There are even companies like Koss, which offers a lifetime warranty for its products (including headsets), provided you can demonstrate “normal use.”
Does the Average Lifespan of Agent Headsets Matter?
In a world where consumer and business electronics goods are becoming increasingly affordable – often without a perceptible compromise in quality – it can be tempting to embrace the inevitable obsolescence of headsets and opt for the temporary use route. But this has several downsides.