Call Centre Headsets & Hearing Aids
Most of us probably don’t consider hearing loss and the impact that it can have on a person, and it might be surprising to know that according to the RNID, there are estimated to be 12 million adults who suffer with hearing loss of more than 25db. That’s the equivalent to 1 in 5 adults (source: RNID).
According to the “What Works: Hearing Loss & Employment” guide from the DWP, employees with hearing loss are being impacted with 70% feeling they are unable to fulfil their potential.
We’ve already looked at how the right call centre headset can improve sales, so doesn’t it make business sense to provide high quality, affordable hearing aid compatible headsets to these employees?
What Are Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC) Headsets
Around 2 million people (source: hearinglink.org) affected by hearing loss choose to use a hearing aid but for hearing aid users, working in a call centre can be challenging. Significant background, ambient and other noise can impact how well hearing aid users are able to communicate on telephone calls, but choosing the right hearing aid compatible or HAC headset can make a huge difference.
Hearing aid headsets are designed specifically for use with hearing aids and include something called a hearing loop, which works directly with the telecoil found in virtually all hearing aids. All that the user needs to do is enable the telecoil setting on their hearing aid by selecting the “T” mode, this allows the hearing aid and telephone headset to work using the T-coil.
The ability for a telephone headset to provide electromagnetic signals straight to a hearing aid’s telecoil is what makes a headset hearing aid compatible.
How Hearing Aid Compatible Headsets Work
Headsets designed specifically for wearers of hearing aids contain all the features of a normal call centre headset, with the addition of a small electromagnet. As the headset receives audio from a telephone, the electromagnet in the headset converts the audio signal (used by the headset speaker) into an electromagnetic signal which is then picked up by the T-coil in a hearing aid.
When the T-coil receives a signal, it is then converted to audio and played through the hearing aid to the user. This provides a significantly clearer audio experience allowing hearing aid users to communicate more effectively when using a telephone headset.
Call Centre Headsets For Hearing Aids
With the evolution of hearing aids in recent years to smaller “invisible in the canal” (IIC) units many headsets which are used by people who don’t have hearing aids can be used by people that do. While this might be fine for some users, feedback can be an issue when using a standard headset due to the proximity of the hearing aid microphone, speaker and headset earpiece.
This is where HAC headsets really come into their own thanks to their ability to communicate directly with the hearing aid. Our range of HAC headsets are designed to provide the best experience to the user without significant cost to a business, starting at £89.95 SSP.