Share
SubscribeOn March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made history with the first phone call. This pivotal moment paved the way for the telecommunications industry. Luckily for Bell, nobody complained about poor call quality at the time.
Almost 150 years later, a single outstanding sales call can foster decade-long business relationships, while a patchy support call can sever long-term associations.
This blog is all about understanding call quality and how it can help you build outstanding Quality of Experience (QoE) for your customers.
What is call quality
On a Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP call, the call quality depends on tiny packets of data that travel through the internet before being reassembled at their destination. Although this happens in real-time, these packets are sometimes delayed, lost, or arrive in the wrong order. Just like the Home Alone kid getting lost on a family vacation. This is when call quality starts to suffer. So what does a bad-quality call look or sound like? You’re about to find out.
What are the types of call quality issues
Call quality issues can be broadly categorized into two types: audio-related and network-related. Some of the most common issues encountered due to the former include:
Calls connect but have no sound
Everyone hates one-way communication — you, your customers, your neighbors, and so on. However, you can prevent one-way communication issues with proper VoIP configuration, compatible codecs, and a congestion-free network.
Your calls have more echo, less talk
Echo is technically called latency — the delay between the moment you speak and the moment your customer hears your voice. Two likely reasons for latency are:
1. The network is congested
Network congestion can resemble airport security during the holidays — serpentine queues that have you vowing to never travel again. Similarly, in a congested network, data packet processing slows down and degrades call quality. Solutions include upgrading your internet speed or using a router with Quality of Service (QoS) features to prioritize voice calls and other critical traffic.
2. There are issues with your mic
You may hear your voice reverberating back through the phone and this could be due to an issue with your mic. Try doing the following to fix this issue:
– Use a mic designed for VoIP systems
– Position the mic at a new location
– Fix configuration issues such as volume and gain settings
You or your customers sound robotic, quite literally
Even if The Terminator is your favorite movie, sounding robotic during business calls isn’t ideal. In VoIP, this robotic-ness is known as jitter, caused by voice packets arriving with delays or out of order. You can fix it by switching to a wired internet connection and by avoiding transferring large files while on a call.
One VoIP phone works, the other doesn’t
Get rid of one of them. Not joking! You can try to use both phones from a working location and network port. If one phone works in both places and the other fails, the problem is with the phone. If both phones work at one location, contact your service provider for firmware or configuration updates.
Apart from the issues mentioned above, there can be other network-related issues too, such as:
1. Calls dropping frequently
2. Calls taking forever to connect
3. Calls not connecting (incoming as well as outbound)
4. Calls during which you can’t use the keypad
Now that you understand factors affecting call quality and the key metrics to monitor, let’s review the best practices to ensure crystal-clear sound.
5 best practices for crystal-clear VoIP calls
1. Make sure your internet is stable
One common reason for bad call quality is network instability, which can cause communication latency, packet loss, or jitter. Use a speed test tool such as fast.com to test your network speed. For even better reliability with your VoIP setup, switch to fiber optic connections instead of relying solely on Wi-Fi or 4G.
2. Ensure your VoIP device has an adequate amount of RAM
Remember the robotic voice we talked about? An underpowered device could be a possible offender. VoIP apps need good RAM for smooth operation, and sluggish devices can spoil your call experience.
3. Choose a high-performing headset
Have your reps ever been told that their calls are too noisy or their voice seems distant? Their headset might be to blame. A noise-reducing headset is highly recommended.
4. Check your correspondent’s internet connection
If your reps cannot hear your customers, the latter may be experiencing connection problems related to their telecom network or roaming. In such situations, your VoIP system can identify the cause of the problem if it offers real-time monitoring.
5. Verify the codec of your VoIP application
In VoIP, sound quality also depends on the codec, which encapsulates communication for transmission over the internet. Take Opus — an exceptional codec that enhances voice and video calls, and ensures top-notch sound quality.
Why does call clarity matter for your business
As per a survey by Nextiva, 83% of companies lost a customer, missed a major deadline, or terminated an employee due to a communication issue.
| Call quality makes or breaks your customer experience. – Everyone who lost a customer due to poor call quality |
The business costs of not having clear-sounding calls with prospects and customers can be significant and may impact various aspects of your operations, such as:
Low customer satisfaction
Poor call quality can create a negative perception of your business and reflect poorly on your brand image.
Lost sales opportunities
If prospects struggle to hear your pitch or product details clearly, you risk losing potential sales and upsell opportunities, as they may opt for competitors with superior communication practices.
Increased support costs
Customers experiencing poor call clarity from your business may reach your support team frequently, resulting in a low-efficiency and high-cost support team.
Compliance and legal risks
In rare but not impossible cases, poor call quality may lead to non-compliance and legal risks.
Call quality in 2024
In the year 2024, customers are no longer just looking for top-tier products and services, they’re seeking an exceptional Quality of Experience (QoE). From the first call to the one at the journey’s end, every touchpoint shapes the QoE. We’re pretty sure Bell would agree.
