Lack of voice training sees one in four call centre workers suffer

One in four call centre agents suffer voice problems because managers are failing to properly protect their health, a leading health and safety body said today (16 April 2012).

A new study, commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and released today, on World Voice Day 2012, found that call handlers had suffered one or more of a range of ill-effects because of their work, including voice loss, sore throats and breathlessness.

Around one in 10 were diagnosed with a voice problem, while a tenth said their work was now suffering because of the stress placed on their vocal cords.

Of the call agents surveyed, 60 per cent reported having difficulty making themselves heard against background noise and 41 per cent said they had failed to be heard by the customer on the other end of the line.

More than one in three call agents said that their voice was hoarse often or very often.

And researchers identified new starters, particularly female workers, as a high-risk group of call agents who are more likely to develop voice problems.

Experts at Ulster University surveyed nearly 600 call handlers from 14 call centres across the UK and Ireland, as part of this unique study. These included outbound customer services and sales services to the retail, finance, marketing, government, information technology and leisure sectors.

Dr Luise Vassie, executive director of policy at IOSH, said: “The results from the research are eye-opening.

“People who depend on their voices within their day-to-day role, such as actors and singers, often have training on how to control and protect their voice - call agents should be no different.

“Call centre managers and employees would be wise to heed the advice of this research and consider what benefits vocal training and a raised awareness of environmental issues would bring to their organisation.”

The research was led by Dr Diane Hazlett, of Ulster University. She said: “This industry incurs high vocal demands which can affect vocal flexibility and capacity over time. Altered voice quality or vocal strength may impact on the call-handler’s confidence or ability to fully engage the customer. For these professional voice users, a strong reliable voice is needed to ensure consistent and effective work performance.”

As part of the 18 month-long project, telephone interviews with senior managers indicated that call agents receive regular, comprehensive job training - both at induction and throughout their time in the role. However, it appears that most of these training programmes fail to cover voice care and effectiveness, and IOSH and the University of Ulster agree something needs to be done to combat this.

Dr Hazlett added: “Policies on voice care should exist in all call centre environments, and should be reviewed regularly. Going forward, there needs to be an emphasis on the prevention of voice problems within the industry – to maintain optimal vocal health. Employers in this sector need to show they better recognise just how important the voice is, to having a healthy, well supported workforce and a thriving business.”

IOSH’s Dr Vassie said investing in voice training and raising awareness of the issues could benefit business. She added: “In the current economic climate purse strings are tight and businesses are wary of spending ‘unnecessarily’. Vocal health doesn’t have to cost a fortune, in fact most things, like ensuring call agents keep their throats lubricated by drinking water regularly, are simply common sense and low cost.

“By educating staff on voice care issues, they become more aware of the risks they face and how they can be prevented – this can lead to reduced absence levels, a more efficient way of working, and, in the long run, business profitability.”

The voice is a primary work tool for one in three jobs in the UK. The IOSH research suggests employers take the following into consideration:

• New starters, especially women, are most at risk as they adjust to the heavy vocal demands of the job
• Risk can be minimised with good work design and by providing information and training
• Regular breaks, a change of activity and readjustment of posture will help
• Computers and equipment should be set up correctly to help call handlers maintain a good posture.

For a full copy of the Working Voices research visit www.iosh.co.uk/researchreports

© 2012 IOSH

Article from IOSH