My company is trying to implement all types of new technology to both save money and entice younger employees. The latest “innovation” is to get rid of our phones! We will all have headsets - we dial a phone number by using our computer keyboard. It’s called a soft phone? I can see the appeal of hands free, I sort of like the idea of calling fellow employees with just one click of a mouse. But, wearing a thing on my head all day sounds very annoying.
Anyone have this at work now?
I don’t think I’ve had a desk phone for about 5 years now. Pretty much use Slack and Zoom, or Skype for all work communication.
So, do you wear a headset all day? That’s the part that sounds annoying to me.
A lot of people I work with do it. Are you on the phone a lot? I think you only use the headset when there is a call.
I was wondering about that. No, I use email much more than phone. If I can leave it off, and then put it back on as needed, I guess that’s better. Training mid-March. Phone training, lol. I really don’t get it. I was perfectly happy with a phone on my desk.
Zoom is great! No problems until one decides to have a conference call with several folks in the room… then you are at the mercy of whatever microphone and speakers are provided with your computer.
I have a phone on my desk and use it with the handset. I also have the soft-phone capability, but I don’t want to wear a headset either. I use the phone a lot. Plus it would mess up my hair. lol
I like a phone headset. I have two hands free to multi-task while I am on the phone. I only put it on when I make or take calls.
I wear hearing aids and don’t want anything else in my ears. I think that might be an ADA issue?
I have been using soft phone for years, especially when working from home. I use a Jabra speaker instead of head set whenever possible because the sound is clearer (it filters out noise). I also have an office, so I wouldn’t bother other people when I am on speaker.
Soft phone is a lot more convenient once you get used to it. I could get my call where ever I am, the voice mail can go to my email, and most of the time it is integrated with your online meeting (webex, skype, zoom). The only thing is when wifi is not great the soft phone doesn’t work well.
@conmama, you’re right. It is an ADA issue. Headsets don’t work well with hearing aids.
At my job, we have phones that are really Skype in some way that I don’t understand. Some of us happen to have desk phones (which are part of the system through Skype). Others don’t – they have to rely on headsets. The man who sits behind me was assigned to a cubicle that doesn’t have a desk phone, but he can’t use a headset because it doesn’t work well with his hearing aids – there’s too much interference. He requested a desk phone, but it took the IT people months to figure out how to set it up. In the meantime, he had to ignore every incoming phone call and then call the person back from his cell phone, which was a nuisance.
I don’t think he ever mentioned the term ADA, but he made it clear why he needed that desk phone, and I’m pretty sure the company understood the situation.
Interesting, I am not aware of any employee with hearing aids but wonder if they even thought of that. I feel better seeing multiple responses that you don’t have to wear it all day. I guess you are notified in some manner when there is an incoming call and then you put it on? It’s 3CX in case that means anything to anyone.
We are also moving to a new building at the end of March, so between the move and the new soft phone/headset thingy there is just too much change happening in the next few weeks. Retirement continues to beckon.
I have an earpiece rather than a headset - think Uhura in the original Star Trek. It has a small mic. I put it on when I get or have to make a call or attend a meeting/conference call. There’s a notification that pops up on my computer when someone calls, similar to an e-mail notification. Or they’ll text first to ask if it’s convenient, and I put on my earpiece. Not really a big deal. Not much different than the Bluetooth I use for my cellphone.
@rockvillemom , you can’t see my HA. People are always surprised when I tell them I wear them. I have hair that covers my ears and they are very discrete looking.
Right, I shouldn’t assume that I would be aware of it if someone wears hearing aids.
They had a focus group on the new softphone system today, without the headsets as they are not in yet, People just used the program on their computers. A lot of employees work from home at least part of the week snd they liked the features that work with your cell phone.
I guess I will adjust.
I hate headsets. On occasions when I have to use them for a long period of time, my ears hurt because they’ve been squished between the headset and the frames of my eyeglasses.
Of course, the reason why I need the headset is that I work in a cubicle rather than an office, so I can’t just put the sound (from a videocast, webinar, conference call, or recording) on speaker. I hate cubicles even more than I hate headsets.
Retirement is beckoning me, too.
We got new computers (hardware) today. It took all day to get it configured the way I wanted it and to get my favorites bar fixed. We just recently changed customer management software and I reluctantly transitioned over to it about a month ago since the old system is going away… and now they are changing it again next month. I really, really, really want to retire but it will not be possible for several years.
That’s exactly how I feel. It’s the job stress plus wanting to retire, compounded by too many changes. Just exhausting. I literally think about quitting every day.
@rockvillemom, I feel the same way. I am single and have been for a long time, so my retirement income is all that I will have. Needless to say, I will probably die at my desk! I think my attitude might be better if I didn’t HAVE to have this job and knew I could walk away at any time. But still, dying at my desk is better than being married to my ex.
That sounds like a country song lyric! But sorry you are in that situation.