The Challenge
Call centers concentrate many simultaneous speakers in one space. Without treatment, speech from neighbouring agents intrudes on calls and raises the overall noise level, hurting both the customer experience and agent wellbeing. The goals are speech intelligibility on each call and reasonable privacy between workstations.
Key Strategies
- Absorb at the ceiling — baffles and acoustic ceilings reduce reverberation across the floor.
- Screen direct paths — high-backed screens between workstations block direct speech.
- Control background noise — quiet HVAC (see HVAC noise control); sound masking may help where appropriate.
- Spacing and orientation — increase distance and avoid face-to-face orientation of adjacent agents.
The Role of Absorption
Absorption (NRC) lowers reverberation but does not by itself provide speech privacy; combine it with screens, distance and background-noise control.
Relevant Standards
- ISO 3382-3 — open-plan office acoustics (also used for call centers).
Limitations
Absorption alone cannot guarantee privacy between workstations; it is one element of a system that includes screening, spacing and background noise.
Related Yamamah Solutions
For call center acoustic design, contact us for a free acoustic consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a call center private with panels? Panels help but privacy requires screens, spacing and background-noise control together.
Does sound masking help? A controlled masking level reduces the intelligibility of neighbouring speech and is often used in call centers.
Verified Sources
- ISO 3382-3 — Acoustic parameters for open-plan spaces.