In this month’s newsletter, we are going to give a little more insight as to why users occasionally have “Headset Issues”. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the headset itself is faulty, but rather the audio configuration for the device isn’t set correctly. This results in people saying “it works for some software, such as Zoom, but not on Ricochet360!”

Keep in mind that as a browser-based application, Ricochet360 simply makes use of the default audio device set to your computer. Both Chrome and Microsoft make frequent updates to their platforms that could potentially change the default audio device settings. 

We have often found that the quickest and simplest solution is to just unplug the USB headset device and plug it back in. This results in the new device getting redetected by the operating system and sets it as the default. Also, don’t underestimate the power of the reboot! When Windows reloads, it will attempt to correct any corrupt audio drivers.

Chrome and Windows continually roll out new updates. Since users have various versions of their software, keeping our instructional PDFs up-to-date becomes increasingly challenging. For those who need to make manual configuration corrections, here is our most recent PDF for both Chrome and Windows: Troubleshooting Your Headset

What headset do you recommend?

We are asked this quite a bit, but in all honesty, it’s nearly impossible to make a recommendation as there are hundreds of different models and even if you recommend a specific one, they become quickly obsolete. Another thing that makes it tough to recommend a specific headset is customer preference. Some headsets have different sound quality or sensitivities that some prefer and others do not. The best rule of thumb if you’re looking to purchase a large quantity for your staff, would be to purchase one or two different models during your onboarding. This way, you can better evaluate your needs before purchasing a large, expensive quantity. We have found that wired headphones have been very adequate and inexpensive!  

Wired vs Wireless

In this modern-day we all love the freedom wireless devices give us. That said, we typically don’t recommend Bluetooth wireless headphones, due to the unpredictable nature of the technology to pair with a computer device. Furthermore, potential interference can occur when multiple Bluetooth devices are in close proximity to each other. This doesn’t mean they won’t work, but we have no ability to provide support for these devices as we can’t control the environment or the various manufacturers’ configurations. For this reason, we highly recommend the use of a wired USB headset as it is more reliable, and you don’t have to worry about it losing power in the middle of a phone call! If you do choose to use wireless headphones, we recommend ones that come with a USB “dongle” that gets plugged in and communicates directly through wireless technology vs. Bluetooth. They are simple to use and  the Windows Operating system easily detects them.

Work in progress

To date, we have not come across an audio-related issue that cannot be quickly solved by following the instructions provided in the Headset and Google Chrome training docs. As with anything, if you’re running into audio issues, simply submit a support ticket and we’ll help you solve it as quickly as possible!