After merging with Fleet Bank, Bank of America consolidated its National Help Line Call Center under one roof. Created from renovating 38,000 square feet of leased space in a low-rise office building, the call center houses over 200 associates who spend all day fielding calls from branch personnel throughout the United States. Bank of America wanted to create a collaborative environment that also allowed employees to conduct calls without disruptions.

Unfortunately, several of the planned design elements for the renovation that would contribute to workplace comfort and visual appeal would also be detrimental to workplace acoustics. Solutions needed to be integrated within the design to compensate for these elements in order to create a space conducive to both collaboration and focus. Fortunately, by working with professionals wellversed in sound-dampening materials and, most impactfully, implementing the QtPro sound masking system from Biamp, Bank of America were able to achieve its ideal workplace.

SOLUTION:

Design elements from the renovations that negatively impacted sound quality included hard, sound-reflecting windows and existing 42” cubicle partitions which, while facilitating worker collaboration, further degraded workplace acoustics. To combat this, Bank of America hired an acoustical consulting firm to evaluate the space and make recommendations for how to make the space more suited for the needs of the company.

Several noise reduction techniques were suggested, in addition to the inclusion of a sound masking system. Bank of America utilized sound absorbing building materials like fiberglass and ceiling tiles within their redesign, arranged the placement of workstations and walls to block as much noise as possible, and installed the QtPro sound masking system from Biamp’s Cambridge line of sound masking solutions to cover-up distracting conversations and other workplace sounds. The combination of all these factors resulted in a space that met Bank of America’s desired requirements.

CONCLUSION:

The addition of a QtPro sound masking system, along with incorporating the consulting firm’s noise reduction recommendations, created a pleasant and highly productive work environment at Bank of America’s National Helpline Call Center.

While most associates don’t even notice the system, when asked they offered positive comments such as “it helps me concentrate,” “I am much less self-conscious of my voice,” and “even though there are a lot of people talking, my cubicle is very quiet.”

Of course, the fact that employees don’t actively notice the sound masking means it’s working exactly as it should, creating an environment engineered for comfort, focus, and privacy.