Do you want the best headset? 
When headsets are needed for your business, leasing rather than purchasing has many unique advantages you may want to know about.
Some of you might say "I would NEVER rent or lease my technology hardware". Read this first with an open mind and it may make a lot of sense, and something worth considering!
You know….there are a variety of reasons why a business might consider acquiring new headsets on a monthly plan, rather than buying them outright.
Business headsets are one of those technologies that are always changing, and sometimes those changes occur very quickly. And if you rely on headsets for your office staff, or Call Center Agents, having the appropriate headsets for the job is very important.
The last thing you want is to have difficulties with your business communications by using outdated, problematic devices.
Headset technology has really improved
I have to say the headsets of today, are vastly superior to those of the past. They’re using a lot of new technology that help people to sound better, concentrate better, and in the end, work better.
And as much as I’d like to talk about all those great features, this episode is about leasing your headsets, so I’ll cover that subject another time.
So if you’re still using those headsets that were purchased several years ago, you might be surprised what you’re missing out on.
Because headsets have changed so much, along with the fact that businesses are also in a constant state of change, doesn’t it make sense to acquire your headsets on a flexible monthly program, rather than owning that technology? Because when you own the technology, well, you own it, including all that it is, or in the case of changing technology, all that it isn’t.
5 reasons why you shouldn’t buy your business headsets
Reason # 1
If you own your headsets, and your needs change, or the headset technology itself changes, you could find yourself using outdated technology that could be costing you more than you think.
With devices that are volatile, and prone to change, it’s not in your best interest to own those devices. Because if you do, you may end up stuck using technology products that are less efficient, no longer meeting your needs, less reliable, or even no longer supported by the manufacturer.
All of these things can put you at a disadvantage against those you compete with for business. And every business owner knows they need every advantage they can get, because business is competitive. And using outdated equipment isn’t something that will give you any kind of advantage.
And no, the term backwards compatible isn’t a term that you want to wear like a badge of honor because it’s suggestive of the technology you’re using. You want to keep your technology fresh and up to date so you’re always operating as efficiently as possible. Only then can you really have a leg up on your competition.
Reason #2
Managing headset assets can consume a lot of staff time, and be costing you a lot more than you think.
If you, or someone in your organization, is responsible for managing your IT assets, you know how challenging and detailed that can be. You may have to attach property ID tags to every device, and then of course input all that property ID data into an asset management program.
Then, when those assets are retired, broken, stolen or relocated, you have to update your system which makes the entire process incredibly cumbersome, ever changing and very time consuming.
Then there’s the matter of keeping track of which devices are in warranty, and which are not. Most headsets don’t even come with serial numbers, which may require that your organization assign in-house serial numbers to every headset in order to keep track of them. This adds another layer of work, and consumes even more of your time.
And while on the subject of warranties, when you purchase headsets, you’ll have another job to do. That is, to keep track of which vendor you purchased your headsets from, because it’s very common to have purchased headsets from several sources.
Knowing which vendor you purchased your headsets from helps you to know who to contact for your warranty, and troubleshooting needs.
Also, purchased headsets have a warranty expiration date, which can lead to added costs during the headset’s useful life. This can cost you additionally for things like repairs, replacement parts, or even the cost to replace the headset itself.
I know from decades of experience that it’s very common for companies to be unable to trace each headset to the vendor that provided it. And, they’re typically unaware of which headset is in warranty, and those that aren’t.
I might even go so far as to say that this is the rule, and not the exception. Do you see a problem with that? I know I sure do.
Reason #3
Budget money can sometimes be hard to get for the technology products you need.
Just because you need some new headsets, that doesn’t mean there’s a bucket of budget money that’s got your name written all over it that’s just waiting for you to come collect it.
Funds in any organization are finite, and those funds have to be spread around. And the people that control those funds have to make determinations as to who gets funded, and how much. Getting enough money to buy what you need isn’t always guaranteed.
Maybe getting funded every year is something you can normally count on, but you still might not get enough to cover the entire cost of what you need.
If that happens…. it could cause you to
- Buy fewer headsets than what you need, (which isn’t good).
- You might end up compromising on quality, and end up getting a lesser brand, or model.
- You might even decide not to buy any headsets at all until the next budget year (hoping you get enough funding the next go around).
Even if funds do get approved for those new headsets, funding can always be frozen or cut. This can be abrupt, and can be as a result of some sudden business issues, or even a downturn in the economy that’s forced some cutbacks.
A recent example might be cuts due to the economic climate caused by the Covid pandemic. So you just never know how budgets, and funding will play out.
Reason #4
When you own your headsets, you’ll also need to order, or even stock, replacement parts and accessories. That can be expensive, and take up staff time as well as valuable office space.
Owning headsets comes at a price. This not only puts you at risk of having obsolete, outdated headsets, but during the life of those headsets, you’ll also need to purchase, and even stock, replacement accessories to help support them.
Business headsets, for example, require the replacement of things like wireless headset batteries, foam ear cushions, leatherette ear cushions, microphone wind screens, headbands, and more.
This means that you’ll need to make separate purchases for these things, and there is a cost attributed to going through your purchasing process. Add to that, you may need to stock these items, which adds costs for stocking space, and manpower like shipping and receiving, inventory management, and staff that manages headset inventory.
So when you backtrack something as simple as buying accessories, there are hidden costs that generally go unnoticed, and for sure, not taken into account. But, the costs are real nonetheless.
Reason # 5
Asset liquidation. Every device, no matter what it is, has a useful life. Some organizations squeeze every ounce of life out of their products before deciding to replace them. Others might not go to such extremes.
But in either case, owning technology gear means that at some point you’ll be faced with a decision on what to do with them once they’re no longer being used.
There are options of course, so let’s take a look at some of those options.
Starting with Repurposing them
Well, you could take a shot at refurbishing those headsets in-house, and then try redeploying them. But that’s a crapshoot at best because you’ll spend staff time, and money, and chances are good that those refreshed
headsets will be met with stiff resistance from your staff. You see, there are a lot of people that have a phobia about the spread of germs, and they simply won’t use a product that’s been previously used by someone else. Add to that the sensitivities of a Covid environment, and you have the recipe for a lot of wasted time, money and refreshed headsets without a home.
Well, maybe you just toss them out - no big deal, right?
That’s not a good idea purely from a social, and environmental point of view. We all need to be mindful of what we’re tossing into the trash, and among the many things we shouldn’t be tossing out includes technology gear.
There’s a reason why e-waste companies exist, and a lot of that has to do with responsibly disposing of electronics. So don’t be that renegade who’s tossing technology gear into the local dumpster.
Well you could send your headsets to a recycling company
You absolutely could. But that may not be your best option either. You see, you’ll need to pony up some cash to get rid of those old headsets because there’s a charge to have them recycled, and you’ll probably have to cover the shipping costs to get them to the recycler too. I’m referring here to certified e-waste recyclers.
Maybe you decide to just save them for later
Simply leaving those old devices in your storeroom is something that costs you money too. There is a cost per square foot for your office space, which normally isn’t cheap, and you also have a prorated amount for heating, air
conditioning and even insuring that space. Besides, those boxed up old headsets simply get in the way, and just take up space, space you could probably better use for other things .
You could just donate them
As worthy of a cause as that might seem, what will the ultimate fate of those donated products be? Will the donated items be used, or given to others, and if so, how will they eventually be disposed of? Responsibly, or irresponsibly? It’s hard to know what will happen to those headsets once they leave your control.
You could also consider trading in those old headsets
This is certainly an option. In fact, among the options noted here, this might be your best choice. But in the interest of environmental responsibility, what will the receiving company do with those products? Is the company socially responsible? Will they repurpose those products, or dispose of them properly? Unless you know that company, you can’t be sure what the disposition of those traded in products will be.
So with all the challenges surrounding the disposing of your no longer needed headsets, what can you do?
Well for starters, you can stop buying those headsets. If you really think about it, what you’re actually needing is what that technology can do for you in the form of the output, and not necessarily the device itself.
Leasing your headsets is a better way to go, here’s why:
You’ll have an affordable, fixed monthly rate that won’t change
Having an affordable, fixed monthly rate is convenient. That makes it easy for anyone in your company who’s involved with budgeting and accounting because it gives them a predictable figure to work with.
You also avoid having obsolete, outdated equipment - (which is a big deal if efficiency is important to you)
It’s well known that business, just like technology, can change very rapidly, and the most successful companies are those that keep up, and adapt to those changes.
And part of keeping up is keeping your technology fresh so that you’re always current with the latest devices to help you to look your best, sound your best, and ultimately… be your best. And that just can’t happen if the technology you’re using is outdated.
When you purchase headsets, you may be required to hold on to them until they’re fully depreciated. And that can cause you to be using headsets that may not be meeting your needs by being outdated, they could even be problematic simply due to the age of the headsets, and they may no longer be supported due to that age.
Leasing helps you to avoid having to come up with the funds for new headsets
The monthly lease program from Headset Advisor helps you to avoid that upfront capital requirement for acquiring new headsets. You preserve your cash for use in your business rather than tying it up by paying for new headsets.
Acquiring your headsets on a pay as you go basis allows you to refresh them with predictable regularity, which is something you don’t get when you buy your headsets outright.
When you do those periodic updates, you don’t have to worry about disposing of all those used headsets either because that’s something we’ll take care of. And if you’re wondering what happens to those headsets that we take back, and if we deal with them in a responsible way, well, wonder no more because this is what we do with them.
First, we make a determination if they’re able to be refurbished, and repurposed. If so, our team in Northern California will thoroughly inspect, sanitize, and completely refurbish those products. We then make them available, at a discount, through different channels.
If the items we get back are in bad condition, then we contract with a certified e-waste recycling company to dispose of them responsibly, and in accordance with California law.
You also don’t need to spend any more of your time tracking headset warranties.
When you lease your headsets from Headset Advisor, you can skip all that headset warranty tracking stuff. That’s because all of your headsets will be in warranty for as long as you’re on the program.
This feature alone will free up time and resources if you currently track headsets. And if you’re not, it still makes it easy for you because you don’t have to give any time or thought to any of your headsets warranty status.
And if you ever have a headset issue, Just reach out to us, let us know what’s up, and we’ll expedite you a replacement, or troubleshoot the matter right over the phone. Either way, the process is quick and extremely easy, and best of all… there’s no paperwork. We even cover your shipping costs to return the faulty headset.
No property ID tags, no serial numbers, no inventory tracking, no shipping costs and no headaches. Is this program starting to sound good or what?
Let’s move on to those Accessories you’ve been buying, and stocking
Having provided professional headsets to businesses for nearly 30 years, we know that there are a lot of companies that buy accessories. And many of those companies end up stocking them because they want those accessories available to use for refreshing, fixing, or repurposing headsets.
But that practice can be problematic. I say that because accessories can get expensive to buy, and even more expensive to keep on hand. And what do you do with all those parts and pieces when you migrate to a new model?
Now you have a different problem on your hands, because chances are good that the boatload of accessories you have won’t be compatible with your new headsets.
With accessories in mind, the Headset Advisor lease program makes a world of sense. That’s because our program includes those replacement accessories.
That means No more wasted time shopping around buying the parts and pieces you need, because all you have to do is let us know what you need, and we ship it right out, and we even cover the shipping costs.
So for example, if you have a workgroup and you’d like to refresh their headsets with new ear cushions and mic screens, all you have to do is let us know. Once we know what it is that you need, we ship your accessories right out. And because of that, there’s no reason for you to buy, and keep that stock on hand. Honestly, it just can’t get any easier than that.
Summary
When you lease your headsets you don’t have to come up with capital equipment funding. You’ll be using operating funds instead, and that can be an advantage to a lot of people, in particular when budgets are tight.
Leasing gives you the flexibility to change out your headsets with predictability, so you always have fresh headsets to help get your work done. And this flexibility is really helpful especially if your needs have changed.
You won’t be buying replacement parts and pieces either, because those are all included in the low monthly rate. And when I say low monthly rate, our program really does make any headset affordable.
You can also skip playing “headset whack a mole” when it comes to trying to figure out what headset is in warranty, and which ones aren’t. That’s because our lease program includes a warranty that doesn’t expire.
So if you have a problem or need an exchange, just let us know and we’ll take care of everything. And those exchanges won’t cost you a dime, not even shipping.
You won’t have to figure out what to do with your old headsets either, because that’s something we’ll handle, so you don’t have to. And we’ll dispose of them in a way that’s respectful to the environment, and in accordance with the law.
And one of the many advantages of working with Headset Advisor is we don’t just ship you a box, and leave you to figure things out on your own. Don't take our word for it though, read many Google reviews here with what customers are saying.
Believe it or not, that’s what most companies do, but that’s not what you’ll get when you work with us.
- After we learn about your needs, we provide you with a professional recommendation, and then assist you in placing your order.
- And like the other guys, we do ship you a box that contains your new headsets, but we don’t leave you to figure things out on your own. Instead, we work with you every step of the way to get your new headsets up and running, and spend as much time as needed to assure everything is working properly.
- Once everything is working to your satisfaction, we provide you with our contact information so you can reach us if you have questions, or need any further help. Even if you’re just relocating some headsets, we’ll lend a hand to help make things easy for you.
- The bottom line is Headset Advisor is your best source for all things headset related. And if that sounds like a biased point of view, you’d be absolutely right. But at the same time, as the founder and CEO of the company, I also know that it’s absolutely true.
Hopefully this blog has given you some things to think about, and reasons to seriously consider leasing your headsets rather than paying to own them.
Learn more
For more information, contact us by emailing info@headsetadvisor.com. And when you do, one of our knowledgeable, friendly Advisors in California will be happy to answer your questions, and provide lease prices.
