Published on 12, July, 2020
I work in a call centre. I used to be on the phones. I'm not any more. Since the day I started, I was aware of the ambient noise in the call hall. It's a HUGE hall with very high ceilings. At the start I struggled to focus on the trainer's voice even though I was a few feet from him. I initially thought it was a volume thing. I wondered if I had a hearing problem that I hadn't noticed before. I always look for a workstation to the outside, away from the centre of the noise. I bought earplugs to wear in one ear, so I could hear and concentrate on my customers. It turns out that this has been the Aspergers all along. It's not about the volume. It's the background hiss.
We can only see, hear, feel etc from our own perspective. To describe this it's like (maybe showing my age here, but) a copy, of a copy, of a copy, of a copy of a cassette. Each copy adds more and more hiss. That's what I hear at work all the time, as soon as I'm inside the call hall. It's like a hiss switching on. What I took as volume where I couldn't focus easily on someone speaking, is that I struggle to distinguish that voice from the background ambience. My brain is being overloaded with audio signals that it's under siege.
I need to be able to talk to people in the call hall, and hear them. Ideally I didn't want to have to keep putting protection on, and taking them off all day. I took a chance on a pair of these ear defenders. They're designed for construction work etc where the whole overall volume is kicked down a LOT.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Peltor-Optime-Muffs-Headband-H540A-411-SV/dp/B000VDX18E/ref=sr_1_1/262-4323923-4772908?ie=UTF8&qid=1500731007&sr=8-1&keywords=ear+defenders+peltor+optime
They are too tight to be comfy for long periods, which means that I have to take them off for a few minutes every so often. When I do, it's like a tsunami of audio washing over me. This is very disconcerting. That said, the benefits when they're on are incredible. It's like a mute button for the outside world. It's like a super aggressive Dolby setting for that tape hiss. The hiss vanishes in an instant. As much as the sound is deadened, I can actually hear conversations better with them; albeit I need to be standing or sitting next to them. Voices are dulled, but understandable.
I get a few strange looks but I don't care. The difference is incredible. Simply by wearing them I feel maybe a 10% increase on my productivity, with a decrease in the anxiety. I can follow a process easier, keep a train of thought etc It means that I can get on better with my colleagues, and give my customers a better service. The overall effect is great. I now know that ideally I shouldn't be in a large noisy environment, but until that changes, this has been a great investment.
Arguably these maybe overkill. They come in 3 strengths. I went for the strongest pair, On the bright side, I've thought of a fancy dress costume that incorporates the ear defenders. I'm a 6ft tall bloke with a goatee. They goatee stays. https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/4/4c/ArmedAndSexyLeia-OfficialPix.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20080409162052
I hate the noise of flies and bee's, I am going to wear over the ear headphones, next time I am in the garden digging and stuff. I will let you know how it goes, Gordon.