We live in an age of instant gratification. There is a constant 24/7/365 endless open demand for fast data and information. Instant, straightforward communication is a massive want, and need, especially for the customer. Your webpage should load instantly with all of its assets and graphics. You want fast and reliable communication when messaging. High end-to-end speed is a necessity. Latency impacts call quality.
Latency is the delay, or lag, you experience when speed is not suitable. Could your customers be suffering and struggling with network delays?
Latency overload is one of the most common causes of poor voice quality. It similarly impacts video interaction across a network. Latency is the time from one person is speaking to when the other receiver is hearing. It can have a major impact on your business, your employees, and most importantly, your customers.
But what are some examples of latency and what effect does it have?
Real-world latency
- A conference call with your customer, when suddenly a significant delay occurs, causing both you and the customer to talk over each other and not hear each other correctly.
- It is difficult to understand what you are saying when you speak with your customer because there is a constant echo from both ends.
- Disturbed synchronization between voice and other data types, especially during video conferencing.
The real-world effect
- Frustration and disappointment in the quality of your call could easily lead to a customer to drop the call and lose faith in the business. You want to make sure the quality of the call is high and is valuable in giving the customer the best experience possible.Â
- Meetings with potential customers could be put on hold due to latency, straining relationships.
- Although the call might still go forward with latency, brand reputation could be negatively affected by a dissatisfied customer. You’ve left a bad experience in their mind, spreading from word-of-mouth to other potential customers, creating churn.
You never want your customers to experience any of this, so where do you go from here?
The Spearline solutionÂ
Our latency tests replicate your customers’ call flow allowing you to quantify the amount of latency your customer’s experience. The Spearline latency test allows you to proactively measure and benchmark any delay, and, with repeated testing, the spot where there are variations over time.
Research by Spearline analyzed the global network latency of today and the complex interplay of multiple carrier networks in various countries. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU, 2003) has issued recommendations in which it identifies that users are unhappy when latency reaches 500ms. However, the Spearline study has found that latency becomes an issue when mouth-to-ear delay exceeds 800ms. In international applications often latency negatively impacts call quality.
To find out more about our latency tests and how to set them up in your organization, please visit our latency test page.
For further information or if you have any further questions, 
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