Handset is another term that means different things to different people.
Handset is used to describe the receiver on a phone, an entire phone or a cell
phone. It is sometimes mistakenly used instead of the word headset. For the
purposes of this discussion, we will define a handset as the receiver or the
part of the phone that you hold to talk and listen.
There are many handsets made for different phones. Our company, Applied Voice
and Data deals with handsets on business phone systems. Handsets are not all the
same. They differ in fit, color and internal components. If your handset isn't
the right size and shape, it won't fit properly in the cradle to hang up a call
or it will fall off if wall-mounted. There are many different colors to handsets
as well. Finally, if the internal components aren't made to match your phone,
you and your caller won't be able to hear each other well, if at all. Different
phone systems, even from the same manufacturer, often require different
handsets.
Handsets break. It is a fact of life. People drop them, slam them, throw them
and knock them out of their cradle when wall-mounted. It is probably the most
common part on a phone that goes bad. Their vulnerability is unique since they
are easily dropped and they are in the hands of people who may have become
upset.
Given this fact, it is hard to find handsets. Most interconnects (phone
companies that install and service phone systems in a local area) don't respond
too quickly to a call requesting a replacement handset. They don't stock them or
know where to find them. They may be too busy to stop what they are doing to
solve such a small problem. I know of a lot of customers who became too
frustrated and replaced the whole phone at a much higher expense.
Replacing a bad handset is something end users can easily and inexpensively
fix themselves. The first thing to do is to make sure the handset is the
problem. Get a handset that is known to work well from another phone on the same
phone system and put it on the phone you are having trouble hearing on. If the
phone now works, you have isolated the bad component. If not, try replacing the
handset cord, too. If that doesn't work, you have a bad phone.
If you have determined that the handset is the problem, identify the phone
that it is from. Then order the proper product from your phone vendor or find a
company that supplies them. This will save you the cost of replacing the entire
phone. If you have handsets break now and then, consider keeping a few on hand
as spares.
The above advice applies to handsets for business phone systems. If the phone
you use is a residential or single line phone, it may be more cost effective to
just replace the entire unit. It will also be hard to find a vendor with an
exact match for such a phone.
I hope this helps you get all of your phones working.
About the Author
Bob Mrozinski has been in the phone system industry for almost twenty years.
you can find out more about handsets at http://www.store.yahoo.com/usedphonesforless/handsets.html
