Poor call quality? How to measure and fix it

A customer calls in to book an appointment. You ask the caller to repeat themselves, but the line crackles. After the second “Sorry, what was that?” they abandon the call. You’ve lost the booking, and probably the customer, for good.

Running a business is hard enough. Call quality shouldn’t be what drives customers to competitors.

This guide covers how to measure call quality and the factors that can hurt it. You’ll also see seven of the most common call quality issues and how to fix them.

What is call quality exactly?

Call quality is how clear, natural, and reliable a phone call sounds from start to finish. When the quality of a call is high: 

• Both sides can hear each other clearly
• The audio stays consistent throughout the call
• Speech sounds natural, not robotic or distorted
• There’s no noticeable delay or cutting out

So why do sound quality issues happen? 

With cloud-based phone systems, your voice doesn’t travel as a continuous signal. Instead, it’s broken up into many small digital packets and sent over the internet. They’re reassembled on the other end so people can hear you. When everything works as it should, the process is fast enough that the conversation feels natural.

If there’s a network or internet issue, these packets tend to be delayed, dropped, or arrive out of order. This makes the audio sound choppy, robotic, or out of sync. Sometimes, it can cut out entirely.

3 Most common factors impacting your call quality

If you’re not happy with your voice quality, the issue usually comes down to one — or more — of these technical factors:

Criteria	Meaning	Impact	Acceptable range
Jitter	How steady your internet connection is	High jitter can make voices sound choppy, robotic, or distorted.	Under 30 ms
Latency	How long it takes for your voice to reach the other person	High latency creates noticeable delays, which leads to awkward pauses or people talking over each other.	Under 150 ms
Packet loss	When parts of your audio never make it to the other person	Small amounts are easy to miss, but higher levels cause words, sounds, or full sentences to drop out.	Below 1%

How to measure your call quality

One of the most common ways to measure call quality is to use the Mean Opinion Score, or MOS. MOS is a numerical score from one to five that shows how clear a call sounds overall. A score of four or higher is generally considered good call quality. Scores below four often indicate noticeable issues.

But MOS only gives you a quick snapshot of how a call sounds. To understand why problems are happening, also look at the underlying network metrics we just covered, like jitter.

The best VoIP providers help you measure these metrics right in your calling app. Quo, formerly OpenPhone, gives you this insight on every call. This way, you know what’s causing poor audio so you can fix the right issue. Otherwise, you might waste time on the wrong solution, like buying a new VoIP headset when the problem is with your router.

How growing and small businesses measure call quality on Quo

Quo’s call quality metrics feature helps you understand and fix audio issues while you’re still on a call. During any active call, open the metrics panel from the call window. Here, you’ll see a few components: 

• A connection quality gauge that rates your overall audio experience out of five
• Network metrics, including jitter, latency, and packet loss

Here’s how that looks: 

💡Pro tip: If all your metrics are green and you still experience issues, the problem may be on the other person’s end. Alternatively, it could be an issue with the device you’re using, like your microphone or speaker.

So, what do you do when something’s wrong? Check out the Recommendations section for tips based on your particular issue. Let’s say you’re experiencing delays. In this case, Quo might recommend closing bandwidth-heavy apps, like video streaming, or avoiding VPNs.

With call quality metrics built directly into the platform, you can troubleshoot issues on the fly. This helps avoid awkward misunderstandings or frustrated customers.

7 Common call quality issues and how to fix them

Need to improve your call quality? Here are seven of the most common issues and how to address them:

1. Audio is choppy, robotic, or breaking up during calls 

Network issues tend to be the main cause of poor sound. Though sometimes it’s as simple as using a low-quality headset or having too many devices on your network.

Fix this issue by: 

• Resetting the internet router and waiting for 60 seconds
• Closing apps that use a lot of bandwidth
• Using a headset for clearer audio
• Switching to a different device, like mobile instead of a desktop
• Using a wired connection
  

💡Pro tip: If you want a faster internet connection, opt for Ethernet over WiFi. According to Spectrum, Ethernet can provide speeds up to 10Gbps or greater, while WiFi currently tops out at 6.9Gbps. You can check your internet speed with Speedtest.net.

2. There are delays or out-of-sync audio

Lagging audio is usually related to connection quality or routing issues. Here are some quick fixes:

• Test your connection speed, including on different device types. If it’s too slow everywhere, consider an alternative internet source.
• Close video calls or streaming apps that might be affecting performance.
• Avoid using VPNs.
• Set up Quality of Service, or QoS. This can help you prioritize voice traffic by reducing the bandwidth other activities get during a call. 

3. One person can’t hear the other during calls

This issue could be due to a few factors. It could be as simple as device permission settings. Or it might be caused by network connectivity issues or hardware configuration problems. 

Look into these solutions:

• Check permissions and make sure microphone access is enabled. 
• Determine if it’s an issue with your headset.
• Make sure no one has themselves on mute. 
• Check the hold status and confirm that the call isn’t on hold.
• Restart your VoIP app and router.
• Contact your provider to check firewall settings if the issue continues.

4. Hearing echo or feedback during calls

Experiencing echo could be due to a poor internet connection or hardware issues, like a faulty Ethernet cable. Electromagnetic interference can also cause feedback. Though sometimes it can be as simple as being on speakerphone.

Try these fixes:

• Disable speakerphone and use handset mode instead.
• Lower the volume. This reduces speaker output to prevent feedback.
• If you’re on mobile, ensure the bottom mic isn’t blocked.
• Use a wired headset.
• Test a different wall jack to see if there’s a loose connection. Look for obvious damage or fraying cords and cables.
• Move your device away from large electronics to reduce the chances of signal interference. 
• Reduce the number of devices using your internet’s bandwidth.

💡You can find more tips in our guide to stopping echo on phone calls.

5. You hear static, crackling, or background noise on calls

Hardware positioning issues and environmental interference are two of the main culprits. The problem could also be due to poor connection quality. 

Most of the fixes for managing echo or feedback also apply here. Test your device. If the problem persists across calls, your current device’s audio hardware might be failing. Try switching to a different phone or computer.

 In addition, you can:

• Check for network issues. Static can also be caused by packet loss or a poor internet connection. Run a speed test and ensure you have stable bandwidth.
• Update your device’s audio software. Outdated audio settings or system software can cause crackling. Check for updates in your device settings

6. Calls drop unexpectedly or disconnect frequently

Dropped calls are usually due to network instability and software issues. Most VoIP apps will send you a notification to let you know if there’s a problem with your network. Here’s how that looks on Quo:

Here’s what to do when there’s an issue with your network: 

• Reset your router. The process can vary between devices, but it usually takes about five minutes.
• Move your router to another location. Some rooms could have better connections than others. 
• Switch networks and try an alternative internet source. This could be an Ethernet connection or your mobile network.
• Use a WiFi extender to improve coverage.
• Close open applications. This frees up device resources.
• Reset the software by restarting the browser or app completely.

If your calls keep dropping, it might be time to contact your internet service provider. Find more troubleshooting tips in our guide to dropped calls.

7. Volume is too quiet, too loud, or too inconsistent

Device volume settings, hardware positioning, or microphone sensitivity issues can cause this issue. Here are some quick fixes:

• Adjust your device positioning. Try moving closer to or farther from the microphone. 
• Use a headset and dedicated audio equipment.
• Disable speaker phone and switch to a handset for better control. 
• Check your volume settings. Sometimes it’s as easy as verifying system and app volume levels.
• Switch devices and test with different hardware. 

Stellar call quality starts with the right phone provider

Poor call quality usually comes down to a few factors: unreliable networks, slow internet, or network congestion. When left unaddressed, low-quality calls hurt customer relationships and cost you business. Most customers won’t keep repeating themselves or call back. They’ll contact a competitor that can hear them right the first time.

Luckily, the right phone provider gives you the tools to catch and fix these issues quickly.

With Quo, you get real-time diagnostics on every call. Use our quality metrics feature to see why a call sounds choppy, delayed, or unclear. Then, troubleshoot the problems before they cost your customers. 

Level up your call quality and deliver a superior call experience with Quo. Sign up for a seven-day free trial today.

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