[Charles Alvear]

I'd be interested in responses here too.

I have a small contact center of less than 25 agents so this hasn't been much of an issue for us since we are able to keep track of the headsets relatively easily.

I presume you have a larger call center.

In your case you could try assigning asset IDs to your headsets and keep a log of headset assignments. The log could include date of issuance, purchase date, and expected life of the asset.

As part of your normal operating procedures, you could establish a new policy and inform the agent upon issuance of a headset (new or existing) that they are responsible for returning all issued equipment (headsets and anything else) prior to their departure and that failure to do so could result in a fee to be deducted from their paycheck.

You would expect normal wear and tear on headsets over time, so the penalty may need to be prorated based on the age of the headset. You'll want to check with HR on the legalities of that. This type of policy generally sets a bad tone for agent/mgmt relationship, but it does establish a cause/effect expectation up front.