What Is Call Recording and Why Is It So Important?

Colin Gill of Akixi discusses how best to use call recordings in the contact centre.

Call recording is a common component of running a successful business. For decades, organisations have implemented recording functionality into their contact centre technology to drive better outcomes for both customers and their brand.

But what exactly is call recording for companies, and why is it so valuable? Can every organisation benefit from a phone recording system? How cautious should companies be about things like GDPR and compliance? What are the merits of a voice recording system in the first place?

Today, we’re going to answer all those questions.

What Is Call Recording?

Call recording is the process of collecting audio (and sometimes screen activity) connected with phone calls. A company which records phone calls can collect conversations and use the insights found within to drive better customer experiences and intelligent business decisions.

Call recording solutions are often bundled with cloud-based contact centres, AI-powered analytics, and even agent coaching systems. They can be a vital part of quality management, helping supervisors to understand whether agents are correctly following call flows and cross-selling products.

A company recording phone calls can assess the impact of new promotions and strategies on customer sentiment, as well as identify experience trends and show you which agents need extra support.

According to call recording law, UK companies in certain industries are required to collect specific pieces of information for compliance purposes. Knowing how to record a call effectively ensures companies can comply with laws regarding customer consent and notification.

Recorded data is also effective when disputes arise about things like customer service standards.

Evolution of Call Recording – a Century in the Making

Data capture solutions and accompanying customer service call recording laws have been around for more than a century. Recordings started with a wax disk device created in 1903, and the first tape recorder appeared in the 1930s. Since then, numerous pieces of technology have emerged to simplify and improve the recording process.

Call Recording Has Become Digital

Best-in-class call recording systems today are entirely digital. They integrate with the existing contact centre and business telephony platform, leveraging the cloud for storage.

A phone recording system for small business users today may even come with additional features. Some solutions are equipped with technology to capture screen and video information, as well as audio. Others have advanced technology baked into the software to support compliance with PCI and GDPR.

The Cloud – More Features, Less Hardware

Hosted call management and recording solutions based on the cloud allow for a more flexible communication stack for modern companies. There aren’t any on-site equipment costs to worry about, and because the solution is fully hosted, there is also no limit to the number of recordings that you can conduct simultaneously.

Cloud and hosted call recording solutions are becoming increasingly popular in the age of the agile business. With this technology, you can support your call centre agents working from anywhere.

On top of that, the simplicity of the cloud empowers same-day deployments and easy onboarding for new team members. Because the out-of-the-box dashboards and single pane of glass interfaces are so intuitive and easy to use, anyone can get started instantly.

Cloud call recording systems also come with the option to access native integrations to both existing and future technology. You can combine your call recording with agent coaching and CRM systems, or enable AI-powered opportunities in the future.

Can a Business Record Calls Legally?

A call recording system isn’t a new concept in the modern marketplace. However, as customers continue to demand more privacy and protection for their sensitive data, many are often left wondering how legal call recording really is.

Importantly, a phone recording system for small business use isn’t the same as a person recording calls themselves.

Some Companies Are Legally Required to Record Calls

Companies in many industries are often required to record calls for data protection and compliance purposes, and to ensure that they can protect themselves against disputes in court.

However, imposed regulations such as GDPR do mean that organisations also need to make sure that their customers are aware of the recording, and that they permit it to happen.

Ask Permission to Responsibly Record Customer Phone Calls

Successful call recording processes in any business require the permission of the customer, as well as a careful commitment to storing and managing data safely.

Customers should be able to request a copy of any recorded call that a business has featuring their data. Organisations also need to be sure that they can access the recordings they collect and release them as evidence for legal reasons.

Since different industries and parts of the world have their own unique rules and regulations around call recording, it’s best to work with an expert when setting up your system. This way, you can ensure that you have the right tools in place to protect your brand and your customers.

Why Is It Important to Record Calls?

A phone line recording system requires careful planning and implementation from the business in question. It’s important to ensure that you know what customer service recording laws look like for your industry before you begin implementing any solution.

So, if the initial set-up is so complicated, why do companies record phone calls in the first place?

First, some industries are required to record conversations to remain compliant with the guidelines for their sector. However, even if you don’t have to record conversations, it’s often beneficial to do so.

6 Business Benefits of Call Recording

With call recording, you can:

1. Identify Problem Areas

Call recording allows you to determine which problem areas in your processes and conversations are negatively impacting the business. For example, you can pinpoint communication issues that lead to a drop in customer sentiment.

It’s also possible to see where roadblocks might be preventing you from delivering quick solutions to your customers. Call recording is the initial investigation process before you improve customer service.

2. Keep Valuable Records

Leading call recording solutions will integrate with your CRM and other information systems. This is helpful for companies collecting customer information to deliver more personalised and relevant experiences, enabling you to automatically store call information in the appropriate customer file.

Some tools even allow you to remove or anonymise personal details from calls if you’re concerned about GDPR.

3. Overcome Potential Disputes

Even the best companies can end up handling complaints. If a customer says that you’ve done something inappropriate, or that you offered them something, you can go back and listen to the recording.

This is a helpful way to protect yourself against problems that could potentially lead to a legal dispute.

4. Quality Assurance

Quality monitoring is one of the most common reasons to use call recording solutions. Recorded calls allow you to determine the general satisfaction levels of your customers.

You can even use artificial intelligence tools to determine sentiment both historically and in real time. Call recording systems can send alerts to engineers when call quality begins to suffer and give you the information you need to make intelligent decisions in the future.

5. Continuous Improvement

Recording calls is an effective way to determine exactly which parts of your customer service strategy are having the best impact on your customers. You can essentially check the health of your CX strategy, and even determine which of your employees need the most support and training to get them on par with your top performers.

When the time comes to train employees, call recordings with redacted personal details offer an excellent learning opportunity.

6. Improved Decision Making

Colin Gill

With call recording you get an accurate look at your customer’s journey, preferences, and the steps they go through to make a purchase. With AI tools to help you sort through trends in thousands or millions of calls, it’s easy to leverage insights.

You may be able to quickly determine which strategies will help you to delight your customers and improve your brand reputation.

Author: Colin Gill