What is Call Recording?

Call recording is the process of capturing audio and screen activity associated with phone calls. With call recording, the conversation between a customer and an agent is recorded so that it can be stored, retrieved and evaluated, according to business needs. Additionally, when coupled with screen recording, call recording software can capture the sequence of screens the agent accessed and any data they entered. This allows call reviewers to listen to a call while watching a synchronized "video" of what the agent was doing in the system, to more effectively coach agents on processes and optimize agent efficiency.

Call recording is a critical component of a contact center's quality management program, and may also be required for compliance purposes.

When used for quality management, call recordings can be reviewed and evaluated by supervisors or quality analysts to determine if agents are following call flows, building rapport, offering cross-sell products, controlling the call, providing accurate information, etc. Then, the call recording can be shared with agents during coaching sessions and the quality score added to their performance scorecards. In addition to agent evaluations, call recordings can be reviewed to assess the rollout of new promotions, identify call drivers and experience trends, determine refresher training topics, and more. Because call recordings contain a direct objective record of the customer experience, they are a rich source of information that can be used to improve operations and enhance the level of service delivered.

Regarding compliance, all contact centers that use call recording need to comply with federal and state laws regarding customer notification and consent, as well as regulations related to retention. Then, depending on the industry or what data is being collected, there may be additional requirements that the contact center needs to comply with. For example, contact centers that collect credit card information need to be compliant with PCI standards, such as not recording credit card security codes.

Best-in-class call recording software has capabilities for meeting compliance requirements already baked into the functionality. When choosing call recording software, contact centers should look for a solution that supports both their quality management and their compliance needs.