If you've called customer service any time in the last decade, you know that contact centers record phone calls. The recorded message at the beginning of most customer service calls makes that very clear. But if you're new to the world of contact centers, you might be surprised at how valuable call recordings are and how many purposes they serve. They can fulfill compliance requirements, help agents improve their performance, identify customer-impacting issues, and more.
What is call recording?
Contact centers use software to record inbound and outbound phone calls. The software might record calls automatically or the call recording could be controlled by the phone agent, though that’s not best practice. The organization might record 100% of calls, or just a sample. How many calls they record and the method they use to do it is based on factors like regulatory requirements and quality assurance needs.
In addition to recording the audio of the conversation, contact centers might also record the screens the agent accessed during the call, including any data they entered. This method of call recording provides reviewers with a holistic view of what was said and done during specific calls.
Call recording can be further enhanced with the application of artificial intelligence (AI). AI-powered tools can automatically generate transcripts of calls or comb through a multitude of call recordings to identify things like compliance issues and call drivers.
There's more to call recording than meets the eye. Recorded calls serve many purposes that protect the organization and improve the customer experience.