By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D.
Once thought of as a call center luxury, call recordings (also known as voice loggers) were used exclusively to document agent conversations with callers. However, call recorders are no longer just a tool to prove who said what or how it was spoken. Call loggers have proven themselves invaluable as a training tool, for agent self-evaluation, for quality control, and most recently, as a call compliance device.
Some systems record all headset audio, both during calls and between calls. This can offer additional insight about a call that just took place, as well as agents’ perceptions of their jobs and employers. It can also raise privacy concerns. Other systems record only the call audio and not idle conversions with co-workers in between calls. Some systems can work in either mode, allowing the call center management to decide which is appropriate for their center.
Before recording any calls, check into the legal issues with an attorney familiar with your state’s laws. The biggest factor is whether one or both parties need to be made aware that recording is taking place. Agents should always be notified when call recording is happening (one-party notification); notification to the customer can be made by a preamble recording (“This call may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance purposes”) or a periodic beep tone (two-party notification)
Read more in Peter Lyle DeHaan’s Healthcare Call Center Essentials, available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book.
Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD, is the publisher and editor-in-chief of AnswerStat and Medical Call Center News covering the healthcare call center industry. Read his latest book, Sticky Customer Service.
