With new MiFID II regulations now in force for the financial sector, we take a look at call recording in general and the reasons that more companies than ever are choosing to record, not just for training and quality purposes…
Call recording for companies in the financial sector is becoming more widespread, particularly with the introduction of new MiFID II regulations. However, not everybody is using call recording for regulations and compliance purposes. Many NON-Financial organisations are using call recording for everyday business operations, and with many cloud based telephone systems making it easier than ever to offer call recording, just what are people using this feature for?
Help Desks and Call Centres:
By far the biggest users of call recording, help desks and call centres will systematically record calls, mainly for training and quality purposes. Naturally any service industry will want to ensure that operatives are managing calls effectively, and are delivering the corporate message, correctly and effectively.
Outside of typical call centres however, call recording is also helpful in several ways. Recording calls is a great way to make sure you get all the information you need from a caller without having to rely on making notes. Some people are great at taking notes, but for many, it can be a problem and people can often struggle to make significant notes while speaking with a customer. In an effort to make notes clear, relevant and readable, staff may not be giving full attention to the customer, who will then have to repeat information. This can get in the way of a customer’s “flow” and can reflect badly on the customer service experience as the caller may end up thinking that they are not being listed to at all.
With a recording, you can give full attention to the matter at hand, and have a better conversation with the caller, giving better customer service.
If the caller is in a noisy environment you can check the recording for missed details and replay parts of the conversation. You should always ask for confirmation of details and check facts during a call, but background noise, heavy accents or fast speech can make it tricky to understand and catch details first time around, so recordings which can be reviewed time and again and even verified by other people are often invaluable.
Training your staff
One of the reasons call centres like to record calls is to make sure all operatives are “on message”, and even if you only have a small work force you can use call recording to ensure people are delivering a consistent message.
Take a sample of a few recordings and see how your teams are dealing with customers. Help your people with their communication skills and make sure they are making the most of their customer interactions, either to help sell or to give better customer service and support.
Learn about your customers
R&D and Marketing departments always need information on what customers are looking for in products or services and will often build a theoretical model of a typical customer. Recordings from actual typical customers are therefor really helpful to make sure the theory matches the reality. A better understanding of customers and their needs also ensures you are developing products and services that customers want. This makes for more informed and targeted marketing activities, all of which is ultimately reflected in increased revenues.
Case Studies and testimonials
Sometimes a caller will speak openly and candidly about how positive the use of your products or services has been to them. These testimonials are invaluable when captured and with permission can be used in case studies or on advertising and promotional materials. Its also true to say that similarly candid information from an unhappy customer is also equally valuable (if not more so) as it can help you identify and fix a problem that you may not have previously known about.
Getting people up-to speed
In any company, it can take a while for new staff to get up to speed with products and services and the workings of a new position. To help bring people up to speed, allowing them to listen to typical customer calls can give a real feel for customer expectations and the standards of service expected from both parties. Even if you are returning to work after a holiday and want to know about your best client, just listen to their recent calls to see what has been going on.
Doctors Surgeries and Vets Practices:
Away from typical business users, other types of organisations are also turning to call recording for many of the same reasons. Doctors and Vets will often use “ad-hoc” call recording as way of keeping detailed notes of meetings and information exchanged. This ensures they have an accurate record of questions and answers, by all parties involved. Calls with clients or specialists can be recorded to ensure that not only is the right information given but to ensure there are no issues later down the line if proof of disclosure is needed. Recordings can be reviewed and transcribed or saved electronically and held on record (this should be done securely) so they can be revisited if required.
Schools and Colleges:
The use of call recording is becoming increasingly popular for educational establishments and is often used ad-hoc to record conversations with parents or other schools so that comments can be easily held (securely) on record for future review. A call recording will help to quickly establish the facts of what was said by whom in any sort of dispute, and is a simple way of protecting staff. Again, having to take notes and stopping to get clarification can stop the natural flow of a conversation and become a frustration for both caller and listener, so having a call recording to refer back to, gives an extra level of reassurance that nothing is missed.
Public Sector:
While many councils may have call recording for their own help desks and telephone support teams, it can also be used on other functions that may be making outgoing calls. Again this can help to keep an accurate record of information or advice given, and as a protection for staff who may be contacting other departments, suppliers or even the general public.
Call recordings can be used during conference calls to ensure an accurate record of a meeting has been made, and trying to make notes during a conference call can be a problem. Its so much better to have a recording to refer back to as often as needed.
So there we have it, call recording is not just for MiFID II and call centres, and with more choices on recording than ever before, it may be time you looked at the advantages it can bring to your business.
For more information on call recording and to find the best solution for your needs, contact Mainstream Digital to discuss your requirements.
Mainstream Digital is an ISP and communication solutions provider, offering business level communications services for local authorities, educational establishments, health services, financial and non-financial sector businesses. We specialise in telephone systems with traditional, hosted or hybrid solutions.
