Last Updated on November 10, 2015

Any person who has ever called a company with a customer service department has probably heard a recording that says something like, “Your call may be recorded for quality assurance.” Few consumers actually believe that those recordings are actually ever reviewed and that quality is ever actually assured. The truth is, however, that businesses that invest in call recording software do it because they care about their customers and they want to make sure that they are providing the highest quality service possible.

Most consumers don’t leave businesses because their products or services are too expensive—they leave because they have a bad experience, often with customer service. Call recording software can not only prevent customer service from misbehaving (call it the “Big Brother” effect), it can help you identify individuals or practices that might be driving customers or clientele away. If you are trying to find a way to improve your customer service, call recording software is one of the best ways. Here are nine reasons your business needs call recording software:

1. Evaluate your employees – Managers simply cannot be out on the customer service floor, listening to calls, all day long. Listening to all customer service representatives, all the time, is impossible. Software that allows you to record all or even just some of the calls that come in during the day, and to play back those calls later, in order to listen to how a representative handles a range of different situations is the best way to be able to adequately evaluate your customer service reps. Listening to them on calls with real people allows you to see a certain employee’s strengths and weakness.

2. Train customer service reps – One-size-fits-all training is just not a reality for customer service departments. Some representatives will be great at dealing with some issues, but will be unable to handle others. After basic training is over, being able to listen to calls and evaluate a person’s performance means that managers can give detailed constructive feedback to their employees. The ability to give individualized training, based on a person’s actual performance means that each individual has the opportunity to improve, and that you can easily capitalize on the strengths and improve on the weaknesses of each representative.

3. Maintain security – No matter what type of business you have, there are probably topics that you do not want your customer service reps to discuss with customers, especially when you consider that some of those callers might be your competition. Call recording enables you to ensure that no confidential information is being leaked over the phone. It is also a good way to make sure that inappropriate conversations are not taking place over your phone lines.

4. Meet government regulations – Depending on your industry, the government may require you to record your calls in order to be compliant with the standards of that industry. Keeping compliant is a major concern for many businesses, as sanctions and even shutdowns can be the result of not following the rules that regulatory bodies have put in place for your business. Businesses that deal with finances, provide healthcare, or give legal advice or help, all may be required to record any type of communication. Phone call recording software can make staying compliant extremely easy.

5. Gives your agents helpful tools – Not all call recording software provides you with these features, but the best software will. Software that gives your agents some control over the call, whether they need to mute it or pause it, make a note on that call, or even flag it, this allows your agents to mark calls that they need a manager to review or that a manager might be interested in listening to. Representatives can even mark themselves as in, out, or on break. These tools allow agents and managers better communication, especially in circumstances where direct communication would be time-consuming and clunky.

6. Analyze call data – Software that records your calls and collects data from those calls allows you to get a much better picture of your customer service, when it needs to be staffed and by how many people, and even which times of the year are busiest. You can even see which of your agents handles the most calls. All of this data allows you to create schedules that can minimize wait time, and therefore improve customer service and satisfaction.

7. Limit your liability – A lawsuit can come out of nowhere. Businesses of all kinds have to be prepared to deal with lawsuits. Proper insurance is a good place to start, but having a record of every customer communication is even better. You will have proof of wrongdoing or proof that nothing illegal took place. If a customer dispute escalates into a legal case, you will have the proof that you need to show that your business followed the law.

8. Control the quality of your customer service – Perhaps one of the most important reasons to have call recording software is to ensure that your customer service is always the very best that it can be. Only in a perfect world does every business have only congenial, helpful representatives who know your policies and how to help your customers. Even those with the proper training can become lax and frustrated. When this happens, your customers will jump ship and look for a different company to do business with. When your representatives know that they are being recorded, they are more likely to follow your policies and to remain pleasant and helpful, even if the customer is being difficult.

9. Ensure customer satisfaction – When you can monitor not just one representative, but all representatives, you will have a much more comprehensive picture of why customers stay with your company and why they leave. When you have this picture, you will be able to improve on the things you do well and minimize the things that drive customers or clients away. The more satisfied your customers are, the more likely they are to return to spend their money with you again and to recommend you to their family and friends.

Call recording software may seem like a luxury, but it is, in fact, a necessity for businesses that want to retain customers or clients. Just as you track your marketing efforts and analyze that data to see where you could make improvements, recording and analyzing your incoming and outgoing calls allows you to get a much clearer picture of your agents, your customers, and your overall success.

 

Last Updated on November 10, 2015