Examples of Voice Logging Applications

If you can imagine a situation in which it would have been to your advantage to quickly retrieve a telephone call in order to document what was actually said - then you have a basic understanding of how your company can benefit from voice logging. The following are a few examples that might stimulate your imagination.

• A brokerage firm receives a telephone order to buy 10,000 shares and when the stock price declines the client claims the order was for 1,000 shares.
• An employee calls and expresses that they are pleased to announce they are quitting and have a better job at higher pay. Two weeks later you receive a call from the EEOC saying you are accused of forcing the employee to quit due to unlawful discrimination.
• A ready-mix company arrives on the job site with six concrete trucks on Tuesday morning as instructed by the contractor's telephone order – only to be told the order was scheduled for Thursday morning due to the contrac tor being behind schedule.
• A new CEO is repeatedly told by customers his company's product support department is doing a poor job of handling their needs. By retrieving and listening to a number of actual support calls – and the monitoring calls in progress - he is able to evaluate individual staff performance and take actions accordingly.
• A good customer threatens to move their business because a promise of delivery was not honored. A review of the actual call indicates the promise was contingent upon return of goods for replacement – when the customer realizes his shipping department did not return the goods, the problem is resolved.
• A sub contractor's workers on the job site are often given verbal requests to change the scope of their work. They now call the home office and ask the contractor to define the new instructions on a recorded phone in order to eliminate the otherwise inevitable questions as to authorizations and related costs.

The ability to resolve disputes by retrieving what was actually said – and possibly e-mailing the recording to the other party – will most certainly change the way you conduct business on the telephone.

For smaller and medium businesses the primary benefit of voice logging relates to better management of risks associated with the company's telephone communications

If you are considering a voice logging system for the first time, there are three things to consider:

• The legal implications of voice logging.
• How other companies benefit from voice logging.
• Discussing your ideas and requirements with a dealer discretion in the setup

Legal Implications

It is legal to record telephone discussions under Federal Law in the USA and Canada however you must also comply with State laws in the USA and Provincial laws in Canada. The section of the website entitled Call Recording & The Law provides a summary. You might wish to do an internet search for USA and Canadian laws governing telephone recording or speak to your lawyer if you have specific concerns.

In short - in all but twelve States only "one party" to the discussion must be aware the call is being recorded. The laws of notification vary in the other twelve States but generally they require "all parties" to the call be notified it is being recorded. We're sure you have heard the "This call may be recorded …" message many companies add on their telephone system and REVCORD supplies inexpensive beep tone generators for use in those States requiring this type of periodic "beep" notification.