…or Recorded for Quality Assurance Purposes.”
After hearing this statement over and over again while on hold or before speaking to some customer service representative, we have all grown accustomed to the idea that what we are about to say next might be recorded, and listened to again later. While we may think nothing of it anymore, these call recordings can actually play a crucial role in how a company maintains quality customer service, and ensures accountability for their call agents.
Similar to how a football coach would watch the game film with his team, call center managers can use these recordings for quality assurance training sessions with the call center agents to demonstrate the good, bad, and ugly of how an agent handled a particular situation, and learn from the mistakes and successes to better keep their customers happy in the future. The more recordings they have, the better they can keep an eye on trends of the callers and agents, and therefore maintain successful procedures in the future. So next time you have an unpleasant phone encounter with a customer service rep, you can rest assured that there is a chance that your call will end up in next week’s training session for “what not to do” for agents!
There is also another important reason for why these calls are recorded, and it has to do with companies’ self-protection. Having audio evidence of customer interactions can help shield you from any potential lawsuit that may arise. In these situations it is vital for a company to be able to prove that their agent behaved appropriately, and most importantly, legally. Having these recordings on hand can be extremely beneficial for proof of innocence, and can even prevent a lawsuit before it happens.
While most people may be apprehensive to the idea of their conversation being recorded, it is important to remember that more often than not, it is for the benefit of the customer. Every company wants to maintain good customer relations, and having voice recordings allows them to better train their agents to be more effective, efficient, and supportive – even if it doesn’t always feel like it.