As a Vancouver-based VoIP provider, we have a lot of features like call recording for small businesses. We have an extensive Features Page highlighting many of them. The amount of features included with our VoIP plans are a source of provide for our team.
Scenario 1: Recording All Incoming Telephone calls
We recommend setting up a professional greeting which informs customers that “their call may be recorded for quality or training purposes.” This is the most professional and ethical approach. According to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Device Act (PIPEDA) you must inform the individual of the recording and the purpose of the recording.
Scenario 2: On-Demand Call Recording
On-demand call recording is controlled at the telephone level by using a star code which enables recordings. According to the Criminal Code of Canada Part VI under ‘Invasion of Privacy’ one party must be consenting for the recording to be considered legal. As a result on-demand recording cannot be done remotely.
Call Recording Ethics
Ultimately the decision to follow Privacy laws are your responsibility. VoIP providers like B1 Communications will enable the feature at your request. That being said, when considering call recording, it’s important to understand its purpose, and how it will affect company culture. Every staff member should be made aware that calls are being recorded and who has access to these calls.
Recommended Company Policy
Beyond verbally informing staff that calls will be recorded it might be wise to have a written policy signed by your team. Taking this extra step will not only protect you legally, it will also allow for disciplinary actions or worse case scenario, termination of staff members. This signed policy could save you from a wrongful dismissal case.
The benefits of call recording
There are numerous business reasons to record telephone calls and we’ve listed several below.
- New Employees: Recording calls is extremely useful for new employee training. The key here is listening together. Don’t privately listen to every call and find the one or two bad apples. Going over them together will earn you respect and gives you a platform to discuss the call as it progresses.
- Ongoing Performance Reviews: Make it an ongoing policy to review 1 random call with your senior staff members each week/month. This will keep them focused and on-point. Again you should listen to calls together, it’s never a good idea to do it behind their back.surprise them with a bad call.
- Sales Coaching: If you’ve got a sales force that uses the telephone to prospect and close deals call recording presents a great coaching opportunity for the sales team. I would review one call each week with them and discuss ways to improve the call outcome. that utilizes the phone.
- Handling Customer Complaints: When a customer complains about an employee interaction that took place over the telephone, it’s important to understand both sides of the story. Listening to the call is the only unbiased way that you can do that.
Legal Disclaimer: This article was not written by a legal advisor, nor does it constitute legal advice. B1 Communication recommends that you speak with a lawyer regarding call recording & privacy matters before requesting it.
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