What is a call recorder?
A call recorder, also known as call recording software, is contact center technology that records the contents of phone calls and may also capture agent screens. This creates a record of what occurred during the conversation between an agent and a customer as well as the system screens the agent accessed and the data they entered into them.
Organizations may set their call recorders to record all calls or just a portion, depending on how they plan to use the call recordings. These possible uses include:
- Quality management - The main reason contact centers use call recorders is so they can use the output for quality improvement. Quality analysts review a sample of recordings on a regular basis and evaluate them according to predetermined standards. The assessments are used to coach agents in an effort to improve performance.
- Dispute resolution - Another common reason to use call recorders is to support dispute resolution. Call recordings are a direct record of a phone interaction and can even be used in court if certain criteria are met.
- Training - Contact centers often use call recordings in training as examples of what to do or not do.
- Voice of the customer - Call recorders capture feedback straight from the customer, which provides a unique, valuable opportunity to hear what they think about products, the brand, customer service, website experience, and more.
- Problem identification - Call recordings can also help organizations identify and diagnose issues, such as product defects and website bugs, so they can be resolved quickly.
Features of the best call recorders
Modern call recorders have capabilities that promote quality, compliance, and ease of use. When shopping for call recorders, look for the following features:
- Easy search and retrieval - With some call recording software, searching for a specific call can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. The best call recorders have intuitive user interfaces that make search and retrieval a snap.
- Compliance support - There are many laws and regulations that dictate what can, can't, and must be done related to recording calls. For example, PCI standards require the masking of certain credit card data. Look for call recorders with features that help contact centers stay compliant.
- Extensive storage options - Contact centers should be able to configure their call recorders to record only what they need and store recordings for as long as business requirements dictate. Additionally, call recorders should provide options regarding how and where recordings are stored.
How NICE can help
NICE CXone is the market leading contact center software in use by thousands of customers of all sizes around the world to help them consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences. CXone is a cloud native, unified suite of applications designed to help a company holistically run its contact center operations.
Our software suite includes a leading call recorder, NICE CXone Recording, which provides secure, full-featured contact center call and screen recording for audio and digital channels to satisfy contact center compliance and quality needs.