1. Consider how many people you need to record calls. Are you recording everyone or just those in the contact centre, or those performing specific tasks and/or operations?
2. What is your seating policy? Where "free-seating" agents are employed, tracking and recovering calls to a specific agent can become tricky. The recording needs flags and identification, so calls can be linked to agents, agent PINS or extension numbers. The indexing of calls and their retrieval from the storage source will then require the use of a PABX CTI link.
3. Trunk-side versus extension-side recording. If you choose to record on the extension or internal side of the system then you will be able to track agents' conversations. Trunk-side highlights the customer side of their contact with your business. If you opt for extension-side recording then the type of PABX, ACD or call centre you are using becomes a critical factor.
4. How long do you need to store recordings for? For what length of time should you maintain your current logs and call transcripts? Is this a requirement?
5. How important is it to you if you lose recordings due to a system fault? Does it actually matter if you lose recordings? If yes, decide on a level of resilience which would be sufficient.
6. Consider if you require online storage and, if so, how much? How quickly do you need to retrieve a recording? Speed of retrieval is dependent on how far back into the archival records a call has been recorded. While the call index can quickly identify which recorder, and even which tape to install into the recorder, the access time will include the physical act of finding the relevant tape and inserting it into the recorder. For calls that are still resident in the online hard disc storage the access time can be no more than a few seconds.
7. Do you need to record calls at more than one site or do you plan to do so in the future? Will you require the ability to locate, retrieve and play back calls from any site to a central site? If telephone calls are recorded at one site only do you want the ability to locate, retrieve and play back calls at a remote site/office?
8. Channel selection Digital voice recorders have the ability to select individuals or teams of workers, staff IDs or extension numbers only to be recorded over a specified period, thereby drastically reducing the number of channels to be recorded. Would channel selection provide a more cost-effective solution to your voice recording needs?
9. Compatibility and integration. Voice recording systems are every bit as sophisticated and complex as their respective telephone systems and switches and so a good provider should be able to suggest a system that will be compatible with your existing infrastructure.
10. Maintenance. Have you thought about maintenance and administration of the system once it is installed? It should not just be viewed as a passive piece of equipment. Problems often occur when moving office or extensions, adding users or upgrading/making changes on your switch. In some cases there is no longer a physical connection to the voice recording system but this still needs to be administered in the correct way to ensure problems do not occur.
Elite Telecom provides not only the software for call recording but also the hardware too. All the leading providers that we work alongside - Swyx, Siemens, Toshiba, Panasonic, Avaya - manufacture hardware to work with your call recording software, and we can also supply you with a whole new phone system from one particular manufacturer if you prefer.
As well as providing hardware call recording, Elite Telecom will also maintain and service your equipment, making themselves available 24 hours a day in case you should encounter a problem. When it comes to any aspect of call recording, we really know our business.
You may think that call recording is just a tool for businesses, of no real consequence, nothing whatsoever to do with everyday life. But call recording, especially hardware call recording, is for public protection as well as to help businesses.
Picture the situation: you sell a car to a customer, who asks for a Peugeot 306 in green. You have the green Peugeot delivered and the customer rings you up and says, they asked for purple, not green! Now, without hardware call recording, it‘s simply your word against the customers and the customer is always right of course. But if you’ve recorded the call – well, you can show that the customer isn’t always right! About time too!