A common issue with phone call based customer service that can arise is when the person taking the calls is not properly equipped to deal with the issues or questions customers may present to them. If handled incorrectly a disgruntled customer could become a business’ worst enemy potentially tarnishing the brand’s reputation. Fortunately there is a way to ensure that customers are receiving the best experience when calling a business and this is by using call recording.

Customer Satisfaction

As mentioned earlier, an unhappy customer can be a business’ worst enemy, particularly now as they have digital public domains such a social media on which to air their complaints and frustrations. If a customer has contacted the business via the phone, the communication at this point is private and therefore it is best to handle the situation there and then, rather than giving this person the chance to publically shame the company.

The recording of a previously mishandled call can help a manager pinpoint the dos and don’ts of the call to the rest of the team and together come up with a solution that could have resulted in a better outcome. Once a system (to cope with unhappy customers) has been put in place it will be easier for staff to ensure these types of calls are handled correctly.

It is also good to have the recording of the call as a back-up in case the matter is brought up again by the customer, this will give you verbal documentation of the complaint and the company’s response should a disagreement occur.

Improve sales

A lot of man hours may be spent making sales calls but if the conversions are low this is wasted time and effort. Monitoring sales calls can help identify weaknesses in conversations and pinpoint any issues with the sales tactics being used by the team. These weaknesses can help establish the content for an effective training programme, with the ability to use calls as examples of what to do and what not to do when making sales calls.

Call recording can also assist in the optimising of the company’s sales strategy based on listening to real life scenarios. The recording can give the answers to crucial questions, such as:

• What are the most frequently asked questions raised by prospective clients?
• What doubts are being raised during these calls?
• How are the sales team successfully overcoming these obstacles, if at all?

With this information an effective sales strategy can be developed and constantly reviewed and improved upon based on real time experience.

Another way call recording can help improve sales is by giving staff the opportunity to revisit the call and pick up on any missed information.

When talking to prospective clients it is imperative that the caller is actively listening. It should be standard practice to take notes during phone calls, to ensure that important details are noted, however whilst taking notes the caller is distracted from the conversation. Having a recording of the call allows the sales team member to refer back and ensure all the information has been collected and is correct; this can also be helpful if the call wasn’t the best quality, either due to signal or a noisy environment. This will reduce the chances of a mistake being made.

Call recording is a piece of software which, as well as recording calls, can actually attribute sales to phone calls which is a bonus when a business is performing a full sales analysis. Companies like Mediahawk provide an integrated solution such as this.

Performance review

As well as improving the customer service offering and sales strategy, call recording can also be a great internal tool for performance reviews. This doesn’t necessarily mean only using the system for negative reviews but also highlighting their positive ones. Those who make sales calls may not be recognised for their good work unless that work converts, however, if a member of staff has effectively dealt with a disgruntled customer or upsold some products or services, it is important that they are commended for their performance.

It can also be helpful if the occasion develops where a client or customer is disputing something that has been said, unlike emails, calls usually don’t leave a paper trail of evidence of what was said. With call recording you will be able to refer back to previous phone calls and determine the correct details of past conversations.

Although not every business will need call recording, those that do rely on phone calls for their customer service offering or sales will reap the benefits from this service.