There are many reasons why you might want to record your business phone calls. Perhaps you need to refer back to calls for training purposes or to monitor performance or compliance. Making call recordings and saving them in audio files can be incredibly useful, and it’s likely to capture more spoken information than anyone would leave in a voicemail or voice memo, which both tend to be brief.
As more and more of us start doing business in a hybrid environment, call recording is becoming even more important and is more likely to be required than a handset with a speakerphone, which allows several people to take part in a phone call and would be used in a traditional office setup.
If you’ve ever tried to make a call recording directly from your smartphone, chances are you’ve come up short. Luckily, apps like RingCentral make it easy to make call recordings and stop recording when needed. This can be done from a wide range of devices, including Samsung smartphones and iPhones. Ready to find out more?
7 reasons why you might need to record a phone call
Call recording is useful for many different reasons, and businesses record calls for all sorts of different purposes. Let’s take a look at some typical call recording scenarios.
1. Training material
Calls are often recorded for training purposes. Think about the last time you called up a customer service line. Chances are you were greeted with a line something like this:
“This call is being recorded for training and monitoring purposes.”
Sound familiar?
Training is one of the most common reasons why businesses record calls. Being able to revisit real examples of employee-customer interactions helps companies support new employees and flag up unusually challenging call scenarios with the team.
2. Monitoring performance
Some contact centres will consistently monitor the performance of their agents by recording calls. This is a standard call centre management practice. Recordings inform performance reviews and help call centre managers assess how their employees are doing.
Most call centres monitor performance weekly, bi-weekly or quarterly to make sure that services are running smoothly and identify any agents who might need extra training or support.
3. Complaints and compliance
Recording calls is also super useful for staying on top of complaints and compliance issues at work. Nobody wants to receive a complaint, but, at one point or another, it’s an inevitability. If there’s a problem on a call with a client or between co-workers, having that call recording will act as concrete evidence of what did or did not happen.
4. Case study
Keeping a database of call recordings is a great way to generate case studies. Just make sure to get everybody’s consent before distributing or sharing this information in any way.
For example, you might want to record a business conference call to use as a case study during future employee onboarding periods (this will help get new recruits familiar with how your team operates).
5. Podcasts
If you’ve got a business podcast, chances are you’re regularly interviewing other business owners and entrepreneurs for your show. It won’t always be possible to get them into the studio to record with you live, but that doesn’t mean your new episode about Amazon Affiliates or the best SEO strategies can’t go ahead. In these cases, making a call recording in advance is the next best thing.
6. Legal documentation
In many places, including the UK, call recordings are admissible as evidence in court. In any legal case, recordings can be used as evidence. In the UK, even non-consensual covert audio and video recordings are admissible evidence in legal proceedings.
7. Meeting notes
If you’re conducting regular remote meetings, recording them is a great way to keep a record of what’s been said without having to have someone manually write minutes. Recording meetings reduces misunderstandings and errors. Your teams can then listen back to recorded calls and double-check information from the meeting with ease.
How to record a phone call on your computer
Phone calls made on your computer can be recorded just like any other audio on your computer. To do this, you’ll need to use one of the following:
- Your computer’s in-built stereo mixer and an audio-recording programme
- An audio recording app compatible with desktop and laptop computers
Both of these methods will let you record voice chats via your computer. The first thing you’ll need to do is enable your computer’s in-built stereo mixer. Next, you can download an audio-recording program or use the integrated sound recorder application on your device. Once you’ve done this, all that’s left is to hit the record button!
Another option is to use a third-party audio recording app, like RingCentral’s voice recorder solution, which will allow you to record and monitor calls using an intuitive management platform. With the RingCentral app, you can tape your calls on-demand directly from your keypad and set specific rules around your call recordings based on individual callers and call groups.
How to record a phone call on Android
Recording a phone call on Android is often more complicated than people expect. Android devices don’t have built-in call recording functionality, and there are sometimes blocks that restrict other applications from using their call recording features on these devices.
But don’t lose hope. There are some applications that can get around this problem and let you record phone calls directly from your Android phone.
Google Voice
The Google Voice app will let you record calls on your Android smartphone by allowing access to smart calling across all devices. It’s important to note, however, that Google Voice’s record function will only record incoming calls, so you won’t be able to record internal communications or outbound calls this way.
A third-party app
Another option is to look for a third-party app. The Cube Call Recorder app is a favourite amongst Android users and allows you to record phone calls directly from your mobile and across additional platforms, like Skype, Zoom, and WeChat. If you wish, you can choose to record specific segments of conversations and exclude selected contacts from automatic recording.
For an even more comprehensive solution, it’s worth looking at robust communications solutions like the RingCentral app, which will cover all of your communications needs, including call recording. The app is compatible with all mobile and desktop devices (including Android) and will allow you to record your calls directly from the calling platform.
How to record a phone call on an iPhone
Just like Android phones, Apple iPhones and iPads don’t have an in-built call record function. You’ll need to use a third-party call recording app from the app store instead. Luckily, there are a few options to choose from, so let’s take a look at these now.
TapeACall
The TapeACall app lets iOS users record their phone calls without having to make a new dedicated phone number. You’ll also be able to designate one participant as your TapeACall administrator when recording conference calls.
You can then download the audio as an MP3 file and store it on a platform of your choice (e.g. Google Drive or Dropbox). It’s worth noting that this isn’t the most user-friendly of apps. Setting up and merging calls across platforms can be a little time-consuming.
Rev Call
The Rev Call app has a transcription function that transcribes your calls so that you can view your conversations in a text format. This is popular with businesses who want to keep a record of their calls for training and note-taking purposes as it makes it super easy to reference and search what’s been said. However, much like TapeACall, you’ll need to merge your calls prior to recording.
RingCentral
The RingCentral app makes it easy to record professional calls on an iPhone. Using RingCentral, you can record right from your calling screen. Using the app, you can choose between on-demand or automatic recordings based on your individual business needs. Once your call has been recorded, it will be stored away in your call logs, where you’ll be able to download and forward recorded conversations and email attachments as needed.
How to record a phone call for a podcast
Recording phone interviews is a great way to spice up a podcast. Depending on the device that you’ll be recording from, there are a number of different ways to go about recording your conversations.
Bluetooth
One option is to use the Bluetooth setting on your phone. Connecting your phone to a Bluetooth voice recorder device is a simple way to record a telephone conversation. The Bluetooth Voice Recorder app allows users to record audio with the microphone on their phone or a wired Bluetooth headset.
Apps
Another option is to opt for a purpose-built app. There are many call recording apps on the market (like Rev Call and TapeACall) that are compatible with iPhones, Androids, and desktops. Some even transcribe your calls to text for you.
Conferencing services
Lastly, you can choose to opt for a specialised communications platform, like RingCentral, which offers cloud communications and advanced features like call recording. Using the RingCentral app, you’ll be able to record conference calls between multiple users, store them for future reference, and download them onto your devices.
Tips for recording high-quality phone calls
Recording high-quality phone calls isn’t just about finding the best app (although that’s certainly important). It’s also about creating the best environment for a successful call recording. Before we leave you to start recording your own calls, here are some final tips that will help you achieve the best results possible.
Find a quiet location
This is especially important if your recording is going to be uploaded to a podcast or used for training purposes. Conducting your recording session in a quiet location will keep distractions to a minimum and make sure that your recording is audible when you play it back.
Communicate clearly
It’s okay to ask your participants to repeat themselves if something isn’t clear or you can’t hear them well on a call. If you can’t hear them live, you won’t hear them on the recording either. Clarity is key.
Block incoming notifications
As well as environmental distractions, calls can be disrupted by incoming notifications on your devices. It’s worth customising your incoming call options. Disabling pop-ups and notifications prior to your call recording will mitigate any further distractions and keep your recording interruption-free.
Start with a trial run
If it’s your first time conducting a call recording, take some time to do a trial run first. This will give you the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the software and toggle your settings for optimum sound quality.
Try out automated call recording
If you’re looking to use call recording as part of your call monitoring schedule, it’s worth thinking about using automated call recordings. Instead of manually recording individual calls, RingCentral’s automated call recording feature allows you to record incoming and outgoing calls automatically, listen to the recordings online, and download them to your computer.
Check Your Wi-Fi Connection
Finally, before recording calls on the regular, ensure that your internet connection is reliable. A poor Wi-Fi connection will affect the quality of your calls, so ensure that you’ve got sufficient bandwidth ahead of time.
Things to consider before you record a professional call
If you’re planning to record all or some of your business phone calls, it’s also worth considering that the quality of your call, if you’re using a VoIP service, will depend on the quality of your connection. Don’t expect a flawless recording or an accurate accompanying transcription if your broadband strength is poor. As with any professional business call, make sure you have sufficient bandwidth to carry your calls, whether it be a video meeting, a conference call or a quick catch-up over the phone.
It’s also worth considering doing a ‘practice run’ of your phone call, especially if you’ve just downloaded the app from the app store but are not familiar with it yet. While many apps record automatically, some require a more manual process of merging your calls which means it’s advisable to acquaint yourself with the process before you launch into recording your first professional call. Trial out a call recording with a colleague or a friend first to make sure you grasp how it all works.
One other key thing to consider when planning to record a phone call is whether you have the legal right to do so. Legally speaking, each country (and in the case of the USA, each state) may have different laws and protocols around recording phone calls. Ensure you have permission to record a phone call crucial, regardless, as a matter of etiquette if not dictated by law.
Legal Issues With Recording Phone Calls UK
As different countries have different legislations and protocols governing the act of recording your phone calls, it’s worth taking a little time to establish what you have the right to do.
It might be the case that recording your phone conversation is fine, provided you have prior consent from the other party. But make sure you know whether you must adhere to your local legislation, or that of your call recipient, as these may vary, especially if your customers are based overseas.
In the UK, for example, it is legal for individuals to tape a conversation so long as you do not share that data with a third party without consent. GDPR (the legislation around the sharing of data) dictates that this would breach the law.
In some states in the USA, it is legal to consent from the call recipient before recording a phone call. It is completely illegal in other countries, so it’s best to be aware of the legislation that protects your customers, partners, and other stakeholders before you plan to record your business calls.
In most cases, it is advisable to assume you will need the green light from all parties and gather party consent before you hit the record button.
Record a phone call with the RingCentral app
Call recording can often act as a precious tool to oversee and improve your customer journey, so having a solution that is easy to use and reliably records and stores your tracked calls can be a true asset.
Used by 300,000+ business owners, RingCentral’s voice recorder solution allows you to record and monitor calls using an easy-to-use management platform. You can choose to tape your calls on demand with the ability to set specific rules around your call recordings, according to callers or call groups, or record all calls automatically. Whether your staff are on a mobile device or a desktop, tracking calls and monitoring call performance becomes much easier with the handy RingCentral app.
