Voice logging is an important and valuable call centre technology, considered by many to be an indispensable support tool. Voice logging allows calls to be recorded for quality assurance, training, self-evaluations, verification purposes, and dispute resolution. Because of the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, there has been a surge of interest in voice logging. Although voice logging cannot be viewed as a detriment to terrorism, it is deemed as an essential part of everyone's overall goal of increased security and safety.

Some centres record calls at random, many record all calls, and some continuously record all headset audio - both during and between calls. Past forms of voice logging equipment have ranged from reel-to-reel tape machines, to specialized audiocassette recorders, to modified VCR units, to today's state-of-the-art computer-based implementations.

As mentioned, there are several possible reasons to record calls. These include quality assurance, training, self-evaluations, verification, and dispute resolution. Any one of these options often justifies the expense of implementing voice logger technology. The other features then become pleasant bonuses.

Quality assurance is the most often cited use of voice logging. With voice logging, supervisors and managers can easily and quickly retrieve, review, and evaluate agent calls. By integrating a program of silent monitoring, with side-by-side coaching and statistical measurements, an agent's overall effectiveness can be evaluated and verified. Voice logging allows areas of deficiency to be discovered and items of excellence to be celebrated.

Training can be greatly facilitated using voice logging. One application is to capture examples of exemplary calls, by seasoned reps, for trainees to review and emulate. Conversely, less than ideal calls can also be showcased for discussion and evaluation. Although both of these scenarios could be accomplished using fictitious examples or staged calls, there is great benefit in being able to demonstrate real-world examples.

Self-evaluation is a powerful tool of introspection whereby agents use voice loggers to retrieve their own calls and through a process of self-discovery learn how they could handle calls or situations more effectively. Certainly, this is valuable during the training phase, but it is also beneficial for seasoned reps, as it allows them to keep their skills sharp and helps sloppy actions from becoming bad habits. Even more meaningful is for agents to specifically seek and review a specific call that had a less than ideal outcome so that a more desirable approach can be determined and implemented.

Verification is another worthwhile use of voice logging, especially in an environment where critical information is shared and communicated, such as in telephone sales. By recording all conversations, the customers' agreement to an order or charges is captured and verifies that the sale is authentic. Normally, the recording is never listened to, unless there is an argument about the transaction.

Dispute resolution then comes into play. Whether it is an order, a message, a medical emergency, or an accusation of improper phone behaviour, the voice recording of that call essentially becomes an independent third party account of what happened and avoids, the "he-said/she-said" disputes in which neither party can corroborate their own account of what happened. Though the agent is, at times, found to be in error in such situations, the consensus is that in the vast majority of cases, the agent is vindicated and once the aggrieved party hears the recording, the problem resolves itself quickly and with little further effort.

Source: Peter DeHaan Publishing Ltd, 2005
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