Anyone who has ever called a call center has undoubtedly heard the phrase, “This call may be recorded for training purposes.”

This short statement ensures compliance with GDPR regulations. GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation, which replaced the Dutch Data Protection Act (Wbp) on May 25, 2018.

From that moment, the same privacy legislation applies across the entire European Union (EU). GDPR is sometimes referred to by its Dutch name: Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming (AVG).

At Belfabriek, you can choose to record all phone calls by default. This is called call recording or voice logging.

This is an easy way to replay business phone calls or coach colleagues using recorded conversations.

Regulations for Recording Calls

Before the General Data Protection Regulation came into effect, it was not necessary to mention such recordings as long as the recordings were used internally. Today, the rules are different.

When someone calls you, sensitive personal data is often exchanged during the conversation.

This could include a phone number, name, account number, or address. GDPR requires you to have a legal basis or reason to store and (potentially) process this data. The regulation outlines six possible legal bases. As a business owner, you must determine which applies to your company:

  • You have the consent of your contact.
  • The data is necessary to execute a contract or assignment.
  • You have a legal obligation to store this data.
  • Recording or processing is necessary to protect vital interests.
  • Processing or storage is necessary for performing your task.
  • Processing stored data is necessary to protect your business or personal interests.

It’s crucial to substantiate your legal basis and include it in privacy statements or policies accessible to involved parties.

In practice, most businesses record phone calls to document agreements or use them for quality purposes.

In such cases, your company does not need explicit consent from the contact to record the call. However, you must inform the other party that the call is being recorded. This can be done with a short standard message at the start of the call, such as a welcome message.

Note: Employees must also be informed that calls are being recorded.

Benefits of Recording Business Phone Calls

Training Purposes

New employees usually can’t conduct perfect phone calls from day one. It may take time for an employee to be fully trained, and recorded calls can be a useful tool for coaching. Together, you can listen to recorded calls and learn from these real-life examples.

Documenting a Sale

When selling a product or service over the phone, the burden of proof lies with the seller. An agreement is only binding if its unequivocal nature can be demonstrated. Therefore, it’s important to have a recording of the entire phone call where context and agreements are clearly audible. Make sure to record every call.

Replaying Difficult Conversations

The role of online reviews has become increasingly significant in recent years, and many businesses suffer from negative reviews. It can be worthwhile to listen to recorded calls related to complaints to better assess whether the feedback is justified.

Call Summaries

For a phone representative, it’s nearly impossible to answer questions, record an order, look up information, and create a summary of the call all at once. The likelihood of forgetting important details or misrecording agreements is high. To avoid this, you can record every call.

Identifying Patterns and Consistency

Customer service often deals with recurring questions or issues, each handled by a different representative. It can be beneficial to identify these patterns and address them proactively. Using call recordings, you can develop standard responses for all employees.

Easily and GDPR-Compliant Call Recording with Belfabriek

At Belfabriek, call recording is included in your package. The number of recordings is unlimited, and calls are stored in the cloud for one day by default. During this time, calls can be easily listened to or downloaded online using your personal login credentials.

Would you prefer a longer retention period? Two additional packages are available for a fee, allowing recordings to be stored for up to one month.

We hope this article has clarified whether recording phone calls is permissible.