6 reasons every retailer needs a phone recording system

Ah, the cut and thrust of retail. It’s a fiercely competitive industry. Survival – let alone success – depends on maintaining a competitive advantage. Such as flawless customer service. Or smooth operations. Or a consistent brand. Or defence against customer complaints. Professional telephone recording helps with all of the above and more. You can benefit whether you are a wedding supplier or a tailor; toy shop or takeaway. Here’s a quick introduction.

1. Improve your operations
Ordering stock and receiving deliveries. An integral part within many businesses and an essential element to get right, not least because of the large sums of money involved. With professional call recording you can verify the costs and quantities of your order as well as the date and time of delivery. No more crossed wires.

2. Fact verification: Getting the order right
Many retailers receive telephone orders. In those rare – but potentially damaging – instances where the details of an order are lost, business call recording gives you a very relieving failsafe. It’s simple. Every call you make or receive is recorded and stored in a secure database. Play back any recording, any time, to triple-check high value orders or simply confirm a delivery address. It’s as useful for wedding dress makers as it is for pizza takeaways.

3. Fact verification: Resolve disputes fast
Call recording is about more than knowing what your customers have said to you. It enables you to protect your position in difficult disputes over shipping dates, cost, order quantities or something else related to the customer’s purchase. With voice recording systems you have proof of what was said, when and by whom. It helps better protect you and your business and it helps you resolve disputes fast.

4. Hold third parties to account
Sometimes a delay in the supply chain can leave you placating an angry customer through no fault of your own. That’s hardly fair. When you have recordings of your calls, you can ascertain exactly who is culpable for a mistake and take the necessary action. Again, it’s all about protecting your interests and resolving disputes with tact, speed and confidence.

5. Ratchet-up your customer service
Are your staff answering customer calls in way that reflects your brand? Who resolves disputes most successfully? Which sales messages close the most deals? With business call recording you get a holistic view of the way your team interacts with customers. Over time you can benchmark best practice and train all staff to the relevant levels. Result? Your customer service employees perform consistently over the phone.

6. Enhance your recruitment process
The job market is supremely competitive. Cue a deluge of applications for your vacant positions. Once you have scanned the CVs there will likely be more good candidates than you can reasonably call in for interview. So how about adding a telephone interview to your recruitment process? They can be conducted by anyone and played back to the recruitment panel later, saving time and ensuring you invite the right candidates to meet in person.

In a nutshell
Identifying training opportunities, resolving disputes, improving the way you manage orders. Professional call recording is not short of benefits. But perhaps best of all, it’s really not expensive to install. Unlike a decade or two ago voice recording equipment is a highly cost-effective way to improve customer service and maintain your competitive advantage, turning one-off customers into evangelists for your brand.

Business Systems is a leading independent UK provider of professional call recording. For a no-obligation discussion about how the right system can improve your business, contact us now.