Auto Attendant and Recording of Phone Calls

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robandcindy

New member
I would link to know if anybody has recommendations for a system that will RECORD all phone calls and is an Auto Attendant…you know, PRESS 1 to place your order PRESS 2 for store hours and direction PRESS 3 to hear about our specials.

Basically, here in California we have to tell both parties that the call is being recorded. So, while the customer makes their choice…it rings and says, “This call me be monitored or recorded for quality control.”

Does anyone use a system like this that records all calls?

Thanks in advance 😃
 
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Pizzamancer:
If my regular pizza shop put in a system like that, I would quit ordering.
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I am with you on this one. The only thing that bugs me more that Press # answering machines is the Voice Recognition machines like the ones the phone companies use.
 
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I don’t get it… why?

This is so far from anything I can imagine doing… recording calls? automated, recorded ordering?

No thanks. I think this would kill our business.
 
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Ok, let me explain: (By the way, I TRULY appreciate your input)
  1. The phone would ring and IMMEDIATELY answer with a professional voice that says, “Thank you for Calling, to place your order press 1, hear our specials press 2 and for store hours and directions press 3.”
This would achieve several things:
  1. Allow the customer to hear about our specials (if they choose)
  2. Allow the customer to get information about store hours, directions etc.
  3. Ring (for real) to the the order taker when they are ready to place their order
  4. Allow to say “This call may be recorded for quality control” as the phone rings to the order taker in my kitchen.
The purpose of recording calls is twofold:
  1. First and foremost: TRAINING…we can listen to the way our team members handled various calls…make suggestions and improve our proffesionalism and lost sales
  2. Help prevent customers who say, " I only ordered a small, not an extra large" when coming to pickup their already made pizza.
The one thing I want to stress is this: Immediately when the phone rings it would answer and say "If you would like to place your order, press 1.

I am with you on phone mazes… Remember, there would only be one choice.

What do you think?
 
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robandcindy:
Ok, let me explain: (By the way, I TRULY appreciate your input)

2. Help prevent customers who say, " I only ordered a small, not an extra large" when coming to pickup their already made pizza.

The one thing I want to stress is this: Immediately when the phone rings it would answer and say "If you would like to place your order, press 1.

I am with you on phone mazes… Remember, there would only be one choice.

What do you think?
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I think this is the worst reason ever to want your phone calls recorded. What will you do when this situation happens and you have a recorded call. Tell the customer they are a liar and offer to play back the recording for them to hear? Will you listen to the recording before you tell the customer this to make absolutely sure you are correct? What will be your gain here? If they don’t want an XL pizza you can’t make them purchase it.
 
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robandcindy:
The purpose of recording calls is twofold:
  1. First and foremost: TRAINING…we can listen to the way our team members handled various calls…make suggestions and improve our proffesionalism and lost sales
  2. Help prevent customers who say, " I only ordered a small, not an extra large" when coming to pickup their already made pizza.
What do you think?
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Would you really want to embarrass a customer by having proof that they ordered wrong, rather than just making it right and not losing a good customer?

Maybe a better alternative to having an auto attendant where people have to hit numbers is to get one that rather than the customer getting a ringing they have a message played hello you’ve reached so and so, our specials for the day are . . . . our hours are . . . ------but have your phone people answer the phone as quick as possible even if it interrupts the message if the customer has questions the phone people should be able to answer it.

Maybe it’s state law, I don’t know, but I’ve talked to sheriffs and a private investigator, and if I want to record all calls for training purposes only I don’t need to let the other end know they are being recorded. You just can’t use the recordings to place charges or as evidence against anyone.
 
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I don’t think most folks mind a little telephone interaction b4 they place their order, but 1 button s/b enough…no one likes getting lost in voice mail jail or being unable to connect to a real human in a few seconds…

We use a virtual PBX & based on this topic thread, I am going to change the initial recording to include the daily specials, so the customer has one less button to push…thanks!
 
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Put me down in the camp that thinks this is a bad idea. I avoid doing business with companies that have systems like you’re contemplating using. I don’t see anything wrong with using a clean, friendly and unobtrusive system during peak times to let the customer know that you’re busy, but will take their order in just a minute, but this smacks of overkill.

My impression is that a new phone system doesn’t fix the root problem. The hiring, training and monitoring of employees is a management problem, not an employee or technology problem, if things are not as professional as you wish. People are people. People make mistakes sometimes - customers, staff, and even owners and managers. Sometimes it isn’t that big of a deal knowing who was right or wrong.
 
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I actually had someone come in and try to “upgrade” my phone system and this was one of the items that they wanted me to add. It seemed a bit excessive to me. I am all about answering the phones quickly and we have a 3 ring policy at our stores. I wouldn’t mind having something playing while people are on hold, but most of my customers probably wouldnt be able to figure out the phone system…even if it is just pushing the number 1.
 
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robandcindy:
  1. The phone would ring and IMMEDIATELY answer with a professional voice that says, “Thank you for Calling, to place your order press 1, hear our specials press 2 and for store hours and directions press 3.”
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I would hang up and call Pizza Hut. The reason customers call is to order a pizza. Store hours? If you are open you are open, nothing you can do about it, and hearing the times isn’t going to help that.

If you want them to hear the specials, add an auto answerer that answers immediately and mentions the specials. 10 second intro. No button pushing.

As for recording, that is a training issues. If you are having problems there, train your staff. Stand next to them. Is your shop that large that you can’t hear them anyway? You also have nothing to gain by proving your customers wrong…ever. Who cares if they were wrong. What are you going to do? Be a jack ass and fire you customers? It is a lose - lose situation.
The one thing I want to stress is this: Immediately when the phone rings it would answer and say "If you would like to place your order, press 1.
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Any complaint would be amplified 1000 times by getting this message. My cell phone and skype don’t even make button tones anymore.
 
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I heard that RingCentral’s phone system can do more than that. Check their site and use their free 30 day trial. Who knows this is what you are looking for in a phone system.
 
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