Eliminate finger pointing with call logging equipment

Weeks after a conversation, it can be difficult to recall who said what when. While it may not matter in most cases, it can be a real source of contention when it involves an order or a set of instructions gone wrong.

Call logging equipment eliminates "he said, she said" finger pointing. It can also be a great way to train salespeople as conversations can be recorded for later analysis.

There are two types of call logging equipment available. On the low end, there are recording jacks. These simple devices, which cost between $20-$30, connect a tape recorder to your telephone so both ends of a conversation can be captured. All you need are a stack of cassettes and you are ready to record.

While they can be a very cost-effective solution, recording jacks do have their drawbacks. Going back to find a particular phone call can be a time-consuming task that requires the patience of a Zen master. You'll also need to vigilant about turning the recorder on and off to save on tape and be precise about labeling and filing them. Even so, the costs are not as low as they appear. Assuming you needed to record one phone line for 3 hours per day and you wanted to archive a year's worth of calls, you do have to spend about $550 in tapes per year.

If you'd prefer not to slog through tapes via the rewind and forward button, there are also digital voice loggers. These devices connect to your phone or phone system and record conversations onto a hard drive, with information like date and time automatically tagged to each conversation. With this type of system, you can find conversations more easily--just pop in a few criteria about the conversation and a set of matches will appear.

When shopping for a digital voice logger, you'll need to know how many channels, or simultaneous conversations, you want to record. Most systems can record no fewer than 4 or 8 channels. (Note: Teac recently introduced a one-line recording system.) Compatibility may also be an issue; most loggers are designed to work with the leading phone systems, but lesser-known ones may need some finagling to work.

Check out the software, too. You'll want an interface that makes it easy to pull up a phone call. It should also be easy to manage the calls, too. While the call logger should of course be compatible with your desktop operating system, having one that's compatible with your network can be a plus.

Digital recorders don't come cheap. You should expect to pay $5,000-$7,000 for a basic 4-channel system. Prices scale to the tens of thousands of dollars for advanced features designed for call centers or for more line coverage. Ongoing maintenance costs range from 4%-10% of the original price. The cost of storage media, like DAT or DVD, to archive conversations should also be factored into any pricing comparison you make.

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