Understand conversations and keep recordings under control
Stratiis helps Scottish organisations record the calls they need, find them when it matters and use call data to improve service. We design recording around your phone platform, customer journeys and information governance, with practical controls for access, retention, security and reporting.
What are call recording and call analytics?
Call recording captures the audio of selected business telephone conversations. Call analytics turns call activity, and where appropriate recorded speech, into information such as demand patterns, missed calls, common topics and quality trends. Together they can support better records, training and dispute resolution. They also create personal data, so organisations need a clear purpose, appropriate lawful basis, transparent notices and rules for who can use the recordings and how long they are kept.
Better evidence, service and visibility from the calls you handle
Recording is most useful when every use has a defined business purpose and a person responsible for the outcome.
Clearer records
Check what a customer requested, what was explained and which actions were agreed.
Better coaching
Review appropriate calls against fair, understood service standards.
Useful insight
See demand, missed calls and recurring customer issues across teams.
More control
Set recording, access and retention rules that match the purpose.
Should every business call be recorded?
No. The right scope depends on why the call is needed, the people involved and any sector requirements. A broad recording rule can capture more customer and employee information than the organisation needs.
Automatic recording
Capture calls that meet an agreed rule, such as a regulated line or defined service queue. Test exceptions and what happens if recording fails.
Selective recording
Apply recording to particular numbers, teams, call types or workflows. This can reduce unnecessary collection while still keeping important conversations.
User-controlled recording
Allow authorised employees to start, stop or pause recording where appropriate. Training and checks help prevent gaps or accidental capture.
The ICO guidance on monitoring telephone calls explains why recording the content of every call is not usually proportionate and why callers and workers must be told when recording takes place.
What can call analytics tell you?
Start with the questions managers actually need answered. A dashboard should support a decision, not create more numbers to watch.
Demand and service levels
Review call volumes, waiting times, abandoned calls, transfers and busy periods to improve staffing and routing.
Customer themes
Identify repeated questions, complaints or service problems so the underlying issue can be addressed.
Quality reviews
Assess a suitable sample of calls for accuracy, clarity and outcomes, with employees aware of how reviews work.
Transcription and search
Turn speech into searchable text where suitable. Check the audio when names, numbers or important details need to be exact.
AI-assisted summaries
Reduce note-taking for some workflows, with a person reviewing and correcting the summary before it becomes a business record.
Technical call quality
Investigate poor audio, dropped calls and network conditions when analytics are available from the voice platform.
Sentiment scores and keyword alerts can highlight calls for review, but context, accents, noise and the subject of a conversation can affect their accuracy.
What must be decided before business calls are recorded?
Technology should implement an agreed policy. The organisation should involve its data protection, legal, HR and compliance advisers where the use of recordings affects customers, employees or regulated work.
| Decision | What to define | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose and lawful basis | Why each category of call is recorded and how it will be used. | The lawful basis and any extra condition for sensitive information. |
| Callers and employees | How people are told about recording and where full privacy information is available. | That notices describe the actual use, including quality review or analytics. |
| Access and use | Who can listen, search, download, share or export recordings. | That permissions follow roles and important activity is logged. |
| Retention | How long each call type is needed and when deletion occurs. | That active storage, archives and exceptions follow the policy. |
| Suppliers and storage | Where data is held, which suppliers process it and what happens when the contract ends. | Security, contractual terms and recovery arrangements. |
The ICO's lawful-basis guidance sets out the basis for processing personal information. Consent is one possible basis, but a recorded announcement alone does not establish valid consent.
Keep recordings available to the right people for the right time
Recordings can contain customer details, instructions, complaints, financial information and employee data. Access should be limited to a genuine business need.
Protect access and storage
Use role-based permissions, multi-factor authentication where available, encryption, download restrictions and activity logs. Review access when employees join, change roles or leave. Confirm where recordings are stored and how they can be retrieved after an incident.
Set retention by purpose
Use a documented schedule for the types of call you record, with automatic deletion where the platform supports it. Some calls may need a different period or a documented hold. Review the schedule as business and regulatory needs change.
The ICO's storage-limitation guidance does not set one retention period for every recording. Organisations must be able to justify how long they keep personal data.
How should payment-card calls be handled?
A telephone payment can put card details into a recording, transcript or agent workflow. The payment journey should be designed so sensitive authentication data is not unnecessarily captured or retained. Depending on the system, controls may include a secure payment service, recording pause and resume, keypad-tone suppression and restricted access.
Can a recording keep a card security code?
PCI DSS prohibits storing sensitive authentication data, including card verification codes, after authorisation, even if encrypted. Where a call may capture card data, the process should be reviewed with your payment provider and PCI adviser before go-live. See the PCI Security Standards Council's guidance on audio recordings.
Recording should fit the phone system you already use
The available recording method, controls and costs depend on the platform and licences in place. Stratiis can compare the options before recommending a change.
Microsoft Teams Phone
User-initiated recording and policy-based compliance recording serve different needs. Review call types, licensing, storage and whether the solution captures the required conversations.
Hosted Voice
Built-in or specialist recording may be available. Check automation, pause controls, search, storage, retention and permissions before selecting a service.
Cloud contact centres
Connect recordings with queues, customer records, quality management and reporting while keeping access and employee monitoring proportionate.
For teams handling complex customer journeys, learn more about Contact Centre Solutions. Microsoft also documents how policy-based compliance recording is configured in Teams.
Where can business call recording help?
The purpose and sensitivity of calls vary by sector. Recording rules should reflect the conversation rather than apply a single setting to the whole organisation.
Housing associations
Repairs, complaints and tenant support can benefit from clearer records, while health, welfare and financial details need careful handling.
Accountancy and professional services
Client instructions and disputes may justify recording, with strong controls for confidential financial and business information.
Charities and helplines
Service quality matters, but some sensitive or vulnerable-caller conversations may need to be excluded or treated differently.
Customer-service teams
Quality reviews, complaint investigations and analytics can reveal where training or processes need attention.
A recording service built around real calls and clear controls
We start with the reason for recording, then choose and test the technical approach with the people responsible for the policy.
Discover
Review call journeys, platforms, users, payment handling and the purpose for each recording rule.
Assess
Audit existing capture, storage, permissions, retention, failures and integrations.
Design
Translate agreed governance into platform, access, notice, deletion and reporting requirements.
Deploy
Configure the recording service and connect it with Teams Phone, Hosted Voice or a contact centre.
Test
Check inbound and outbound calls, queues, transfers, pause controls, search, access and failure alerts.
Review
Train users, monitor recording success and revisit permissions, retention and analytics as needs change.
Business call recording and analytics explained
Is it legal for a UK business to record calls?
Call recording can be lawful when the organisation has a clear purpose, an appropriate lawful basis and the required privacy and security controls. The exact position depends on the calls, people and sector involved. Your advisers should confirm the policy for your organisation.
Do callers need to consent to recording?
Consent is one possible lawful basis, but it is not automatically required or suitable for every recording purpose. The organisation must identify and document the basis that fits its use. Telling someone a call is recorded does not by itself create valid consent.
Do customers and employees have to be told?
Yes. People should be told that their calls are recorded and why. An announcement is a practical way to inform callers, supported by clear privacy information. Employees should also understand how recordings and analytics may be used.
How long should recordings be kept?
There is no universal UK GDPR period for business call recordings. Set and justify retention by purpose and any applicable legal or regulatory requirement, then delete recordings when they are no longer needed.
Can we record only selected calls or pause a recording?
Many platforms support rules by user, queue or number, and some allow authorised pause and resume. The available controls depend on the service. They should be tested against sensitive and payment call journeys.
Can Microsoft Teams Phone calls be recorded?
Yes, but the method depends on whether users start a recording themselves or the organisation needs automatic policy-based capture. Licensing, call types and recording applications should be checked before choosing a solution.
Can AI summarise recorded calls?
Some platforms can create transcripts and summaries. They may save time, but employees should review names, numbers, context and actions before using the output as an official record.
Can a customer request a copy of a recording?
A recording may contain personal information covered by a subject access request. The organisation needs a process to find relevant calls, check the rights of others in the recording and respond appropriately.
What happens if the recording system fails?
The service should alert the right people and have a documented response. Where capture is mandatory, your process must say whether the call can continue, be moved to another channel or be paused until recording is restored.
Review your call recording and analytics
Talk to Stratiis about your current phone platform, the calls you record and the information you need from them. We can review the technical setup, identify gaps in access, retention and reporting, and plan a service that fits your organisation's agreed policy.
Book a Call Recording and Analytics ReviewLearn more about Contact Centre Solutions
Call 0141 348 7960 or email sales@stratiis.com.
Information on this page is general. Legal, employment, data-protection and sector requirements should be confirmed with your advisers.
