Accountants, lawyers and professional services often need to track the communication between their staff and clients. One way to do this is to record client phone calls. But can you record clients phone calls legally in the UK? Read on to find out what the law says and why you might want to start recording calls if you don’t already. 

Is It legal to record phone calls in the UK?

Yes, recording phone calls in the UK is legal, but some restrictions exist. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), it is legal for individuals and companies to tape conversations, provided the recording is for their own use. However, legislation states that sharing information with a third party without consent from the individual recorded breaches this law. So, as long as you are not sharing the recordings outside your organisation without permission, it is still legal to record calls. The EU GDPR laws bolster this part of the legislation, and while the UK is no longer in the EU, the GDPR is retained in domestic law as the UK GDPR. The ‘UK GDPR’ sits alongside an amended version of the DPA 2018. 

While recording may be perfectly legal, it is an expected courtesy and transparent practice to let callers know of the recording. Letting them know also ensures they cannot deny later that they were unaware. You may inform clients when your policy change, but to be most thorough, a greetings message alerting them that all calls are recorded provides complete protection. If you intend to share data with third parties, such as partner firms or suppliers, you’ll need to ask and inform your customer before doing so.

Furthermore, you must store any recording safely and securely. Data leaks, whether accidental or through theft, are the most significant issue when it comes to protecting client and company info. Therefore, all sensitive data, including call recordings, should be stored securely and encrypted to remove liability and prevent data theft. Also, your firm should offer correct call and data protection training to staff to ensure they protect the company’s image and client data. 

Benefits of call recording

Call recording benefits most businesses, including accountants, law firms and professional service companies. Recording telephone calls with clients can improve customer service, ensure work is completed accurately and protect your business from disputes. Here are some benefits your firm may find from implementing phone call recordings.

  • Train staff more effectively. Call recordings allow staff, including managers, to review and learn phone skills. Call recordings provide real-world examples and a practical training tool. Whether it’s improvements in tone, information collection or handling demanding clients.
  • Comply with company standards. Akin to training, call recordings helps monitor whether or not your staff are representing your firm in the best light. Your reputation is paramount to securing and maintaining your client portfolio for professional services such as lawyers. In addition, reviewing calls enables you to review staff protocol and retrain staff on phone etiquette when needed. 
  • Manage client expectations. When you have several team members working for a client, there is often lots of communication back and forth. This may not always be relayed effectively. Call recordings accurately represent what was said and how it was said to others on a team. This can ensure clarity and precision when handing client requests, which written notes cannot always convey.

Read more about how call recordings can help professional businesses here. Another service that may interest your professional team is a call transcription service. While listening back to a call recording can provide context and tone to the listener, a transcription can improve the accessibility of the information—both work side-by-side to help make information finding straightforward and quick. 

Implement call recording in your phone system

In conclusion, it’s not illegal to record a call or even collect data. However, It is illegal to publicise or share such data with third parties without consent. Therefore accountants, lawyers and all other professional service teams can record their client calls. 

If you’re a company that is interested in call recording features or updating their cloud phone system, get in touch with the Yestech team today. We are an experienced UK telecoms company that helps professional firms use technology to their advantage. Choosing features, implementing bespoke solutions and reducing your communication costs are our expertise. So contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation about your telecoms needs.