Contact centre privacy notice for call recording
Which calls does this refer to?
This includes most incoming and outgoing telephone calls that are handled by Surrey County Council's contact centre, with the exception of calls where payment is taken by the contact centre (recording manually terminated), or outgoing calls transferred to the registration service where a payment may be taken (recording automatically terminated on transfer).
Why are calls recorded?
It has become common practice to record calls due to the growth of business conducted by telephone. Recording customer conversations allows organisations to assess customer satisfaction, train and develop staff, review call quality, and have access to a verbal record of what is said in the event of a subsequent complaint. It also hopefully means employees feel more protected knowing that any threatening behaviour can be evidenced and acted upon where necessary.
How will call recordings be used?
- Quality monitoring – Written records only provide partial information. A call recording provides a more rounded view and allows us to better understand customer experience and assess the processes applied. This can help us identify any improvement areas.
- Training and Development – Listening to a sample number of calls, allows managers to identify training needs. Sample scenarios are based on the recordings but any transcripts are anonymised.
- Gaining a better understanding of our customers – Many calls are verbally resolved without the need to complete any records. Listening to sample calls will help us better understand our customer needs, and gain a more informed view of organisations we signpost to.
- Complaints and disputes – Some calls are verbally resolved. Where information is entered onto an electronic system this becomes the established record. In the event of a complaint or dispute, a call recording (if available), may provide additional information to help us investigate any allegations.
- Employee safety and wellbeing – A recording may become a vital piece of evidence in the event of any threats being made to the organisation or an individual.
How have we informed our customers that we record calls?
This privacy notice is published on the website.
Customers who ring Surrey County Council's Contact Centre hear the following message:
"Your call may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes and personal data may be collected in order to resolve your enquiry. To find out more about how we use your personal data please visit surreycc.gov.uk/privacy."
On outbound calls our agents notify residents that their call is being recorded and obtain permission to proceed.
How do we protect our customer's information?
Our data handling guarantee outlines the good principles for handling customer data that we follow and ensures information is accurate and reliable.
Information about the security of information held in call recordings
Our telephony provider, BT, has provided assurances regarding the security of the recorded data within the BT Cloud environment, for the period it is held. Call recordings are retained for 62 days after which they are deleted.
Can I request a copy of my call recording?
Call recordings are destroyed after two months. If the recording is available, you can request a copy of your conversation by making a request for access in writing or by filling in our online form. This will be provided to you in accordance with the terms of the Data Protection Act 2018. More details about making a request can be found on our data protection page.
