You’ll Want To Remember These Conversations

Conversations represent more than the words people exchange. They embody our relationships, fuel career growth, offer evidence for justice, and more.

Tragically, it’s only after we have a significant conversation that we wish we had recorded it. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

It may seem a bit old-fashioned, but in the U.S., 37% of people use their smartphones primarily for making phone calls, including many of these conversations. That means keeping a record of discussions through phone call recording apps like TapeACall is easier than ever before.

In this post, we will cover the fundamental conversations people record and why you, too, should keep a record of these calls.

A Quick Note About Phone Recording Laws

Yes, recording a phone call is incredibly useful, but you need to be aware of the laws governing call recording where the conversation occurs.

In the U.S., some states require two-party consent while the others require only one-party consent by Federal Law.

Meanwhile, other countries have their own regulations about recording conversations.

Before you record your next conversation, review the telephone recording laws in your location to ensure your recording is helpful and legal.

And now, the first type of conversation people should record.

Keeping the Memory of Loved Ones

“I now urge friends and acquaintances to have conversations with their aging parents and within their families while their parents are still relatively healthy and of sound mind.” – Lisa J. Shultz, A Chance to Say Goodbye: Reflections on Losing a Parent

As human beings, we like to save memories of family. Ask around, and there’s a good chance someone has a voicemail from a grandparent or dear friend wishing them a happy birthday.

When a family member passes away, one of the most beloved memories their family has are the stories they told and how they expressed love.

We’ve seen a large number of people use TapeACall to record conversations with their family members for this very reason. Parents keep conversations of their grandparents to give to their children. Children of aging parents who’ve been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease record them before the disease becomes too severe.

These cherished memories become precious mementos to pass on for generations to come.

Keeping Records of Legal Conversations

“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light.” – George Washington

Recording Evidence

How many times have you caught someone in a lie and wished someone else heard it?

You don’t have to. People have been recording phone calls to use as evidence in legal cases for decades, but the shift to smartphones has made this more accessible and practical than ever before.

Perhaps a current or former business partner is trying to cheat you. Maybe you need evidence against a harasser to get a restraining order. Or, possibly you have a conflict with a neighbor and require proof of their behavior.

Regardless of the situation, recorded conversations are one piece of evidence people will use in legal cases.

Important note: Be sure you’re making a legal recording that complies with the laws of your state and the state the person is in that you are recording.

Conversations With Legal Counsel

Lawyers and their clients alike use call recording to keep track of legal discussions and playback conversations.

Because legal disputes regularly take months, not weeks, remembering every legal discussion is a challenge, especially for the clients.

Additionally, recording legal conversations follows the best practice of documenting everything in a legal case. Call recording apps make this easy, especially apps that allow you to create custom labels for each recording.

Business Meetings & Brainstorming Sessions

“The best ideas start as conversations.” – Jonathan Ive

Have you ever been in a meeting, furiously taking notes, and before you know it the session is over and you’ve barely participated? If so, you’re not alone.

Productive meetings and brainstorming sessions are critical to business success. But, as more people move to remote work, maintaining effective communication is more difficult than ever before.

In 2016, more than 40% percent of employed Americans said they spent at least some time working remotely. It’s a trend that doesn’t show signs of slowing. Here at TapeACall, almost a third of our team works remotely.

One way to alleviate the need to take meeting notes is to record the conversation and keep it as a reference for your whole team. This way, meeting members can take notes on the what’s most important to them and be more present with each other.

This approach not only creates better meetings, but it also creates mental space for new ideas and brainstorming.

Sales Calls

“We have a relationship with our customer, and that relationship translates into sales.” – Richard Hayne

Salespeople are relationship specialists. If you ask a sales rep what led to a deal or how they keep a customer, you’ll often hear an answer that starts with, “Well, we have a really good relationship.”

Regardless of whether the customer is an individual consumer or business, when a complicated purchasing decision is on the line, people still prefer to have a conversation with a salesperson. That opens the door for a customer relationship to develop or deepen.

Recording prospect and customer conversations has two primary benefits:

Improved conversation skills – We rarely know about the “umms” and awkward moments until we look back
Ultimate memory – Every conversation your record offers precise detail of your customer’s needs and crucial details

Recording sales calls is a first step to improving the number and quality of customer relationships, which in turn increases sales.

Conducting Interviews

“When you’re interviewing someone, you’re in control. When you’re being interviewed, you think you’re in control, but you’re not.” – Barbara Walters

Interviews for Journalists

Recording interviews is a common practice for journalists, even for non-televised interviews. Sure, some still prefer to scribble notes, but most journalists have opted to use recording technology.

Recording phone interviews have a couple of benefits. First, it allows you to capture every word, which means you won’t be scratching your head later trying to remember that specific quote you wanted to include.

Second, recording interviews has the same benefit as recording business meetings; it allows you to be fully present and focused on the task at hand.

If you haven’t tried using a phone call recorder to conduct an interview, do yourself a favor and try it.

Interviews for Job Candidates

The best companies don’t just hire the best talent; they hire the right talent. That’s hard to do.

To make the best hire possible, some companies’ interview processes last several rounds spread out over several weeks. The downside is it creates opportunities for excellent candidates to get offers from other companies.

That’s where job interview recording can help. It gives more people the ability to evaluate candidates earlier in the interview process, reducing time wasted on the wrong candidates and moving good ones through the process faster.

Documenting Unpredictable Customer Service Calls

“What was that customer service rep’s name?” – Everyone on Earth

People go to extreme lengths to avoid calling a customer service line. And for a good reason!

Long wait times, confusing phone menus, and robotized agents. And that’s before you even talk to someone.

Finally reaching a customer service representative isn’t any reason for relief. More times than not, dealing with them feels like a gamble, especially if you’re calling the cable company.

Here’s where recording a customer service phone call can be a huge help:

You’ll have a record of crucial information like names of representatives along with all reference and case numbers.
You’ll have evidence of the advice customer support representatives give you and the way they treat you.

It’s not just an excellent way to remember valuable information but helps keep companies accountable.

Did We Miss Any?

Those are the five essential conversations everyone should record. Are there any conversations you think people should record? Let us know if the comments below.

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The 6 Phone Conversations You’ll Be Glad You Recorded