If your team uses a phone system and you care about what’s actually happening on calls, you need call recording and some way to keep tabs on quality. This guide is for admins, support leads, or small business owners who want to get the most out of Freshcaller without wasting time on features that sound good in theory but never get used in practice.
Let’s walk through, step by step, how to turn on call recording in Freshcaller, stay compliant, and set up a process to actually use those recordings to improve quality—without drowning in endless audio files.
Before You Start: The Honest Truth About Call Recording
Before you flip the switch, take two minutes to think about why you’re recording calls. Are you legally required to? Trying to coach your team? Just want a record in case things go sideways? Knowing your “why” saves you a ton of headaches later.
A few blunt realities: - Recording laws differ by country and state. In some places, you must notify both parties. Ignoring this can get you in real trouble. - Privacy matters. Just because you can record everything doesn’t mean you should. - More recordings = more to sift through. Without a plan, you’ll end up with a mountain of audio no one listens to.
With that out of the way, let’s get to the nuts and bolts.
Step 1: Check Your Freshcaller Plan
Not every Freshcaller subscription supports call recording. It’s usually available on paid plans (Growth and above), but not always on the entry-level or free version.
To check your plan:
- Log into Freshcaller as an admin.
- Go to Admin > Billing or Account to see your current plan.
- Check the Freshcaller pricing page or support docs to confirm call recording is included.
Pro tip: If you’re on a trial or basic plan, you might see the option but get blocked from actually enabling it. Don’t waste time tweaking settings you can’t use.
Step 2: Understand the Compliance Checklist
You can’t ignore compliance. Here’s what you should do before enabling recording: - Know your local laws. Some regions require all parties to consent to recording. Google “[your state/country] call recording laws” if you’re unsure. - Decide on a consent method. Are you going to play a recorded message (“This call may be recorded…”) or will your agents tell the caller? - Update your privacy policy. If you’re recording calls, your privacy docs should say so—even if no one reads them.
Don’t skip this. If you get it wrong, you might have to delete all your recordings or, worse, face legal action.
Step 3: Enable Call Recording in Freshcaller
Ready to turn it on? Here’s how:
- Log into Freshcaller as an admin.
- Go to the Admin section (the gear icon in the left sidebar).
- Click on Numbers. You’ll see a list of all your phone numbers.
- Pick the number(s) you want to enable recording for.
- Under Call Recording, switch the toggle on.
- You’ll see options for:
- Recording all calls
- Recording only inbound or only outbound calls
- No recording (if you want to disable later)
- Choose what fits your needs. All calls is the most common, but if you only want to record customer service, set those lines only.
A few settings that matter:
- Play recording disclaimer: Enable this if you need to inform callers. You can usually customize the message.
- Pause/resume recording: Some industries (like finance or healthcare) need to pause during sensitive info. Check if your plan supports this; not all do.
Heads up: Changes may take a few minutes to go live. Do a quick test call to check everything works as expected.
Step 4: Test and Confirm Call Recording
No one wants to find out a month later that nothing was actually recorded.
How to test: - Call your own number from a personal phone. - Listen for the disclaimer (if you enabled it). - Let the call connect, say a few words, then hang up. - Go to the Call Logs in Freshcaller, find your test call. - Click the recording icon and listen to the playback.
If you don’t hear anything, double-check your settings, plan, and whether your number supports recording. Sometimes, third-party number providers (like ported numbers) have quirks.
Step 5: Set Up Access and Retention Rules
By default, Freshcaller stores call recordings in your account. But you need to decide: - Who can access recordings? Restrict it to admins or managers unless you have a reason to open it up. - How long do you keep them? Some sectors require you to delete after X days; others require long-term storage.
To set permissions: - Go to Admin > Roles & Permissions. - Edit roles to control who can playback or download recordings.
To set retention: - Go to Admin > Call Recording Settings (may be under Security or Compliance). - Set your retention period (30 days, 90 days, forever, etc.).
Pro tip: Download any “important” recordings before they auto-delete. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Step 6: Set Up Quality Monitoring (Without Losing Your Mind)
Turning on recording is the easy part. Actually using those recordings for quality is where most teams fall down.
Here’s a simple, practical process:
1. Decide what “quality” means.
Is it politeness, accuracy, following a script, or resolving the issue? Don’t overcomplicate—pick 3-5 things that matter.
2. Pick a small, random sample.
You’re not going to listen to every call. Start with 3-5 calls per agent per week. More if you’re new, less if things are stable.
3. Create a basic scorecard.
Make a checklist in Google Sheets or use a Freshcaller integration (if you’re paying for add-ons). Don’t get lost in software—what matters is consistency.
Example scorecard items: - Was the greeting correct? - Did the agent verify identity? - Was the main issue resolved? - Tone and friendliness?
4. Schedule regular reviews.
Block time each week or month to review calls. Share feedback directly with agents. Don’t just do this when there’s a complaint—regular feedback keeps things improving.
5. Look for patterns, not one-offs.
If one agent flubs a call, coach them. If everyone’s missing something, it’s probably a training or script problem.
Step 7: Use Freshcaller’s Reporting Features (But Don’t Get Lost in Graphs)
Freshcaller offers a bunch of reports, but most of them are about call volume, wait time, etc.—not quality per se.
What’s worth using: - Call Logs: Filter by agent, team, or date. Listen to calls directly from the log. - Download recordings: Export files if you want to use third-party analysis tools or keep a backup. - Agent performance reports: Check for outliers—agents with tons of dropped calls or super-short calls might need attention.
What to ignore: - Fancy charts that don’t help you coach your team or fix problems.
If you need deep quality analytics (sentiment analysis, keyword spotting), you’ll need a separate tool or a pricey Freshcaller add-on. For most teams, basic reviews are enough.
Step 8: Communicate With Your Team
Agents hate surprises. Tell them: - Why you’re recording calls (training, compliance, etc.) - How recordings will be used (not for gotcha moments) - How to access their own recordings (if allowed)
Transparency builds trust. If you hide call recording, it usually backfires.
Common Gotchas (and How to Dodge Them)
- Recordings not capturing: Double-check plan, number settings, and permissions.
- Legal issues: If in doubt, err on the side of over-communicating to callers.
- Storage limits: Some plans charge for extra storage or auto-delete after 30/60/90 days.
- Agent pushback: Fix this with clear, upfront communication.
- Endless reviews: Don’t try to listen to every call—sample smartly.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Enabling call recording and quality monitoring in Freshcaller isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overdo it. Start small: enable, test, review a few calls, give feedback, and adjust as you go. Most importantly, don’t let the process become a bureaucratic nightmare. The goal is better calls, not more paperwork.
If you hit a snag, remember: it’s usually a setting, a permission, or a plan limitation. Stick to what’s useful, and don’t be afraid to skip features you don’t actually need.