Glossary
Call recording
Call recording captures a phone conversation and stores it so it can be played back later. On a cloud phone system it is a setting per extension, group or queue rather than a device on a desk.
Call recording is a phone system feature that captures the audio of a business call and stores it for later playback. Recording can be automatic for chosen extensions, groups or queues, or started on demand during a call. Businesses use it for staff training, quality review, dispute resolution and record-keeping. Canadian law generally requires that callers be informed a call is recorded, so an announcement is part of the setup.
Last updated:
What it means
On a cloud phone system the recording happens in the hosted platform, not on the phone. When a call meets the recording rule, the system captures both sides of the conversation and stores the file with the call details: date, time, numbers, duration and the extension involved. Recordings are then found through the admin console or reporting, usually with a retention period after which they are deleted.
Recording is not the same as transcription or voicemail. Transcription turns audio into text and is often applied to voicemail and AI receptionist calls. Recording keeps the audio itself. Some systems do both, storing the recording with a searchable transcript.
How it is used in a business phone system
- A support queue records every call so supervisors can review how difficult calls were handled.
- A sales team records on demand when an order or a price is agreed verbally.
- A clinic's front desk records booking calls so a disputed appointment time can be checked.
- An announcement at the start of recorded calls tells the caller the call may be recorded and why.
How 3CTel uses it
3CTel configures call recording with you as part of setup: which extensions, groups or queues are recorded, whether recording is automatic or on demand, who can access recordings and how long they are kept. Canadian law generally requires that callers be informed that a call is recorded; 3CTel configures the announcement with you. The Contact Centre adds supervisor review and reporting around the same recordings.
Call recording
When recording helps, how callers and staff are informed, and how access and retention are set.
Learn more: Call recordingContact Centre
Queues, routing and supervision for teams that live on the phone.
Learn more: Contact CentrePrivacy of call data
What the phone service processes, who can see it, and how retention and deletion are handled.
Learn more: Privacy of call dataCommon questions about call recording
Do I have to tell callers that a call is being recorded?
Canadian law generally requires that people be informed when a call is recorded, and the usual way to do that is a short announcement at the start of the call. Many businesses also mention it in their privacy notice. What the announcement says, and which calls play it, is set up with you. This is general information, not legal advice; check the rules that apply to your organization.
Who can listen to recordings and how long are they kept?
Access is a permission in the phone system, usually limited to managers or supervisors, and every listen can be logged. Retention is a setting: recordings are kept for a period you choose and then deleted automatically. Both are decided at setup based on why you record and what your own policies require, and both can be changed later.
Related pages.
Contact Centre
Queues, routing and supervision for teams that live on the phone.
Learn more: Contact CentreCall Analytics
See what your phone traffic is actually doing — and staff for it.
Learn more: Call AnalyticsCall recording
When recording helps, how callers and staff are informed, and how access and retention are set.
Learn more: Call recordingNot sure which of these you need?
Describe how your calls arrive today and a 3CTel specialist will map them to the right pieces, build them on a temporary number and quote the result before anything is billed.