Why does the NRS want to record relay calls?

Call recording is an important tool for training NRS call centre staff as it allows the relay officer to actually listen to a playback of their call. Together with the team leader or training officer, the relay officer can then identify any aspects of their call handling that can be changed to improve the experience for users.

How often will my calls be recorded?

In 97% of cases, your call will not be recorded. In other words if you make two relay calls a week, you are likely to be asked only about three times a year if your call can be recorded.

Your call will only be recorded after you see a short 20-word message alerting you to the recording and only when you agree to have the call recorded. We expect that less than 3% of all calls will be recorded for training purposes. This is in line with the level of call recording carried out by large business call centres.

Will I always be notified of a call recording?

If your call is one of 3% randomly selected for possible recording, you will receive a short message at the beginning of the call that asks you to tell the relay officer if you don't want it recorded. The relay officer will not record the call if you opt out in this way.

What will the message say?

We message has not been finalised but it will be along the lines of:

"Your call may be recorded for training purposes. If you do not want your call recorded please advise the relay officer."

Will the person/organisation that I am calling be notified that they are being recorded?

If you agree to have the call recorded, the person or organisation you are calling will also have the same chance to say ‘no' to the call recording.

Who will have access to the recording?

Access to the recording will be limited to the relay team leader who is directly responsible for coaching the relay officer involved. Access will be limited via password and user-name access only. The recording will not be emailed internally or externally. After the relay officer has been coached about how they handled the call, the recording will be securely deleted.

Will the recording be limited to internal use?

Yes. The recording will only be used by NRS relay team leaders and the relevant relay officer. Access will be limited via password. After the relay officer has been coached about the call, the recording will be securely deleted.

How do I know my private details are secure?

Your privacy is protected by law and the NRS must comply with the following:

• the Privacy Act 1988
• Part 13 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 (in relation to emergency calls), and
• the NRS contract with the Commonwealth Government.

The NRS is committed to protecting the privacy of your call including your identity and the content of the call.

Currently, the only records kept of any conversation relayed through the NRS are when it is legally required, such as calls to emergency services. This new proposal means that some additional calls would also be recorded for training purposes only.

You can find more information on the rules and procedures for monitoring and recording phone calls at the Office of the Privacy Commissioner website www.privacy.gov.au/faqs/ypr/q1.html 

How do I know the recording is secure?

Data will be stored electronically in an coded format on secure servers in our call centre. This call centre already has appropriate levels of data security and firewall protection. After the relay officer coaching, the recording will be securely deleted.

How long will you store the recording?

Calls will be kept no longer than one month. At the end of the month, the team leader will review a number of calls with each relay officer. Reviewing a number of calls at one time will help team leaders identify trends, and provide opportunities for the relay officers to improve their performance. After the relay officer coaching, the recording will be securely deleted.

How will you dispose of the recording?

Recorded calls will be automatically deleted at the end of 31 days or after the team leader and relay officer have reviewed them - whichever comes first.

Each call recording and each call deletion will be logged so that the process can be audited to make sure our policies are properly followed.

Can I decline to have the call recorded?

More than 97% of calls will not be recorded. However, if your call has been randomly selected for recording, you will receive a short message at the beginning of the call that asks you to tell the relay officer if you don't want it recorded. The relay officer will not record the call if you opt out in this way. The person or organisation you are calling will also have the same chance to say no to call recording. You may ask that recording stop at any time during the call.

Will this add additional time when ringing the NRS, on every call?

We expect that less than 3% of all calls will be recorded. For this small selection of calls, the only delay will be two short messages - one asking you if you are willing to have the call recorded for training purposes, and one asking the person you are calling. In all other cases, no additional time will be added to either the set-up or course of the call.

Will this add additional cost when ringing the NRS?

If the National Relay Service introduces call recording, it will not cost you more money than the existing service. Currently, NRS users making local or national calls only pay local call costs.

For overseas calls, the request to record a call will happen before the timing of your call begins so there will be no additional charge. You will be charged the same way as before - based on the length of the outbound call.

Mobile call rates vary depending on your provider and the nature of your phone plan. Since recorded calls will take slightly longer due to the message at the beginning of the call, this may, depending on your particular mobile phone plan, cost you more. But remember - only 3% of your calls will be affected in any way.

How will this improve my experiences with the NRS?

We want to improve our service, and one of the best ways to do that is through the initial and ongoing training of our relay officers. Recording calls for training purposes is a common practice in modern call centres in Australia and the rest of the world. It is well recognised as a key plank in a continuously improving phone service.

Call recording will help the NRS improve the training of relay officers and deliver a higher-quality service for NRS users. The training will focus on coaching our relay officers, and the recording of real calls will become a key tool to help relay officers improve their communication and relationship skills.

Will I have to upgrade my TTY?

No. The message informing you of the recording will appear on your display screen at the beginning of the call. Only 3% of calls will receive this message.

If I am using internet relay, how will you notify me that my call will be recorded?

A message informing you of the recording will appear on your screen at the beginning of the call. Again, only 3% of calls will receive this message.

Will this slow down the system?

There will be slight delays on the 3% of calls recorded. The only interruption will be a short 20-word message which informs you of the call recording and gives you the option to opt out of the monitoring. The person being called will also get a similar message. The other 97% of calls will proceed as usual.

Don't you already monitor calls? What is the difference with a recorded call?

Approximately one call in every 200 is monitored by a relay team leader sitting beside a relay officer. The team leaders can give feedback to the relay officer but the feedback is limited because the relay officer cannot hear their own particular call-handling processes or habits.

Call recording will improve training in number of ways:

• the relay officer won't feel stressed by someone looking over their shoulder literally watching everything they do.
• the team leader doesn't create an artificial environment where the relay officer is stressed or they change their behaviour because they are being watched.
• the user is not affected by a nervous relay officer.

The staff member gets to hear their own voice including tone, speed, inflection and words typed against words spoken. All these factors can affect the success of the call for both parties.

When will the call recordings start?

Call recording won't start until all the feedback is received from community consultations and approval is given by Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Can I get a copy of my call if it is recorded?

No. The NRS does not provide copies of calls to anyone, except emergency calls that are required as part of a legal process such as a coronial hearing. If your call is recorded for training purposes with your consent it will only be used for that purpose.

If I wish to make a complaint about some aspect of my call, and I know it has been recorded why can't I get a copy?

There is no overlap between the process of training relay officers and dealing with a complaint. If the call has been recorded for training purposes only, it can only be used in that context.