Likely a number of reasons. When they warn you, it's to give you the option to disconnect your call if you do not wish to be recorded. They reserve the same right to not be recorded by another party.
Apple may have a policy for their employees around this. Often, call recording is used in legal purposes. since your average agent is unlikely to be able to represent the company in that legal capacity, they're instructed to disconnect any such calls.
Call recording laws differ from state to state. It may be that, for those reasons, they don't allow it. Depending on your state, it may be that only one party needs to know that the call is being recorded.
Besides, if it's just for personal use, for later reference, it's best to ask before starting to record. It's just courteous.
I don't think this is just a policy of apple, but for most companies will have something around call recording.
First, most companies don't record every phone call. In most cases, they record random calls. The people that answer the phone know it is possible they will be recorded, but can never know if it is fact that they were ever recorded. Usually, the recordings target a specific problem the company needs to fix, or a process they need to improve.
When you are advised that you might be recorded for quality and training purposes, you are given a chance to hang up before the call starts. If you reverse this and tell a company they might be recorded, the only thing they are given the option of doing is to hang up. From the company's point of view, there is a possible legal case pending if a customer tells me that I am being recorded. If you have to take notes, it is better to use your computer or other writing devices. Most CS people will wait if it takes you longer to write notes than the typical person. If you record and never mention it, you have clearly violated the law.
Agreed with all points here. This policy is not unreasonable (if anything it makes perfect sense). Better to use a computer or other device to take notes if needed. Why go through the problem of recording someone, even if it is for personal use, when said person has not given you the consent to do so?
As far as I am aware Apple doesn't tell agents to hang up on you when you are recording them. I would never do it though. To me it just seams rude to do it. The agent you are talking with may not work directly for Apple. They have contracts with temp agencies to fill in the gaps. The temp people have the same training as Apple agents.
When I looked over my last post I saw that I wasn't clear. I was saying that I wouldn't record a call. Apple uses the recordings for training purposes only. If you record a call you have no purpose to do this. Take notes on the computer or your device. Just play it safe and be courteous. Don't record calls.
Actually this is state based. If you look up your state laws in recording calls you will know why. IN California where apple are based you are not aloud to record calls, in some states you can record as long as you say you are as a consumer. It's also FCC policy. I don't have any documentation but I'm sure you can go to fcc's website and search for it on your state in regard to legality of recording calls.
I record everything including phone calls but I destroy all evidence and write the space with 5 pass set of 0s, so that it cannot be recovered. Still though look it up on your state. I also assume that I'm beeing recorded everyware I go, and I mean everyware in public and that includes vicdeo. Big brother is watching.
I know this is kind of an old thread, but way back in the old 1900's the US Federal Government passed the Privacy Act. This law is built around a persons "reasonable expectation of privacy" and it addresses quite an array of topics including recording phone calls.
If there is the slightest possibility of a phone call being recorded or monitored the performing party is required to make it abundantly clear the call is or may be listened to or recorded.
If you think about it most places you call these days will have a recording that says it and then the person that answers will repeat it. This is to give the party calling in the opportunity to say "No, you may not record my call" in which case they must still take your call but they cannot record it. In addition saying "you can't monitor my call either" means that by law it can only be you and the agent on the phone with no possibility of recording or listening in.
This law applies to businesses and individuals alike, so if we consumers record an incoming call it is technically a violation of the Privacy Act unless we announce the call is being recorded EXCEPT in the case that a telemarketing or debt collection company is calling. Since those two are the lowest forms of life on the planet you can record them all you want without consequence apparently.
Now, as far as Apple or any other business hanging up when you say you're recording the call, that is absolutely 100% common practice. Since pretty much everyone on the planet can doctor an audio recording with something as simple as iTunes to suit their needs it is strongly recommended for most tele-business the call be terminated immediately and without further speaking. Not that you are a slime ball con artist, but with the digital era there are quite a few new types of extortionists and con men who will distort facts, alter sound bites and do whatever it takes to rip a giant money coporation like Apple off.
I have always thought it would be more entertaining to give the agents at companies like Apple a button to make sure the call is recorded, that way they could help the legal system weed out some of these frauds. If both parties had the same conversation recorded but one had some missing chunks of it then they'd get slapped with some extortion and fraud charges and be made an example for other potential idiots...
Just my opinion on that last bit, but hopefully I've shed some light on things for some folks now.
Comments
Call Recording
Likely a number of reasons. When they warn you, it's to give you the option to disconnect your call if you do not wish to be recorded. They reserve the same right to not be recorded by another party.
Apple may have a policy for their employees around this. Often, call recording is used in legal purposes. since your average agent is unlikely to be able to represent the company in that legal capacity, they're instructed to disconnect any such calls.
Call recording laws differ from state to state. It may be that, for those reasons, they don't allow it. Depending on your state, it may be that only one party needs to know that the call is being recorded.
Besides, if it's just for personal use, for later reference, it's best to ask before starting to record. It's just courteous.
I don't think this is just a policy of apple, but for most companies will have something around call recording.
Liability
First, most companies don't record every phone call. In most cases, they record random calls. The people that answer the phone know it is possible they will be recorded, but can never know if it is fact that they were ever recorded. Usually, the recordings target a specific problem the company needs to fix, or a process they need to improve.
When you are advised that you might be recorded for quality and training purposes, you are given a chance to hang up before the call starts. If you reverse this and tell a company they might be recorded, the only thing they are given the option of doing is to hang up. From the company's point of view, there is a possible legal case pending if a customer tells me that I am being recorded. If you have to take notes, it is better to use your computer or other writing devices. Most CS people will wait if it takes you longer to write notes than the typical person. If you record and never mention it, you have clearly violated the law.
I agree.
I agree on that. You will break the law if you record if you don't have permision to do so.
Agreed with all points
Agreed with all points here. This policy is not unreasonable (if anything it makes perfect sense). Better to use a computer or other device to take notes if needed. Why go through the problem of recording someone, even if it is for personal use, when said person has not given you the consent to do so?
Recording calls.
As far as I am aware Apple doesn't tell agents to hang up on you when you are recording them. I would never do it though. To me it just seams rude to do it. The agent you are talking with may not work directly for Apple. They have contracts with temp agencies to fill in the gaps. The temp people have the same training as Apple agents.
true
True. But recording someone without their consent is still uncool.
Yes that is true.
When I looked over my last post I saw that I wasn't clear. I was saying that I wouldn't record a call. Apple uses the recordings for training purposes only. If you record a call you have no purpose to do this. Take notes on the computer or your device. Just play it safe and be courteous. Don't record calls.
state law
Actually this is state based. If you look up your state laws in recording calls you will know why. IN California where apple are based you are not aloud to record calls, in some states you can record as long as you say you are as a consumer. It's also FCC policy. I don't have any documentation but I'm sure you can go to fcc's website and search for it on your state in regard to legality of recording calls.
I record everything including
I record everything including phone calls but I destroy all evidence and write the space with 5 pass set of 0s, so that it cannot be recovered. Still though look it up on your state. I also assume that I'm beeing recorded everyware I go, and I mean everyware in public and that includes vicdeo. Big brother is watching.
The Privacy Act...
I know this is kind of an old thread, but way back in the old 1900's the US Federal Government passed the Privacy Act. This law is built around a persons "reasonable expectation of privacy" and it addresses quite an array of topics including recording phone calls.
If there is the slightest possibility of a phone call being recorded or monitored the performing party is required to make it abundantly clear the call is or may be listened to or recorded.
If you think about it most places you call these days will have a recording that says it and then the person that answers will repeat it. This is to give the party calling in the opportunity to say "No, you may not record my call" in which case they must still take your call but they cannot record it. In addition saying "you can't monitor my call either" means that by law it can only be you and the agent on the phone with no possibility of recording or listening in.
This law applies to businesses and individuals alike, so if we consumers record an incoming call it is technically a violation of the Privacy Act unless we announce the call is being recorded EXCEPT in the case that a telemarketing or debt collection company is calling. Since those two are the lowest forms of life on the planet you can record them all you want without consequence apparently.
Now, as far as Apple or any other business hanging up when you say you're recording the call, that is absolutely 100% common practice. Since pretty much everyone on the planet can doctor an audio recording with something as simple as iTunes to suit their needs it is strongly recommended for most tele-business the call be terminated immediately and without further speaking. Not that you are a slime ball con artist, but with the digital era there are quite a few new types of extortionists and con men who will distort facts, alter sound bites and do whatever it takes to rip a giant money coporation like Apple off.
I have always thought it would be more entertaining to give the agents at companies like Apple a button to make sure the call is recorded, that way they could help the legal system weed out some of these frauds. If both parties had the same conversation recorded but one had some missing chunks of it then they'd get slapped with some extortion and fraud charges and be made an example for other potential idiots...
Just my opinion on that last bit, but hopefully I've shed some light on things for some folks now.