With the addition of one or more Magic Boxes, our TIM Plus and TIM Enterprise call logging servers are transformed into powerful, high-end call recording solutions.
What is TIM Talk?
It's a unique call recording proposition combing an award-winning call logging platform with a cutting-edge hardware device - the Magic Box - that passively intercepts your phone lines, monitoring and recording all calls to and from your organisation.
By intergrating the Magic Box technology directly into our TIM Plus and TIM Enterprise call logging products, the end result - TIM Talk - is an unprecedented ability to listen to the actual audio of any phone call in any standard call logging report!
Using the standard web browser interface of the call logger, limited by web logins, users can only access information and recordings related to their own part of the business.
So now, with appropriate access, wherever a user sees an individual call anywhere throughout the entire call logging system, they can click on the speech bubble icon alongside the call... and listen to it!
The TIM Talk solution also enables single-click searching on any combination of the usual call details such as date & time, dialled number, caller ID, but in addition - and uniquely, compared to most other call recording systems - you can search for calls made or received by individual users!
Searching for a call is a simple affair. When you find it just click to play, add a note to call, and even find other calls that are associated with it.
A few reasons why TIM Talk is different
Stereo Recording
After finding the recording of an alleged dispute, if all you can hear is two irate people shouting over the top of each other, then you need stereo recording! It stores each side of the call separately so you can silence one side at a time - effectively allowing each side to say their piece without interruption!
Easy retrieval of calls by user
As any serious user of call recording will testify, the ability to find calls using the individual user as a search term, rather than being limited by just the usual details of a call - such as dialled number and the approximate time it happened - is one of the most powerful features a call recording system can offer.
Passive and Active recording
Our magic boxes offer passive as well as active recording, giving the peace of mind of a high-impedance wire tap that won't interrupt your phone lines in the event of a hardware failure.
Track the call in its entirety
If a call under scrutiny is transferred on to someone else, it's easy to follow it... simply click on the 'View related recordings' link to continue to listen to the next part.
View a call audit
Authorised users have the ability to view who's already listened to a call, and when.
Add notes
As well as listening to calls, TIM Talk allows you to add quick notes to it, either to summarise the call or to remind yourself of a certain part of it. Now, after adding a note, whenever you see the call, it'll stand out from the rest, having a small yellow posted note icon next to it.
Why use call recording?
Every time someone in your organisation answers the phone or makes a call, they represent your company.
Imagine you're able to log and record every bit of your company's interaction with your customers.
It's not just for cases of litigation, but ensures that your high standards of service can be monitored, that information is presented accurately, and so that you can gain vital intelligence about how your customers are treated when they interact with your company's people.
Your Staff are vital assets
Staff are often the most valuable resource in any organisation, yet they're often let loose to say whatever they like to your customers with no checks in place to monitor how effectively they are communicating your business's messages. Moreover, your best staff can be passed over simply because their abilities are not recognised.
But by periodically spot-checking how your people interact with your customers on the phone, you'll be in possession of a business intelligence tool that'll not only alert you to the need for additional training for some staff, but also allow you to recognise and retain those staff members that are going unnoticed!
Don't become detached
The higher up in the organisation you are, the less day-to-day interaction you will have with the people at the coal face of you organisation, so it's essential that you can monitor those staff who provide the voice of your company. TIM Talk allows you to drill up and down the hierarchy of your organisation, listening to any call at any time from any member of staff.
Because of the advanced interface, several different levels of user access are allowed e.g. department managers can be restricted to listening only to calls made by members of their own teams.
All of this results in well trained, focused staff, happier customers and real accountability for anything said on behalf of your organisation!
Business benefits
Lead by example
Instead of telling staff how you want calls handled, play an example of a call that was handled well. Additionally, allow staff to listen to their own calls so they can hear for themselves when they are failing to deliver clear, concise information.
Resolve disputes simply and easily
Retrieve the recording to prove what was actually said or not said!
Clarify misunderstandings
Play back a call to clarify any misunderstanding that may have arisen or to simply retrieve the phone number/order details/post code you scribbled down wrong the first time you took the call!
Guard against abuse
Protect your staff from abusive or threatening behaviour by informing all callers that calls will be recorded.
Create a knowledge base
By storing and allowing employees access to important or informative calls, new employees will find this particularly useful.
Make training easy and fun
Pick the good calls and show people how easy it is to do the job well. Perform 'mock' calls and show them what you mean by a bad call.
Raise standards
When staff know their calls are being recorded, they are unlikely to provide a sloppy or offhand service, this means happier clients.
Understand your business
It's impossible when running a business to be aware of what is said and done at every level in your organisation. By recording calls, you can perform simple spot checks at any time to hear for yourself exactly what your customers are experiencing on a daily basis.
Check first
If an odd call appears on your call logging report, e.g. a long overseas call, you can listen to it and check its legitimate before taking your employee to task over why it was made.
How does it work?
The form factor of a Magic Box is the same as a standard drive so it's easy to incorporate into existing hardware, or with the 19" rack mounting kit available separately. Three Magic Box units fit into 1U of rack space.
Calls are compressed using a 15000bps stereo codec, at a high compression rate.
Expansion is easy since each unit is self-contained. It's therefore the perfect solution at sites where completely separate recorders are required for security reasons.
USB connections are mounted both front and rear to facilitate ease of connection when installed into a PC chassis. More importantly the forward facing telephony connectors ensure changes are effected with no disruption to other wiring in the vicinity of TIM Talk.
Connection
The hardware device is connected to the host server by way of a high-speed USB2.0 cable from the rear of the unit.
Limitations
By default, the system is supplied with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express, therefore the call database has an upper limit of approximately 5.5 million call recordings.
The server should not use any other USB devices, since these may interfere with the smooth running of the call recording bus.
Storage Requirements
Capacity is limited by the amount of hard disk storage available. The following is a rough guide to the amount of storage you may need:-
250GB Hard disk space = 44,000 channel hours,
500GB Hard disk space = 88,000 channel hours,
700GB Hard disk space = 132,000 channel hours,
The Magic Box
Occupying a 5 1/4" drive bay (about the size of a standard CD-ROM drive) on your PC, one box will monitor up to 30 digital ISDN lines into your company.
Up to four boxes can be mounted inside a standard mini tower PC allowing up to 120 ISDN circuit capacity.
For higher capacities, the boxes can be bolted horizontally and mounted in a standard server rack or networked PCs can be interconnected for very large scale call recording.
Dimensions
146mm wide, 227mm deep, 42mm high.
(1U height unit)
These dimensions are the same as a CD/DVD drive unit, TIM Talk interfaces are designed to use these drive bays.
Power Requirements
Either an internal power connector inside the PC (the type used for hard disks, CD-ROM drives, etc) is used, or you can use a standard PC Power socket (a kettle lead).
Both sockets are located at the rear of the unit.
Inputs
Standard analogue line (POT), basic rate and ISDN inputs are available. For ease of access, all input connections are made via front panel RJ45 sockets.
