AI Receptionist Call Recording Options
AI receptionists can record calls, store transcripts, and provide searchable conversation logs, with options ranging from full recordings to text-only summaries depending on compliance needs.
Call recording is one of the most requested features for AI receptionist users. Business owners want to review how their AI handles calls, train it to improve, and keep records for dispute resolution. But recording options vary significantly between platforms, and compliance requirements add complexity depending on your industry and location.
Which Trillet product is right for you?
Small businesses: Trillet AI Receptionist - 24/7 call answering with recording and transcription starting at $29/month
Agencies: Trillet White-Label - Resell AI receptionists to clients starting at $99/month
What Call Recording Options Do AI Receptionists Offer?
Most AI receptionist platforms provide multiple recording and documentation options to fit different business needs.
Common recording options include:
Full audio recording - Complete audio files of every call, downloadable and searchable
AI-generated transcripts - Text versions of conversations, often with speaker labels
Call summaries - AI-written summaries highlighting key points, action items, and caller requests
Post-call reports - Automated emails or dashboard entries with call details sent after each conversation
Trillet provides all four options. After each call, you receive an email summary with the key details, while full transcripts and recordings remain accessible in your dashboard. This combination means you get quick updates without logging in, plus detailed records when you need them.
Do I Need to Notify Callers About Recording?
Yes, in most jurisdictions you must inform callers that the call may be recorded before the recording begins.
Recording consent laws fall into two categories:
One-party consent - Only one person on the call (you or your AI) needs to know about the recording. Most US states follow this rule.
Two-party consent - All parties must be informed and agree to recording. California, Florida, Illinois, and several other states require this, as does Australia under the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979.
AI receptionists handle this automatically by playing a disclosure at the start of each call. Trillet's AI says something like: "This call may be recorded for quality and training purposes." This satisfies two-party consent requirements without making callers uncomfortable.
For Australian businesses specifically, the Privacy Act compliance requirements add additional considerations around how recorded data is stored and used.
How Long Are Call Recordings Stored?
Storage duration varies by platform, with most offering 30-90 days of standard retention and longer periods available on higher-tier plans.
Typical storage periods by platform:
Platform | Standard Retention | Extended Options |
Trillet | 90 days | Longer on request |
Dialzara | 7 days | 30 days on Pro plan |
My AI Front Desk | 30 days | Not available |
Smith.ai | 90 days | Varies by plan |
Goodcall | 7 days | 30-90 days on higher tiers |
If you need recordings for compliance purposes (healthcare, legal, financial services), check that your platform's retention period meets regulatory requirements. Some industries require 7 years of records.
Trillet allows you to download recordings for permanent storage in your own systems if you need indefinite retention.
Can I Disable Recording for Sensitive Calls?
Yes, most platforms let you control when recording happens, though the implementation varies.
Recording control options include:
Global on/off - Enable or disable recording for all calls
Caller-initiated opt-out - Callers can say "stop recording" to pause the recording
Keyword triggers - Recording stops automatically when sensitive topics (payment details, health information) come up
Time-based rules - Record during business hours only, or exclude certain days
For businesses handling sensitive information, Trillet offers PII (Personally Identifiable Information) handling options. You can configure the system to automatically redact credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or health information from transcripts while keeping the rest of the conversation documented.
What About HIPAA and Healthcare Recording?
Healthcare businesses need HIPAA-compliant recording with additional safeguards for Protected Health Information (PHI).
HIPAA-compliant recording requires:
Business Associate Agreement (BAA) - A signed contract between you and your AI provider
Encrypted storage - Recordings must be encrypted at rest and in transit
Access controls - Only authorized staff can access recordings
Audit trails - Logs showing who accessed what and when
Secure deletion - Proper data destruction when retention periods expire
Not all AI receptionist platforms offer HIPAA compliance. Trillet includes HIPAA compliance on all plans without extra fees. Competitors like ChatDash charge $200/month extra for HIPAA features.
For healthcare practices, the AI Receptionist for Medical Practice guide covers additional compliance considerations.
How Do I Access and Search Call Recordings?
AI receptionist platforms provide dashboards where you can browse, search, and filter your call history.
Typical access features include:
Search by caller - Find all calls from a specific phone number or name
Search by keyword - Locate calls where specific topics were discussed
Filter by date - Review calls from a particular day or date range
Filter by outcome - See only calls that resulted in appointments, callbacks, or specific actions
Export options - Download recordings as audio files or transcripts as text/PDF
The keyword search feature is particularly useful for quality assurance. If a customer complains about something your AI said, you can search for that conversation in seconds rather than listening to dozens of recordings.
Trillet's dashboard includes all these search features plus automatic tagging. The AI categorizes calls by type (appointment request, general inquiry, complaint, etc.), making it easy to find specific conversation types.
Can I Use Recordings to Train My AI?
Yes, call recordings are valuable for improving your AI receptionist's performance over time.
Ways to use recordings for training:
Identify gaps - Listen to calls where the AI said "I don't know" or transferred to voicemail, then add that information to its knowledge base
Improve responses - Hear how the AI phrases things and adjust scripts for better customer experience
Catch errors - Find calls where the AI provided wrong information and correct the source data
Benchmark performance - Track metrics like call duration, appointment conversion, and customer satisfaction over time
Trillet's 5-minute setup via website scraping and review aggregation creates a solid foundation, but reviewing real calls helps refine your AI's responses for your specific customers and common questions.
Comparison: Recording Features by Platform
Feature | Trillet | Dialzara | My AI Front Desk | Smith.ai |
Full audio recording | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
AI transcription | Yes | Yes | Limited | Yes |
Call summaries | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Post-call email | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Keyword search | Yes | No | No | Yes |
HIPAA compliant | Included | No | No | Extra cost |
Standard retention | 90 days | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
PII redaction | Yes | No | No | Limited |
Trillet offers the most complete recording package at its price point. The combination of long retention, HIPAA compliance included, and PII redaction options makes it suitable for businesses in regulated industries without paying enterprise prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can callers request copies of their recorded calls?
Under privacy laws like GDPR and Australia's Privacy Act, individuals can request access to their personal data, including call recordings. Most platforms allow you to export specific recordings to fulfill these requests. Trillet makes this easy with per-call export options.
Do call recordings count against storage limits?
Some platforms limit storage by time (30 days, 90 days) rather than by file size. Trillet stores recordings for 90 days as standard, with options for longer retention if needed. Audio files are compressed to minimize storage requirements.
Which Trillet product should I choose?
If you're a small business owner looking for AI call answering with recording and transcription, start with Trillet AI Receptionist at $29/month. If you're an agency wanting to resell voice AI to clients, explore Trillet White-Label at $99/month (up to 3 sub-accounts) or $299/month (unlimited).
Can I turn off recording for specific callers or numbers?
Yes, most platforms including Trillet allow you to create rules that disable recording for specific phone numbers. This is useful if certain clients request no recording or if you have internal calls that do not need documentation.
Are recordings admissible as evidence in disputes?
Recordings made with proper consent disclosure are generally admissible in civil disputes. However, legal admissibility depends on your jurisdiction and how the recording was made. Consult a lawyer for specific legal questions, but having documented call records has helped many businesses resolve customer complaints and payment disputes.
Conclusion
Call recording turns your AI receptionist from a simple answering service into a documented communication system. You get records for training, compliance, and dispute resolution, plus the ability to continuously improve how your AI handles calls.
For most small businesses, the standard recording features included with AI receptionist platforms are sufficient. If you handle sensitive data (healthcare, legal, financial), prioritize platforms with HIPAA compliance and PII handling included rather than paying extra.
Start capturing and learning from every call with Trillet AI Receptionist at $29/month.
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