Free Conference Call Services Can be Very Tempting

Our customers sometimes ask if we use one specific conference call service to get the best quality conference call recording.  The answer is both yes and no.

Clearly, the quality varies between conference call services.  PGi (Premiere Global Services) has the best audio quality we’ve heard, so we became an agent and have access to all their audio and web conferencing products.  However, we’ve also used several free conference call companies, because many times our customers already have accounts with a vendor—FreeConference.com and FreeConferenceCall.com seem to be the most popular.

There are several problems with free conference call services, and some can effect the quality of your recording.

What are the problems with free conference call services?

1. Many providers move the dial-in number from city to city—most likely because they are chasing the cheapest rates on their end.  I’ve also heard that they make money by routing callers to specific local exchange carriers.  This means that your “permanent” dial-in number is not so “permanent” after all.
2. Free conference call services use toll numbers, so you and your participants will pay long distance charges for the duration of the call.
3. Many times the call quality is poor.  Conference bridge quality can be good, or not-so-good.  Which do you think the free services are using?
4. Just about all of them charge excessively for anything other than a simple conference call.  That means they are expecting you to upgrade when you figure out that the service is not really free (see #2 above and consider how #3 can effect the definition of your brand).
5. A big limitation is the feature set.  Compare free conference call services to PGi’s GlobalMeet and you will see a huge difference.  For example, did you know that GlobalMeet has a web interface/control feature that gives you the ability to see a noisy phone line and mute it with a click of a button?  This feature alone can be a huge differentiator.

For those who must have the best quality—businesses that are going to re-purpose the call into a podcast, for example—we offer the complete line of PGi audio and web conferencing services, including GlobalMeet.  For those who would like to sample our recording quality, we offer a free conference call recording snippet, with no obligation.  That is, we will record your call and send you a sample of it so you can verify the quality before making a commitment.  Did I mention there is no obligation?

So there you have it, the 5 biggest problems with free conference call services.  Why did I not mention the advantages?  Well, because there is only one, and you already know what that is….  It’s free!

Have you had an experience with a free conference call company—good, bad or indifferent?  Tell us about it in the comments below.

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Conference Call Recording Feature Will Not Work with This Type of Phone

ReadyConference Plus Features
People who already use PGi’s ReadyConference Plus audio conferencing service may already know about the cool features that are included for free with this service:

• Web Interface/Control Including Active Talker Icon
• Global and Individual Mute/Un-Mute
• Dial Out Access

Each of the above features separates PGi’s ReadyConference Plus from the free conference call services.

Conference Call Recording
But today I am going to talk about the conference call recording feature (hint: press *22 to activate before your call formally begins).  This is my favorite, by far, because it serves two very unique purposes.

1. It records your conference call as a digital replay—accessible to anyone with a telephone.
2. It acts as a high quality conference call recording for creation of high resolution audio files—such as wave, MP3, etc.

Most of our clients need a high resolution, high quality conference call recording, so we will skim over number one fairly quickly.  Suffice it to say, if anyone misses your live conference call, this is a great way to allow them to listen to it after-the-fact.

High Quality Conference Call Recording
To record your conference call and receive a pristine audio file useful for archiving, podcast production, audio editing, or online distribution, it’s as easy as pressing *22 before your call formally begins.  When your call is over, just hang up, and the recording will stop automatically.  Here is a link to PGi’s support page and a video from PGi that gets into the details of using this feature.  But believe me when I tell you, it is easy cheesy.

After the call is over, PGi will email you instructions on how to access this recording.  Forward that email to your AudioFile Solutions product manager and you will receive your audio file shortly afterward.  Costs for this service vary, so please ask your representative for pricing before you record your call.

We can also create a high quality conference call recording from your live event.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us for the details.

Stay tuned for more ReadyConference Plus features you might have overlooked.

photo by Workaholic Mimir

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Jack Feels the Sting of 100 Angry Stares After Ruining the Most Important Conference Call of the Year

Most of our new conferencing customers come to us looking for an edge over their competition.  They’re looking to get their message out, but many have never had a conference call before.

Early on, we explain to them the features of our most popular audio conferencing product—PGi’s ReadyConference Plus—and go over the ins and outs of having a successful conference.  Invariably, we arrive at a very common customer question, “What about recording?  We want the best quality we can get.”  Well, that’s music to our ears since we were founded on providing the best quality conference call recordings possible over a standard telephone line.  “That’s the entire reason we exist,” we say.  “Would you like a high resolution MP3, Wave, WMA?”

That gets the discussion started, but none of the technical jargon matters if we don’t discuss the quality issues before the audio gets to our equipment.

There are five critical areas that must be addressed to get the best quality conference call recording.

1. All participants should be dialed-in on landline phones.
2. Non-speaking parties should be muted.
3. A handset or headset should be the tool of choice.
4. Call waiting should be disabled.
5. The on-hold button should be anathema!

All participants should use standard landline telephones.
It seems funny, but one of our oldest technologies is still one of our best.  However, don’t fall into the trap of pressing the speakerphone button—that is the quickest way to ruin your high-end recording.  Also, do not use a cell phone, a VOIP service, or even a wireless phone connected to a landline.  All of these technologies degrade the  conference call audio in some way and should be avoided.

The reality is, however, some of your participants will ignore the above “DO NOT USE” list.  ReadyConference to the rescue… see next step.

Non-speaking parties should be muted.
A great feature of ReadyConference Plus by PGi, is the *6 muting function.  Any participant who is not speaking should press *6—the system will mute that line individually.

As the Host/Moderator, you can also control a participant’s mute status from the online web interface.  That is, if an unusual amount of noise is coming from a specific line, you will see it and be able to mute that line with a click of a button.

Another method is to have all speakers dial-in with the Host/Moderator passcode, and all non-speakers use the participant code.  Before starting the formal part of the call, have a moderator press *96 to mute all participant lines.  This acts as a global mute and can come in very handy with a little bit of think-ahead planning.

A handset or headset should be the tool of choice.
A bit earlier, we talked about not using a speakerphone on a conference call.  Instead, use a headset.  Most headsets these days have very good audio quality and will allow you to talk with your hands free.  Once in awhile, even a good quality headset can “act up”.  At those times, pick up your old reliable handset; you’ll be amazed how good it sounds.

Disable the Call Waiting feature on your telephone.
Most telephone companies allow you to disable this feature temporarily.  Before dialing your conference, press your telephone company’s magic combination of buttons to disable this function—usually restored when you hang up.  *70 seems to be the ticket with Qwest, but be sure to check with your local telephone company.

Never…ever use your on-hold button during a conference call recording.
Many businesses have on-hold music for the enjoyment of the person waiting.  Imagine the surprise of all the conference call attendees when you put them on hold and they are treated to the Musak version of Beat It by Michael Jackson.  Ok, so maybe you like MJ, but the practical implication is that the conference call will come to a complete stop until you return—and then you will know what embarrassment truly is.  One hundred of your most important business contacts will be wondering why you just wasted their precious time, and they’ll be looking to “light you up”—maybe literally—like Jack in the picture above.

While these five steps won’t guarantee a perfect conference recording, they will catapult you above your competitors who are not following these steps.  Your company brand now has one more edge in the dog-eat-dog world of business.

photo by garybirnie

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