Asking the customer for consent
How to ask permission to record, which words to use, and what to do if the customer says no.
You need the customer's consent before recording, every meeting. This page covers how to ask, what wording works, and what to do when they decline.
Consent is easiest asked casually, right after the small talk at the start.
Word choice matters
Introduce Revial as a note-taking tool, not an AI tool. AI still carries preconceptions and unnecessary uncertainty for many people. Described first as a practical tool, the reception is almost always positive.
This matters most in face-to-face meetings, where the words are spoken to someone in the same room. Prefer calm, everyday phrasing. Emphasise note-taking and being present — not recording or monitoring. Avoid technical or cold terms like transcription or audio recording when asking permission in person.
Useful ways to describe it:
- a note-taking assistant
- a note-taking tool
- a meeting-notes tool
- an assistant that captures the main points of the conversation
In-person meetings and phone calls
Pick whichever fits the situation, or find your own version.
Neutral and matter-of-fact
"Hi — I use a note-taking service in my meetings that writes up automatic notes for our internal use. It lets me focus on the conversation itself. Is it OK with you if I record the audio for that?"
Short and direct
"I use a note-taking service during meetings. Is it OK if I record with the meeting bot?"
Relaxed
"I've got a note-taking tool with me here. Is it alright if the audio is recorded for our internal use?"
If you want to emphasise the benefit to the customer
"I use a tool in our meetings that takes notes automatically. It helps me remember everything important for next time. Does that work for you?"
Remote meetings
In remote meetings, a notification about the note-taking tool is posted automatically to the meeting chat when the bot joins. That can support the consent conversation, but it does not replace it — ask as well.
If the customer does not want to be recorded
- Say calmly: "No problem, we won't record."
- Stop the recording — press Stop on your phone, or remove the bot from the meeting by hovering over it in the participant list and choosing Remove from meeting.
- Take notes by hand if you need to, or dictate a summary afterwards. See recording after the meeting.
Nothing about the meeting is held against a customer who declines, and it should not be an awkward moment — treat it as routine.
What customers might ask
Ready answers. Use them directly or in your own words.
"Where does the data go?"
"All the data stays in the EU. Recording and analysis happen in Hamina, Finland. The data belongs to us, not to the tool."
"Who sees it?"
"Only me and my team internally. The note-taking service does not have access to it."
"Are you GDPR compliant?"
"Yes. See our privacy notice, and Revial's own information at revial.ai/fi/legal."
"Is everything recorded?"
"No. Only the conversations where the bot is on the call or I've started the recorder. It doesn't start automatically, and it can be stopped at any time."
"Can I get the summary the tool makes?"
"Of course — I'll send the summary or minutes over after the meeting. I can share the audio recording too if you'd like."
Answer questions about your own organisation's data handling from your own privacy notice. The answers above describe how Revial works; what your organisation does with the resulting notes is your organisation's policy to state.