It's 8am on a cold Monday morning in December. Once again my inbox is flooded with email from disgruntled consumers who've been stung by shady deals, sold dodgy time shares, or been mis–sold items over the phone.

Businesses seem to be getting worse and worse at providing good customer service.

This morning, however, there is an exception. I have an email from a lady who's sick and tired of being let down. From the "We'll call anytime between 8am and 6pm to fix your boiler Mrs Smith" to trying to navigate extended phone queues and off–shore call centres, she's seen and heard the lot.

This time however, she had something positive to say about her experiences. A friend had given her a tip for dealing with bad service for orders/issues over the phone.

She's been taping her phone conversations with companies and saving them on her computer using a service called Recordyourcall.co.uk. If she has any trouble with an order, she sends a recording of the call in which she placed the order to the company in question. She now finds that rather than wasting time arguing with her, they are quick to take positive steps to resolve the problem.

It seems a paradigm–shift is underway. Clued–up callers are turning the tables on these companies, who so often tell us that our "calls may be recorded". It's now the consumer who is taping the conversations in the hope that sales and service staff sharpen up their act when told they are under scrutiny. If they do not, or if promises or deals are not honoured, the caller can send the recordings to the company with a request for action, and even use them in court.

It is actually legal to record all calls without telling the person you are speaking to, provided that the recordings are kept for your own use. But be careful, if you intend to pass the call to a third party – for use as evidence in a small claims court, for instance – your failure to explain that you are taping the conversation at the start of the call could land you in hot water.

Paula Down, a 30 year old housekeeper in Belfast, used the service to record a series of calls to a popular airline in the run–up to a trip to New York with her boyfriend.

When the airline's check–in staff said that she had not purchased the upgrades she requested, Paula explained that she had files of the relevant telephone calls which could be accessed online within minutes. It turned out that the operator had agreed to book the seats but had failed to process the payment for the requested upgrades. The result: Paula was given free upgrades worth over £900.

Recordyourcall's service, which enables users to record telephone calls for 10p a minute (including the cost of the call), has helped users to score consumer victories against big players, including Dell and Excel Airways. The site's founder, Matt Wilson, was inspired by the "utter contempt" he felt he was treated with by the call centre staff of two household names, and decided to do something about it.

Mr Wilson advises consumers to record all phone conversations in which money or contracts are at stake. He cites calls to insurers, utility suppliers and banks as prime examples.

Another of the site's users, Richard Mells, of Durham, used a recording of a conversation with his bank to prove that he had not requested loan insurance at £19.99 a month after he spotted the unwelcome charge on his bank statement. The 29 year old's email to customer services, with the recording attached, was answered with an apology and instant refund. He says service since then has been "excellent".

Both Ms Down and Mr Mells cite the convenience of Recordyourcall.co.uk as their main reason for using the service. You don't need any technical knowledge to record a call. To use the service, you simply dial 0871 220 7676 from a landline (a different, more expensive number is provided for recording calls from your mobile or international calls). When prompted, you then enter the number you wish to call. You will be given a PIN code and put through to the number you entered. This call will be recorded. To access the recording, dial 0871 220 7677 and enter your PIN. You can also register online (free) and download free audio files of calls, which are otherwise deleted after 6 months. There are lots of advanced features available if you register online, including the facility to automatically record incoming calls.

At last, perhaps we consumers can see light at the end of the tunnel, and can bring these companies to task. You never know, it might even catch on.

Jon Culshaw, Consumer Direct.

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