Have you noticed changes to your favorite websites lately? Many people’s regular browsing habits have been altered slightly, thanks to pop up windows alerting users that some websites collect and store browsing data using cookies to improve their user experience. The reason for this sudden change on websites across the internet comes from General Data Protection Regulation rulings which originated overseas in Europe in 2016.
Websites and businesses that aren’t GDPR compliant can be fined tens of thousands of dollars for not being up-to-code. That being said, user data is commonly leveraged by companies of all shapes, sizes, and industries to provide more productive workflows and better customer service. Here are a few ways to protect your contact center under GDPR.
When it comes to staying GDPR compliant, there is a multitude of facets of the regulation to keep in mind. For starters, users must give their consent and opt into their data being collected, which involves notifying them.
Beyond this, data transparency is a key tenet of GDPR, and users must have the right to have their data erased at any time and for any reason. Just as users have the right to have their data erased, they also must be allowed to know what data has been stored on them and how it’s being used. These regulations apply to any organization which collects personal data, which affects many call centers.
Because of the strict nature of GDPR and its relative complexity to the average business owner, if you run a contact center it may be in your best interest to switch over to a GDPR compliant call center software platform if you aren’t already using one. Bright Pattern’s software platform is a good choice since its data protection is comprehensive. From how and when it’s collected to how it is processed and stored, Bright Pattern’s software offers the right features to ensure that you stay GDPR compliant. Some of these tools include manual erasure permissions to wipe data if necessary, and advanced user permissions settings to keep your customer data in the proper hands. These features extend to every level of data across Bright Pattern’s omnichannel cloud system, including voice and screen recording as well as transcripts of emails and chats.
While your contact center software platform is one of the largest parts of your business to keep in compliance with GDPR, it isn’t the only feature you need to worry about as you work to protect your company’s interests under GDPR.
Another aspect of your contact center that may need to be audited for GDPR compliance is payroll. Your employee data is just as sensitive and important to protect as your customers, so it’s a good idea to use a GDPR online check writing business if you want to protect employee data, too.
A website like Smart Payables can help you stay up-to-date on all the important ways to comply with GDPR for payroll. Even if you’re based in the United States, if you employ contractors overseas, you’ll want to make sure your payroll is GDPR compliant. Even if you don’t, it’s best practice anyway, so it may be worth deciding to do.
GDPR is something that must be taken seriously. While it may seem like a drag to restructure how your business operates, the cost in time and labor to make these changes pales in comparison to the sorts of fines your business can receive if it doesn’t comply with these rulings. By using GDPR compliant technology, like Bright Pattern’s call center software and websites like Smart Payables to handle payroll, you can start to improve how your business functions in line with GDPR rulings. While doing so does take effort, it ultimately strengthens your business’ image in your customers’ eyes, which may affect interest in your products and services.
