Five steps to GDPR compliance

The impending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will affect every business process that handles personal data — and customer service is no exception. Business automation expert, Parker Software, has released a comprehensive white paper explaining how customer service departments can ensure they are compliant.

GDPR will be implemented in May 2018, replacing the existing Data Protection Act (DPA). GDPR requires businesses to gain the customer’s consent before they can capture, store or process their personal data. So, for customer service departments with extensive databases of personal information, the new ruling could raise a series of challenges.

Failure to comply with GDPR following the May 2018 deadline can result in fines of up to €20 million, or four per cent of the company’s worldwide annual turnover. There has been plenty of scaremongering to highlight the consequences of failing to comply. Up to yet, however, there has also been a lack of practical information for those working in the customer service realm.

Parker Software’s white paper addresses that knowledge gap. The business discusses some of the common misconceptions about the GDPR regulations, and simplifies the terms customer service departments will come across when researching the new rules. As part of the guide, Parker Software also provides five simple steps that customer service departments can take to ensure they meet GDPR compliance.

“Having heard of GDPR is one thing, but actually complying with the regulation is an entirely different game,” explained Howard Williams, marketing director at Parker Software. “The new rules are designed to give European citizens more control over their personal data, but for organisations that handle data regularly, what they actually need are practical steps to comply with the law.

“As a live chat provider, we’re working hard to help our customers review their procedures in relation to data collection, to ensure they are fully GDPR compliant in their use of our software, WhosOn. The white paper is just one part of a larger campaign we’re developing with the goal of informing businesses on the impending rules and helping them comply well in advance of the May 2018 deadline.”

The white paper is available to download here: https://www.parkersoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5-steps-to-GDPR-compliance-Key-considerations-for-customer-service-teams.pdf