The Managers’ Contact Center Security Checklist
When you interact with customers and collect data, one of the most important aspects to consider is your contact center security. Ensuring compliance with governing bodies and internal organizational protocols is vital to avoiding potentially disastrous incidents. From putting undue pressure on the relationship between you and your customers to getting into hot water with the law, ignoring compliance can cause serious issues. If your business has a need to improve security, you can use this checklist to get started.
Understanding Regulations
There are quite a few compliance acts that have been instated by the government to help protect users and their information. These are often industry-specific, and so many may not apply to your organization. Here are a few to consider:
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – Regulates the use of individual personal data by companies in Europe.
- Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act) – Prevention of unfair or deceptive business practices.
- CAN-SPAM Act – Requires opt-out capabilities and correct sender information in commercial email communication.
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) – Establishes rules for telemarketing including contact methods and deception.
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) – Prevents debt collectors from utilizing abusive methods and promoting fairness in collection.
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) – Regulates the use and security of personal health data.
- Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) – Limits unwanted and unsolicited communications from companies to customers.
Incident Reporting
If you’re handling customer data, it’s always possible for incidents to occur. This can be a simple failure to follow protocol or a full data breach. Regardless of the scale of the incident, it’s vital that you have a comprehensive system for reporting, monitoring, and remediating them.
Having a reporting system will allow you to have insight into how your representatives are sticking to compliance protocol and maintaining contact center security. You’ll also always have a complete paper trail for any audits or follow-ups, and it allows you to fine-tune your reporting so that you can more easily detect any anomalies early.
DNC List Adherence
The Do Not Call registry allows individuals to officially indicate that they do not want to be contacted by telemarketers. While this does not automatically prevent calls from going through, organizations that knowingly contact a person on a DNC list are liable to prosecution.
Customer Authentication
When a customer calls in, it’s important to verify their identity, especially before discussing sensitive or personally identifying information. Integrating your voice call platform into your customer relationship manager (CRM) can help you connect phone numbers with all relevant customer information, allowing you to verify callers in an instant.
Documentation
Whether it’s for your own business records, your sales team follow-up, or a legal issue, it is important to record and document each call that comes your way. This can help with quality control, new hire training, and potential litigation all while streamlining your internal communications systems. However, it is important for these conversations to be stored securely and according to data retention standards.
How United Business Technologies Can Help
Your organization’s compliance with contact center security protocols is integral to the success of your business. Failure to adhere to this checklist can have serious consequences for the organization as a whole. Since ignorance of the law is no excuse, it’s crucial to be aware of these items and structure your compliance team around them.
United Business Technologies not only specializes in helping companies integrate technology into their communications platforms, but it also helps ensure that the same technology is being used in a way that is safe, secure, and compliant. Many of the items on this list are covered if you use a unified communication system, which we can help you set up. If you are unsure about whether your teams are utilizing a contact center security checklist, we’re here for you. Give us a call today to get started.
