Recent research carried out by PwC highlights the need for more focus on customer service when it comes to doing business. The company surveyed 15,000 consumers from 12 different countries across the globe. This comes after a similar report was carried out by PwC Ireland which came to the same conclusions.

Two-thirds of surveyed consumers felt that companies have lost touch with the human element when it comes to customer experience, with three quarters stating that they want to see more human interaction in this department.

In an ever-growing digital world where chatbots, artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, etc are taking over, companies need to put more effort into ensuring the right customer experience balance for customers; ensuring the presence of both human interactions and technology.

While price and quality remain the top choice for consumers to purchase from a brand, a staggering 73% of those surveyed stated that positive customer experience was also key in determining brand loyalty.

 

Increase of up to 16% in ROI

More importantly, the research highlighted that businesses can benefit from up to a 16% increase in return on investment if they incorporate quality customer experience into their business model. Gone are the days when the focus was solely on the sale of products and services, more and more consumers are seeking out in-store experiences. Across the globe, customers are also willing to pay more for the following elements when it comes to customer service:

• Speed & efficiency (52%)
• Convenience (43%)
• Knowledgeable & helpful employees (41%)

 

Cost of Bad Customer Experiences

It’s also important to incorporate positive experiences because bad customer experiences drive people away and will cost you money if consumers were to stop doing business due to unfriendly employees or lack of trust. In fact, 60% of those surveyed said that unfriendly service was a factor of bad customer experience, while 46% mentioned lack of knowledge among employees and half stated a company’s trustworthiness.

 

Use of Technology & Mobile Devices

When it comes to positive customer experience, traditional retailers could be at an advantage as consumers care less about the shopping part and more about the actual experience.  However, more in-store training is still needed, especially when it comes to the incorporation of mobile devices to make the shopping experience even more interconnected. Speaking of mobile devices, however, more than half of Irish consumers are still concerned about security when making a payment through their mobile phones. They are also very concerned about how their personal information is used and are afraid in case this information is misused.

 

Employees are Important to the Experience

In order for companies to benefit from increased ROI, a company’s employees must be the driving force behind a customer’s experience. Out of those surveyed, 71% feel that it’s the employees who have a significant impact on their experience but only 44% of employees actually understand consumer needs. Brands also can’t solve customer problems using technology alone. It’s all about using a mixture of consumer demand for technology and mobile devices with their desire for authentic, personal interaction with employees.

You can read the full report here.

When operating a virtual office system, efficiency is key. Using a variety of tools like those outlined below will ensure your virtual office runs smoothly and can even save you time and money.

Not only that, ensuring that a full range of capabilities is covered is essential in guaranteeing the smooth operation of virtual office spaces.

 

• Internal Chat Software

Collaboration is one of the biggest benefits of an office, and a virtual office brings its own benefits and obstacles in this regard. The online and distributed nature of a virtual office allows people from anywhere on the planet to join in and work together, often from their own homes.

While this can greatly boost flexibility and efficiency, care must be taken to ensure communication is smooth and versatile. Apps such as Azure, Slack and Flowdock aren’t just chatting programs but are also useful tools that can enable file sharing, establish work priorities and assignments, and track user contributions. They allow members of a virtual office to work together smoothly and freely.

 

1. 1. Cloud BackupWorking together online is just the first step. Any modern office saves and stores data locally, but with a virtual and paperless office; there are no backup hard copies and no easily accessible computers for everyone to access. This means that if a single user doesn’t save their work correctly, important information may become inaccessible to others.

      Cloud backups ensure that all members of a team can access the documents they need and that the files are protected in case of an accident. Many programs can do regular cloud backups of selected folders and also set user permissions so only those who are meant to access certain files can. Dropbox is a robust tool for this and is in common use.

 

• Registered Address

Online businesses and websites can often seem short-lived and even sometimes unfounded because of the nature of the business. Having a registered physical office address helps to put potential customers at ease. 

Trust is a complex and delicate thing to build. So having an address, particularly one in a major city, projects a sense of corporate and professional power that can be hard to acquire with a purely online presence.

 

1. 1. Call Answering and ForwardingWhether you’re a sole trader or the CEO of a large business, dealing with customer, client and supplier calls can be a very time-consuming process. In a virtual office, the software is needed to screen calls and forward callers to the correct number.

      ZenDesk, ContactSpace and TCN all provide well-integrated tools for handling incoming and outgoing calls. You can also hire a specialist third-party such as Kendlebell to take care of the issue for you, and gain a professional and human-based service.

 

• Conferencing

Secure conferences are a must, whether you are talking to people within your office or with customers and clients. Virtual offices can make use of conference calls, both audio and video, but you should take care and purchase a high-quality system. In today’s digital world, carelessness when setting up online calls can result in leaked information and eavesdropping.

Secure conferencing apps can set up safe and secure calls with encrypted security that are accessible only to those you want to conference with. Apps such as CVent, Medium and CryptTalk all offer secure and reliable ways to communicate with the people you need to get in touch with.

Running a virtual office can be made smoother with the use of the right tools, digital and otherwise. Our advice? Keep your technology up to date to help your business succeed.

 

Customer service is the most important part of any business. That’s not just our perspective – according to this post from Groove, 82% of customers have left a company because of bad service while 86% will pay more for a product or service if they have a better customer experience. Investing in customer service is a must, and your customer service starts from the minute they pick up the phone.

Whether you are an established business owner or have just launched a start-up, acquiring the services of a virtual receptionist can enable you to establish full-time, professional customer service.

When people call your business, they expect someone to take their call – and you can ensure every call is answered by your virtual receptionist.

Here are some of the core benefits hiring a virtual receptionist can afford your business:

Protect Your Business Reputation

What happens if no one answers a current or prospective customer’s call? What if they have to ring several times to get through to speak to someone? What if they have to wait hours or even days to get a return call?

They will not be happy…and they’re likely to discuss their negative experience with others. You’re busy and can’t be on hand to answer every single call, but a virtual receptionist can, and this can prove invaluable to protecting your business reputation.

Engage New Business

If new prospects can’t reach you on the phone, they will simply go elsewhere to conduct their business. Answering every prospect call when you’re out drumming up new business, speaking to suppliers or going about your busy day-to-day isn’t possible.

Even if you do get to answer calls, can you dedicate the time each potential prospect deserves? Ease your workload by hiring a virtual receptionist to answer your calls and filter through only the ‘hottest’ prospects to you.

You can spend a load of money trying to market your business but without a receptionist in place, you could be missing out on lots of potential new business.

Conduct Business Out of Hours

This is particularly important for online businesses. If you’re selling into foreign markets that don’t operate in the same time zone as you, they still need to be able to reach you by phone as no one likes speaking to an answering machine.

Hiring a virtual receptionist service to handle out-of-hours calls can ensure you can maintain your impeccable reputation for customer service.

Expand Your Horizons

If you’re seeking to expand your business into a new region or country, having a virtual phone number and a native speaker waiting to take calls from current and prospective customers can help you to assert an established presence in that area.

Hiring a virtual receptionist to answer a local landline number can prove an inexpensive yet effective way of opening up new markets for your business, especially if there are different languages to consider.

Save on Costs

If your call volume doesn’t warrant the hire of a full-time in-house receptionist, why take on that expense? Virtual receptionist packages can be tailored to meet your needs. You can increase the number of hours you need to hire a virtual receptionist during your peak periods and dial your package back down again in quieter business periods.

The cost of hiring a virtual receptionist will equate to a mere fraction of an in-house hire and you can be assured that you are acquiring the services of a highly experienced customer service professional.

With an easier workload, better customer service and the opportunity to expand your business and engage new clients – hiring a virtual receptionist could be the best move you ever make. And it’s something you can trial and test for little cost, so what’s stopping you?

Image: By Alinaderi158 [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

The use and storage of data is one of the most vital aspects of any modern business. From customer details and marketing results to product information and employee records, businesses use data in many ways.

With so much information, many data entry or database systems are partially automated. However, the results produced by these systems are only as good as the data they store and sometimes that data can be incorrect. Whether it’s through user or machine error, wrong format or even something malicious, faulty data can, at best, slow down the processing of data and, at worst, can lead to a huge amount of lost time and vital info. So, this is where data cleansing comes in handy but what is it?

• Data cleansing is the action of:
• Removing duplicate data
• Amending incorrect data
• Amending incomplete data
• Removing irrelevant & unnecessary data.

There are many benefits to data cleansing. By checking and correcting incorrect data, data cleansing ensures smooth running and accuracy. It can be a time-intensive process but means that any decisions made based on this data are more accurate and any systems that use it run smoother.

There are five core ways in which this directly helps your business;

 

• Decision Making

When making any decision about business, you don’t just roll a dice. Reports are consulted, surveys are carried out and files are checked. Data is vital in making effective decisions and inaccurate or misleading data can have significant consequences. With clean and accurate data, decisions both large and small are guaranteed to have more impact, and accurate feedback ensures better decision making going forwards.

 

• Marketing Returns

Having accurate data about your current and potential customers is the core of marketing. Marketing campaigns must have accurate data to aim their efforts and to gather accurate data in order to gauge their effectiveness and impact in attracting new business.

A better understanding of customer needs and demographics leads to more focused and targeted marketing. Data cleansing must occur both on the existing data and on the newly acquired data. With this, marketing is more effective and it will return better results.  

 

• Internal Systems Accuracy

At all levels of a business, data and its communication are vital for anything to happen because monitoring internal systems is impossible without accurate data.

From employee morale to management structures, from office and canteen supplies to payroll, good data is key to understanding any business. Clean internal data allows for easy feedback, as well as better and more direct control, and it reduces the potential for miscommunication and mistakes.

 

• Productivity

Whatever your business does, data errors can hurt your productivity. Even a small one-person business needs to know and understand their customers and their product/service and, for bigger businesses, this is even more vital. From manufacturing to finance, good information flows and efficient systems result in less wastage of time, materials and work hours. Error correcting can also drain time and money even when it doesn’t result in mistakes, so clean data helps maintain the smooth flow of production.

 

• Improved Revenue Streams

All the above points combine into the final result of data cleansing: improved revenue. Whether this comes about from more effective management decisions, more successful marketing, streamlined internal systems, or efficient processes and services, with accurate data your business will lose less money and get more out of what it already has. Better data accuracy lets you determine exactly what and where in your business is working well and why, and helps you fix what isn’t.

Data cleansing can be a tedious and delicate business, but it is one that must be done well or not at all. Whether removing duplicate data to reduce database size and boost search and processing speeds or checking the accuracy of all entered data against existing records, when you need data cleansing done, you need it done by professionals you can trust to be focused, methodical and secure.

Most people think of call centres as all being the same, but there is indeed a great difference between inbound and outbound call centre services, as anyone who has ever worked in a call centre will tell you.

Let’s take a more detailed look and find out which service is most appropriate for the needs of your business. It’s possible you may need one service more than the other, or you may need both. It all depends on what you need to achieve.

What are Outbound Call Centres?

Outbound call centres are used for outreach. The people who are called may have requested to be called, but in the majority of cases the calls placed are “cold calls” which means they’re entirely unsolicited. As you would probably expect, not everyone appreciates receiving unsolicited calls.

In general, outbound calling is done for the purpose of either selling something to consumers or for market research purposes. The people making these calls need to be especially good at rapidly establishing rapport with strangers, and they need nerves of steel and a thick skin to cope with the difficulties that may arise with making these unsolicited calls. This is where good customer service skills may come in handy. 

The justification for it is that even though some people find outbound call centre calls annoying, the calls do actually work. It takes a lot of effort and plenty of misses before a positive response is received, but perseverance pays off.

What are Inbound Call Centres?

Instead of making calls to people who probably don’t want to be called, inbound call centres receive phone calls. These calls could come from consumers who want to purchase something, from people seeking information or from people who need assistance in some way.

Because the people who make these calls all want something, it’s usually easier to deal with them than would be the case if they were on the receiving end of an outbound call. Of course, that doesn’t mean callers are never rude, especially if the main reason they’re calling is to make a complaint, but it is usually easier to get these calls under control compared to outbound calls.

What’s the Difference Between Outbound & Inbound Call Centres?

The main difference between outbound & inbound call centres is how the majority of the calls take place. If more than half of your calls are outbound then it’s most likely you’re considered an outbound call centre. 

Outbound centres are for customer outreach. Your business (via the call centre) reaches out to prospective customers or market research respondents to request information. On the other hand, inbound call centres are part of customer relationship management (CRM). People call in to tell you their needs and seek an appropriate response from your business via the call centre. 

The costs involved in both may also differ but not necessarily. Outbound call centres tend to have higher costs because they make calls instead of receiving them, and because workers in these jobs expect to be paid more due to the stressful nature of the work and the difficulty of performing it. However, inbound call centre workers don’t make calls, except for responding to “call back requests”, and their job is less stressful so the costs of an inbound call centre is normally lower in comparison to outbound call centres.

Understanding the type of call centre you need is important for the planning and implementation of systems within your business. Be sure to evaluate what you want to achieve before making a decision on whether an outbound or inbound call centre would be best suited to reaching your goals.

 

 

Good customer service is essential to the success of any business. There is a lot of competition out there, and sometimes your customer service is enough to make the difference between a customer becoming a recurring client of yours versus going to one of your competitors.

The employees in your customer service department are in direct contact with your clientele every day, so they better know what they’re doing.

Customer Service Requires a Special Skill Set.

No matter how you look at it, customer service can be a tough job at times. Often, when someone calls customer service, they aren’t happy about something and the person who is representing your company needs to have a key set of skills to help keep your customers happy.

On that note; the following are five absolutely crucial customer service skills that every employee should have:

• Emotional Intelligence

The phrase “emotional intelligence” sounds a lot like empathy, but it’s really not. A person who is emotionally intelligent is capable of managing the way they respond to emotional stimuli. So, if an angry customer says something rude or hurtful, a good customer service rep is more likely to respond positively. That doesn’t mean they aren’t angry or hurt, only that they can set this aside and act as the situation requires.

In a sense, emotional intelligence is all about understanding delayed gratification. You can have a small reward now or a larger reward later. Which do you choose? Snapping back at an angry client is an immediate reward (the satisfaction of releasing your anger on the person who caused it). However, that small reward can have a big consequence. Keeping a level head and diffusing the situation requires self control, but it also has a better reward in the long-run (you get to keep your job).

• Flexibility

Customer service representatives have to be able to adapt in the moment. They talk to so many people every day. Not to mention that they have to keep up with all updates to company policy and products. With this skill, it’s possible for someone to easily transition between conversations without becoming overwhelmed or frustrated.

• Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is a two-part skill because it refers to both the inside and the outside. People who are generally self-aware tend to have more empathy. That means they can better understand customers on an emotional level. This helps put customers at ease and it helps them feel they’ve been truly heard.

The flip side of self-awareness is physical awareness. It is important to be able to modulate tone and facial expressions. A good way to test your tone and expressions is to take a video of yourself with your phone. Pretend you’re working with a customer. If you notice any gruffness, just keep practicing until you are able to better control the sound of your voice.

• Listening

It would be impossible to work in customer service without good listening skills so if you tune out after a few minutes, this is not the job for you! You cannot resolve a customer’s problem or answer their questions if you didn’t even hear them.

• Clear and Concise Language

Out of all the skills mentioned in this article, this is the most important by far as it is not enough to just empathise with a customer and act with emotional intelligence. You have to be able to express yourself clearly because confusion can set in and it will lead to even more problems.

 

Customer Service is More than a Friendly Smile

Everyone has had at least one bad customer service experience, and we’re sure you’ll agree that there is nothing more frustrating!

It takes a special skill set to work in customer service so if you feel you or your team may not have the necessary skills to deal efficiently with customers, why not consider outsourcing your customer service? It will take the hassle of having to find the perfect candidates away from you so you can focus on growing your business and acquiring more customers.

It’s a win-win situation for you and your customers.

Data is present in every business and it comes in various forms. Nowadays, many businesses may not be able to operate efficiently if they are not provided with certain information. For example, a doctor or dentist need to have your previous medical or dental record on file for the next time you schedule an appointment. Similarly, an ecommerce company needs to collect data, such as your search history and preferences, if they are to provide you with relevant, targeted advertisements.

However, the introduction of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) on May 25th 2018 aims to clamp down on those companies who misuse the sensitive and personal information of their users. Its aim is to give more control to users over their personal data and penalises any business who mistreats (such as sells data to a third-party) this data.

Having said this; data cleansing has become extremely important for businesses all over Ireland and the EU. It is the action of:

• Removing duplicate data
• Amending incorrect data
• Amending incomplete data
• Removing irrelevant & unnecessary data.  

Importance of Data Cleansing

Having up-to-date, correct & complete data has a number of advantages for both big and small companies:

 

Improves the Decision-Making Process

Customer data should be the focal point for all major business decisions. In today’s modernised society, it is not sufficient to base decisions solely on opinions. Although data may be clean and accurate when first received, errors can creep in at any time. Yet many companies fail to prioritise data quality management. Accurate and quality consumer data are essential in the decision-making process and it can contribute to the success of the business in the long-term.

 

Increases Productivity

As data cleansing may be a rigorous, time-consuming task, many businesses decide to outsource the task. Having an accurate and up-to-date database also means that employees are making the best use of their work hours. They don’t have to run around looking for the correct information if it is already updated on the database and can be accessed at the touch of a button.

It also means staff won’t waste valuable time and effort into reaching out to customers with out-of-date information.

 

Reduces Costs & Increases Revenue

Finally, partaking in the act of regular data cleansing means lower costs and increased revenue for business. When user data is up-to-date they are more likely to respond to emails and marketing communications as you’ll understand your audience better and, therefore, be able to target them better. For example, an accurate email marketing database means less bounce backs.

It also means reduced costs as money is not wasted reaching out to users with incomplete or out-of-date data. How many wasted letters/materials do you receive each day addressed to previous tenants?  And, speaking of reducing costs, if you get caught misusing sensitive data, you could be charged a hefty fine if you don’t take into account the new regulations set out by GDPR.

 

There is no doubt that data is one of the most important aspects in targeting and communicating with your customers, but accurate and up-to-date data is even more important for a variety of reasons.

If you’re still unsure about what data cleansing is or need some help updating databases, then why not outsource this task. There are a range of companies who can help you save both time and money in the process, while also ensuring that employees are at their most productive.

 

What Are Virtual Phone Numbers?

The internet makes everything simpler, and that includes your business line too. Virtual phone numbers are a convenient way to have calls forwarded to your phone through an internet service. That means you can register a number in another country, then have it routed through to your phone. No more long-distance fees to worry about!

A virtual phone number works through the internet. Once you register a number to a geographic locale, you can set it to forward to any other phone number. This could be a mobile phone, regular landline, or even a VOIP. With an internet connection, you can also use a virtual phone number through a tablet or computer if necessary.

Types of Virtual Numbers

There are many reasons someone might need a virtual phone number. Perhaps you travel out of the country a lot. In that case, you can avoid high mobile bills by using a virtual number. Or maybe you’re a small business and you need to avoid high international calling rates or want to tailor your number to a new region.

If this is the case then there are two main types of virtual phone numbers available to you. What type you need depends on why you need it.

Geographic

A geographic number has an identifiable location. That means you can tailor it to fit the locale you are catering to. So, if you’re a small business, you can use virtual numbers to tailor your localised ads across different regions. This makes tracking the rewards of your advertising efforts much simpler.

Non-Geographic

A non-geographic number is just what it sounds like: a number that is not identifiable by a region. These are numbers that begin with 1800, 1850, 1890, and so on. The purpose of these numbers is to give your small business a large company feel. Some companies even have call answering services you can purchase along with the virtual number.

Why Use Virtual Phone Numbers

There are so many ways a virtual phone number can come in handy. It frees up your employees by allowing you to forward hotline calls directly to their mobile. This means they can work offsite, and that’s what makes it so easy to set up virtual office spaces. It’s also possible to set it up so that the virtual number will forward to different phone numbers at different times of the day.

So, basically, you can set up an entire employee call schedule. Simply set your forwarding numbers according to the work schedule and your employees will automatically begin receiving forwarded calls during their respective shifts.

The bottom line is that a virtual phone number can save you money and time. It streamlines the process of opening communication between you and your customers across wide regions. It’s an excellent and cost-effective way to set up your customer service department. This allows you to set up a virtual office space and serve a wider community, all without having to set up a physical location.

So, if you want to expand your reach and grow your business while saving money, then it’s time to try out a virtual phone number.

Quality customer service is vital to a company’s image and reputation. When your customers are able to get what they need from you quickly and efficiently, you will be recognised as a customer centric company that cares about people.

When it comes to giving your customers the support they need, don’t overlook the importance of an efficient call centre for your business as your success relies on it. Read on as we discuss the importance of call centre services for your business.

Availability

People are used to getting things fast these days. With the simple click of your mouse, you can make just about any purchase you can think of. As a company, you must meet the expectations of your customers that will likely be looking for their specific needs to be met efficiently and quickly.

A call centre serves as proof that you, as a business, are readily available for your customers. A call centre is perceived as an accessible touch point where customers can get their questions answered fast and, more importantly, they can interact with your business when it’s most convenient for them.

The more available you are, the more likely you will inspire loyalty from your customers as they will learn to trust in your business.

Speed

Much like availability, improving the speed at which you serve your customers is vital to your business’ success in this age of quick gratification. Serving customers over the phone is usually a much quicker process than doing so via email. It avoids back and fort and customers usually get exactly what they need from a call agent without any hassle.

Quality

Are you looking for ways to improve your business? Do you wish to provide a better business offering and service for your clients but aren’t sure where to begin? With a call centre, you can record calls between customers and service agents to better understand basic pain points and what to improve on.

A call centre can be your own personal market research facility so that you can acquire the feedback you need to better understand how you can improve different aspects of your product/service and your business operations as a whole. Why not get the information you need, first-hand, from those who need it most? It makes a lot of sense.

Innovation

If you want to come across as innovative, you have to show your customers that you are growing, improving and evolving as a company. Part of this evolution consists of serving customers in the way they prefer best, which means you might have to innovate to accommodate their needs.

Having an efficient call centre can be considered a part of this evolution. It helps your customers interact with your business in the ways they prefer and ensures that they are getting the immediate attention they seek. In turn, this will enhance your company’s reputation as being an innovative and evolving business that is staying ahead of the curve.

 

Thinking about introducing a call centre to your company? Perhaps you want to avoid having to hire staff and would prefer to outsource everything to a reputable company that provides outsourced customer service and call centre services?

If so, you’ll be making a great investment in improving your business and you can expect to see significant improvements when it comes to vital elements such as your brand identity, customer retention, customer satisfaction and your bottom line.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) changes how companies can gather and manage data in the EU. The last laws governing how people’s data should be handled were drawn up almost two decades ago, so it’s clear to say a lot has changed since then. The new laws come into effect on May 25 2018. 

If you’re wondering about what will happen to the UK after Brexit, a new Data Protection Bill was put forward in 2017 which essentially replicates the rules set out in GDPR. Much like the conditions of GDPR, the Data Protection Bill outlines penalties for non-compliant organisations, as well as the issuing of fines. 

 

What is GDPR?

The GDPR is an EU regulation that replaces the previous 1995 EU Data Protection Directive and its UK-specific application, the 1998 Data Protection Act.

Under previous legislation, companies followed a soft approach, allowing storage of personal data and operating under “implied consent” regarding gathering data from users. However, the new GDPR laws are much stricter and aim to more concisely lay out requirements and penalties for failing to meet them. With this new law, it must also be obvious to users if their data is being collected and they must be presented with an option to not have their data collected. 

 

Why was the regulation drafted?

The GDPR legislation has been in the works for the last four years and is in response to the changing nature of the modern digital world. The 1995 Data Protection Directive comes from a time when the internet was still not common in many homes, and many problems and concerns that have arisen since then have prompted a need for change.

The recent Cambridge Analytica scandal is a prime example of why stricter data control laws are required. Cambridge Analytica is reported to have harvested information from over 50 million Facebook profiles to help both the 2016 US Presidential election and the 2016 Brexit referendum.

 

How will the GDPR affect businesses?

The GDPR affects almost all ways that a business can gather and use user data, as well as a user’s rights regarding that data.

• Failure to comply with the new regulations carries a fee of €10 million or 2% of the company’s global turnover (whichever is higher). Companies can also be charged up to €20 million or 4% turnover for more serious consequences. 
• Companies are responsible for reporting any data breaches and must do so within 72 hours.
• Implied consent, particularly mechanisms such as already ticked boxes in forms and actively having to opt-out, is no longer permissible. Double factor opt-in systems are now required, where users first must sign up for marketing communications and then further confirm through email. Records of gathered consent must be kept and can be revoked at any time by the user.
• Personal data is now more clearly defined and includes such items as bank details, IP addresses, medical records, social media usernames and posts, and photos.
• Data may only be collected and used for clearly defined purposes, with consent for this given by the user. Once the stated purpose has been completed, the data must be deleted.
• If requested, the user is to be given access to their data free of charge. Presently, a Subject Access Request (SAR) costs £10. 
• Any data collected can be deleted at any time if requested by the user. 
• If requested by the user, data must be transferred to another party with all remaining copies deleted within four weeks. Data must be kept in a non-proprietary format to facilitate such a transfer.
• Users have the “right to be forgotten”. If requested, not only must all gathered data be deleted but any linked organisations with access to the data must also be informed that the data should be deleted. This is the responsibility of the company.

 

The GDPR represents great changes in how companies can use and gather data. Being aware of these changes and incorporating data cleansing into your corporation before these laws come into effect not only helps avoid unpleasant fines but also helps create a smooth transition into the new system.