From customer details to call recordings, contact centers take care of tons of worthwhile data often. Because of this, they should have the suitable systems to maintain that data protected and secure to avoid a possible data breach.
But how do you try this?
Easy: through contact center compliance.
Adhering to the established rules and regulations will empower contact centers to guard their customers’ private information.
In this text, we’ll discuss what contact center compliance means, the three key laws around it, and the thirteen best practices for contact center compliance you will need to follow.
Table of Contents
Let’s begin.
What’s contact center compliance?
Contact center compliance refers to contact centers abiding by laws and regulations that provide customer data security.
Contact centers must alter their workflows and systems to make sure compliance with these rules.
While a few of these laws affect all contact centers, others only impact those coping with certain industries or locations.
And whether you’re working with an in-house contact center or an outsourced one, you’ll want to be sure that your agents are compliant with the needed laws. It will provide your corporation with legal protection, safeguard sensitive data, and boost your customer experience.
Wondering what the difference between a call center and a contact center is?
Read our article on the five key differences between the 2.
Contact center compliance is critical for multiple reasons, encompassing legal, financial, operational, and reputational features of a business. Listed below are key the explanation why contact center compliance is crucial:
1. Legal protection
Compliance ensures that your contact center adheres to national and international laws, safeguarding your corporation from legal penalties. For example, violations of regulations just like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) or the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) can result in significant fines, lawsuits, and restrictions on business operations.
- Example: In 2020, a U.S. company was fined $225 million for making robocalls that violated TCPA regulations. Legal violations can have severe financial consequences, and staying compliant prevents such risks.
2. Protecting customer data
Contact centers handle sensitive customer data, similar to financial information, social security numbers, and private health records. Ensuring compliance with regulations like PCI DSS (for bank card data) and HIPAA (for healthcare data) helps protect this information from breaches, theft, or misuse.
- Data breaches can result in lack of trust, reputational damage, and financial loss for each the business and its customers.
3. Avoiding financial penalties
Non-compliance may end up in steep fines and sanctions. Compliance regulations like GDPR and CCPA impose heavy financial penalties on businesses that mishandle or misuse customer data.
- Example: Under the GDPR, firms can face fines as much as €20 million or 4% of their global annual revenue, whichever is higher. For smaller businesses, these fines may be crippling.
4. Maintaining customer trust
Customers have gotten more conscious of how their data is used. Adhering to compliance laws signals that your organization takes privacy and security seriously. This will result in stronger relationships with customers, enhanced loyalty, and a greater overall customer experience.
- Trust factor: A compliant contact center demonstrates that it values customer privacy and is committed to moral practices.
5. Improving operational efficiency
Compliance often requires businesses to implement standardized processes and technologies. These practices not only ensure legal adherence but also can enhance operational efficiency. Regular audits, monitoring, and training create a structured environment that minimizes errors and security breaches.
- Automation and Monitoring: Adopting compliance technologies, similar to automated monitoring systems, ensures real-time oversight and reduces manual intervention, streamlining operations.
6. Reducing the danger of cybersecurity threats
Complying with security standards, similar to using encrypted communication and multi-factor authentication, minimizes the possibilities of information breaches and cyberattacks. By following compliance requirements, contact centers can safeguard their networks and systems from growing cybersecurity threats.
7. Fame management
A business’s status may be severely damaged by non-compliance, especially if it results in data breaches, fraud, or unethical practices. A well-managed compliance program helps businesses avoid public scandals, negative media attention, and lack of customer confidence.
8. Ensuring ethical practices
Compliance regulations often set ethical standards for contact center operations, including rules on how employees should handle customer interactions. For example, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) enforces fair treatment of consumers, stopping abusive practices by debt collectors.
Let’s now have a look at the three key laws that lay the framework for regulatory compliance for contact centers in numerous industries.
3 key contact center compliance acts
Let’s discuss the three most distinguished laws around call center compliance.
Note: Compliance laws can vary from one region to a different. The laws we’re covering listed below are legally binding to call centers within the USA.
1. Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA Compliance)
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act was enacted in 1991 to limit telemarketing calls and automatic telephone dialing systems. Since then, the act has evolved to incorporate more TCPA regulations that monitor the workflow of a contact center.
The act now places compliance requirements on the usage of a wireless number, any auto dialer or predictive dialer, in addition to pre-recorded outbound calls, faxes, and more.
A few of the key TCPA regulations include:
- A telemarketing call center must obtain written consent from a consumer before contacting them via a predictive dialer (an automatic outbound calling system that permits you to bulk-dial).
- There’s a big compliance risk if a telemarketer contacts a wireless number through an Automatic Telephone Dialing System (ATDS) without consent. Nevertheless, TCPA regulations offer a limited protected harbor if a customer has recently ported to a wireless number without the knowledge of the telemarketer.
- Even when a customer gives their consent to receive phone calls, they’ll withdraw it at any time under TCPA compliance.
- A contact center loses the consent to call a customer if their phone number changes.
- Telemarketing call centers must provide customers with an opt-out option during any call to avoid a compliance risk.
2. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS Compliance)
The PCI DSS compliance regulations got here into effect in 2006 to be sure that firms working with bank card information operate in a secure environment.
Because of this, this compliance is mandatory for contact centers working within the bank card industry.
PCI compliance states six major objectives for contact centers:
- Secure networks with firewalls and security control before storing sensitive cardholder data.
- Encrypt cardholder data stored on the corporate’s system to stay PCI compliant.
- Protect customer information against breaches and threats through the use of malware protection solutions, similar to antivirus software, anti-spyware programs, etc.
- Limit access to sensitive customer data to only those that need it.
- Test networks often to make sure they’re following the PCI DSS compliance regulations.
- Create and follow a comprehensive information security policy to carry employees accountable for customer data protection.
3. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA Compliance)
HIPAA compliance was enacted in 1996 to control the use and disclosure of a patient’s private health information. Other than healthcare organizations, all service providers who take care of such sensitive information must comply with HIPAA.
That’s why HIPAA naturally includes call centers that provide answering and call forwarding services to healthcare organizations.
Under HIPAA compliance, a contact center must safeguard patients’ private information, including:
- Social Security numbers.
- IP addresses.
- Photographs.
- Geographical identifiers.
- Account numbers, etc.
Let’s now have a look at the 13 best practices that may assist you to navigate contact center compliance for your corporation.
13 best practices for contact center compliance
The compliance regulations listed on this section are legally binding only to call centers within the USA (except the GDPR, enacted within the EU).
Nevertheless, these thirteen mandates set best practices for call centers world wide.
1. Seek consent before recording conversations
Laws in some regions may require the shopper or the decision center agent to know if the decision center will record their conversation. Other regions would require each parties to concentrate on the recording process.
For instance, within the USA, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires each customers and call center agents to know concerning the recording process.
Call center agents can alert their customers of the recording process with automation similar to an interactive voice response system (IVR) or including it of their call scripts.
2. Track agents with access to sensitive information
A contact center must provide all its agents with a singular identity number. This goes a great distance in establishing accountability inside a call center.
For example, within the case of a leak or tampering of data, the ID numbers of a particular worker or team working on that project may be tracked and held accountable.
Tracking call center agents provides an extra layer of security to vulnerable knowledge management systems handled by contact centers.
3. Train agents annually to stay compliant
It isn’t practical to coach call center agents once and expect them to recollect their entire compliance training for years to return.
Agents handle high volumes of customer phone calls. And for them to stay sensitive towards the safety of customer data, they should be trained often.
Moreover, compliance policies are dynamic and keep changing to accommodate newer technology. That’s why, yearly, call center agents must receive updated training for HIPAA, TCPA, PCI compliance, amongst other industry-specific regulations.
Periodic training can streamline your compliance efforts by helping agents execute compliance to the most effective of their ability.
4. Refrain from recording CVV numbers on bank cards
Under the PCI-DSS regulations, call centers are prohibited from recording and storing key bank card information just like the Card Verification Value (CVV) number.
What’s CVV?
The credit card CVV number is a sensitive piece of information that proves your bank card’s authenticity during online bank card payments.
PCI DSS compliant call centers can’t store other sensitive data, similar to full magnetic stripe information and your PINs.
When call center agents record customer phone calls, they risk storing these highly sensitive cardholder data as recorded or written information. They should be mindful about not recording while entering bank card information.
One approach to practice higher regulatory compliance is using speech analytics software. Integrating your call center software with speech analytics is a helpful compliance solution that flags any sensitive data in real-time.
This manner, your contact center may be PCI DSS compliant and never store key bank card information.
5. Keep on with ethical behavior while recovering money
The Fair Debt Collection Practice Act (FDCPA), passed in 1977, prohibits call center agents from using unfair debt collection practices. These practices include the usage of abusive or threatening language with customers.
The FDCPA applies to contact centers that collect personal consumer debts, including bank card payments, mobile phone bills, utility, and late auto loan payments.
6. Follow the don’t call registry (DNC compliance)
Some countries offer their residents access to a “Do Not Call Registry” (DNC). For example, customers can select to not receive telemarketing calls within the USA by registering their phone numbers on the DNC without cost.
Outbound call centers often engage in outbound dialing activities, similar to lead generation, telemarketing, etc.
During such outbound dialing activities, contact centers must be sure that their agents practice DNC compliance. Agents must refrain from making outbound calls to the phone numbers on the DNC list.
Failure to satisfy the DNC compliance regulations within the USA may end up in fines of over $40,000.
7. Abide by the brand new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is an information regulation that applies to any business that stores details about European Union residents. The regulation even applies to firms operating from outside of Europe.
The fundamental objective of the GDPR is to grant customers ownership over their sensitive information.
The regulation enables customers to request contact centers to erase all their stored data. That’s why contact centers should have the equipment to maintain and delete customer information on request.
8. Refrain from destruction and falsification of call records
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 responded to highly publicized financial scandals like Enron within the USA.
The law’s primary objective is to guard investors from fraudulent financial reporting by corporations.
The law requires contact centers to implement a system that ensures their recorded calls can’t be modified or deleted.
9. Practice the Truth of Lending Act
The Truth in Lending Act of 1968 got here into effect to advertise the informed use of consumer credit and debit cards.
Under this act, a contact center has to supply customers with key details about bank card payments, terms, rates of interest, and late fees.
The method empowers customers to make informed financial decisions.
10. Comply with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act was enforced in 1999 to control firms that provide consumers financial services like loans, financial or investment advice, or insurance. Because of this, this act governs contact centers within the financial services industry.
Under the act, contact centers must make their customers aware of their information-sharing practices. They need to also give their customers an choice to opt-out of their service.
Moreover, a contact center must also maintain written documentation of its security protocols.
The mandates and laws we’ve discussed could seem difficult to implement. Let’s have a look at some suggestions that might help with regulatory compliance.
11. Keep agents within the loop on changes to policies
Call center agents across different industries are vulnerable to experience compliance fatigue. Employees may feel worn out by the tedious systematic processes and workflows.
Because of this, they could pay less attention to the protection of customer data.
Contact center managers can tackle this issue by getting creative of their delivery and monitoring compliance. For example, they’ll engage the agents in mock drills to check out latest compliance regulations.
Keeping employees on the forefront of any of those programs can significantly minimize your compliance risk.
12. Perform compliance audits for compliance monitoring
A contact center’s success and status rely on how well its business aligns itself with the compliance rules that matter.
The very best approach to reinforce compliance regulations is to perform audits for periodic compliance monitoring. You may reduce your compliance risk by reviewing your call center processes and measuring agents’ performances.
Performance measurement can occur through customer feedback, agent documentation, and call recordings. Your contact center should conduct compliance monitoring on an annual basis not less than. That is an ideal approach to enhance your organization’s compliance efforts.
Moreover, regular audits give you documented defense should your contact center be charged with violations.
13. Implement privacy-boosting contact center software
Other than educating call agents about compliance rules, it’s useful to take a position in technology that might help them follow the needed compliance regulations.
There are several contact center software that might help boost your customer’s data security.
For instance, tools with advanced encryption features can encrypt your phone lines, web connections, and networks throughout the contact center to secure customer data.
Contact centers also can adopt higher authentication technology similar to biometrics like fingerprints or face recognition on their dedicated apps. Authentication technology goes a great distance in boosting customer data protection.
Read our article on the eight best call center software to know more details.
Wrapping up
With the evolution of communication technologies, latest forms of information breaches and malicious threats are rising. That’s why contact centers must meet all compliance requirements that apply to them.
Undergo the compliance rules and suggestions discussed in this text to grasp the best way to take the suitable steps to maximise your corporation’s compliance efforts.
