Contact centers handle sensitive customer information all day long, such as personal addresses, credit card numbers, and even social security numbers. It can be easy to understand why some customers are apprehensive about sharing this information; without verification of a secured phone line or knowledge of the company’s proprietary technology and procedures, how do customers know their personal data is being treated and stored in a secure way? It can be tricky to balance security and transparency in a call center, but focusing on the following areas can help to improve upon both:
Call Quality
The most effective tool a call center has in maintaining call quality is 100% call reporting. Even if a call doesn’t lead to a sales conversion, it can be used as an important learning tool for agents in the future. Agents are also more likely to follow procedure and be on their best behavior when they know they are being recorded. Most importantly, if a customer does have a concern about the quality or security of a previous transaction, the recording serves as impartial evidence. Call recording can protect businesses when they are unfairly accused of something, but can also serve as building blocks for improving procedure.
Information Accessibility
Providing customers with accessibility to the information they have chosen to store within your company is a critical component of transparency. You can create an online interface for customers to login and see/change their information and security preferences, or even simply train phone agents to provide customers with options about how their information is processed. Creating a privacy policy can be an effective method of telling your customers exactly what they are signing up for. Customers should always be able to access unadulterated records of their transactions. However, this means identity verification is absolutely essential for maintaining information security.
Maintaining your customers’ trust is critical to keeping their business, so it’s important to take steps to secure information from prying eyes, while keeping the same information available and transparent to the customers who provided it. Treating security and transparency as a priority protects the interests of your customers and your company.