Business regulation is something of a double edged sword. In some ways it can help, but in others it can prove to be obstructive. However, few would argue that the commercial world would be a better place if all regulatory activity ceased.
Some general reasons why businesses need to be regulated include:
- Consumer protection – regulations help to protect consumers from risks such as unsafe products, unfair business practices, and deceptive advertising.
- Rogue or cowboy operators – preventing market access to rogue traders that reflect badly on an industry or profession is of course vital for protecting consumers, businesses and reputations.
- Environmental protection – regulations help protect the environment from pollution and other environmental damage caused by businesses.
- More competitive markets – regulations promote competition by preventing businesses from engaging in anti-competitive practices, such as price-fixing and collusion.
- Supporting social goals – governments may use regulations to achieve social goals, such as promoting equal opportunity or protecting workers’ rights.
- Raising revenue – and of course last, but not least, governments may use compliance as a ‘cash cow’ to raise revenue by collecting fees, taxes and fines for regulatory breaches from businesses.
Of course, the specific regulations that apply to businesses vary depending on the industry and the country in which they operate. In general, businesses are subject to more regulation in industries that are considered high-risk.
Outbound sales call activity from contact centres
Outbound sales calling from a call or contact centre is considered high-risk, because it targets consumers who may not be interested in the products or services on offer. This may constitute harassment or cause of annoyance, which are clearly at odds with consumer protection laws.
Broadly, across the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), some of the main regulatory rules to which companies should adhere to revolve around:
- Permission – businesses must obtain the consent of the person they are calling before making the call.
- Identification – businesses must identify themselves and the purpose of the call at the beginning of the call.
- Opt out – businesses must give consumers the opportunity to opt out of future calls.
- TPS registration – businesses must not call consumers who have registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).
Meet outbound calling compliance obligations with Quvu
Quvu provides some excellent features to prevent outbound call activity from breaching these regulations, and more.
- Intelligent dialler – Quvu also uses an automated dialler that prevents repeated calls from being made to the same number in too short a timeframe.
- Recorded messages – Quvu recorded messages make sure that every number dialled receives a polite and courteous response identifying the caller when it is picked up, even if an agent is not available.
- Call recording – Quvu call recording captures every call and retains it for six years as standard, a feature unrivalled by any comparable contact centre solution. This enables fair dispute resolution, identifies training needs and supports sales script development.
- CRM integration – Quvu integrates with CRM systems. This ensures that the data used to execute automated outbound call campaigns has been cleaned against permission, opt out and TPS lists.
- Some others – As well as the rules governing outbound call activity Quvu supports compliance in other areas, governing data privacy, IT security and support for ISO standards.
Start doing a better job of outbound calling with Quvu. Book a personalised demo to see what Quvu can do for your contact centre.
Simply call us on 01 556 3222 or email support@quvu.ie
