Contact centers play an important role for the organization. For one, agents are charged with delivering excellent customer service, thereby building strong customer relationships.

At the same time, contact centers are collecting information from customers and it is imperative that this information be protected. Recent research has discovered that such protections and the practice of building relationships are not always in place.

According to the principal results of a survey conducted by Segma Recherche on behalf of the Association du marketing relationnel (AMR), the majority of Quebec companies do not have the knowledge required to adequately practice relationship marketing, nor to protect the confidentiality of personal information. 

The survey determined that 65.6 percent of Quebec consumers report that they trust the companies with which they do business to protect their personal information. Another 86.9 percent of Quebec consumers believe that companies should always request consent before contacting them.

 

However, 33.1 percent of Quebec companies dedicate at least one resource to client privacy protection. Among AMR members, this proportion rises to 89.7 percent.

Another 27.3 percent of Quebec companies have proactively taken the necessary measures to respect recent changes to the Telecommunications laws which anticipate the creation of a registry or persons wishing to be excluded from telephone solicitation activities, among AMR members. The proportion among AMR members is 72.4 percent.

The survey also found that 9.3 percent of Internet sites of Quebec companies respect one form or another of security attestation. Among AMR members, this proportion rises to 44.8 percent.

AMR argues that these results must be improved in order to ensure that relationship marketing best practices and the protection of the personal information of Quebec customers.

"These results clearly demonstrate that, in a context where relationship marketing is on the rise, a balance must be established between corporate practices and consumer expectations," states Bianca Barbucci, President of the AMR, in a statement. "As an industry, it is our duty to apply the necessary measures to ensure the continued application of best practices as well as maintain a positive and mutually beneficial relationship with Quebec consumers."

As competition continues to increase in a variety of industries and vertical markets, it is imperative that contact centers implement stringent standards to protect information, while also launching solutions that drive relationship marketing. Without these initiatives in place, these companies can easily lose business to those that do.

Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

 

 

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