CUSTOMER DATA & PRIVACY: WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL FOR DEALERS?
Privacy policies and information security programs are no longer just for big retail chains! Attorney Lance Formwalt, of Seigreid Bingham, P.C. advises dealers that they need to be paying attention as well, and by taking steps now can reduce potential liability. “In many cases, you also have access to your customer’s data and the ability to use that data to help drive your marketing plan or other business decisions,” he says.
Dealers can start by establishing a privacy policy that states which employees have access to customer data and how it can be used. This “doesn’t mean you have to lock up information and never use it.,” says Formwalt. A privacy policy is simply your promise to customers about how you will collect, use and secure data at your dealership. When creating a privacy policy, make sure you are prepared to follow it. When preparing the policy, Formwalt advises thinking carefully about how to balance the customer’s interest in privacy and your interest in using the information for valid business purposes.
Read the full article on more steps to get started
“One way that dealers can protect their customer’s data is by using a business management system with strong security.”
Anne Salemo, President, Charter Software Inc.
The ASPEN dealership management system has configurable user role settings that can be used to allow users access to certain data. In this way, dealers can control who has access to customer data and can ensure their customers that it is only used for specific, defined purposes.