Data is an incredibly valuable resource for millions of businesses in today’s society. Consequently, transparency is becoming increasingly important due to companies’ reliance on this data. As businesses use all of this data to improve their customer experience, refine marketing strategies and transform it into cash flow while securing more data, they must be open to customers and clients. Unfortunately, data usage is not always transparent, leading to distrust from customers who want their info to remain private.

So businesses will now have to manage their customer data in a much more transparent way. Therefore, companies must stick to GDPR guidelines, maintain customer trust in their business, and implement data wiping to become fully transparent. In case you are unsure about your business’s responsibilities, let us explain exactly how:

Sticking to GDPR guidelines is essential for all businesses.

To put it simply, there are a number of checks that each and every business has to do to abide by GDPR guidelines. Principle (a): Lawfulness, fairness and transparency are what you should be reading up on as it includes everything you need to know about transparency. Firstly, “transparency is fundamentally linked to fairness.” You need to be fully clear, open and honest with customers about who you are and how/why you are using their personal data. Secondly, you have to tell them about your data processing in a way that’s easily accessible and simple to understand. Lastly, you have to understand the ‘right to be informed’.

The right to be informed includes several checks for businesses to cross off. This includes: what to provide, such as the name and contact details of your company; when to provide it, such as at the time you collect their personal data; and how to provide it, for example, in a way that is concise, transparent and intelligible. Also, make sure to include changes to the info and remember your best practice when drafting or delivering it.

It is vital to maintain your customers’ trust in your business.

By building up trust, your customers will become more loyal as a result. They are then more likely to stay with the company longer, buying additional products or services. However, you could lose out to competitors without that trust, a catastrophic loss for your business.

Good transparency will unify the business, improve overall performance, enhance the brand, and boost sales. This can be done primarily through being honest with all your customer data collection. Be upfront with them about what data you are gathering and give them the power to opt-out if and when they want. Doing so will boost transparency and, therefore, their trust in you.

The ultimate goal in all of this is to help the customer, keeping them informed on all aspects of the business and their agreements. This will ensure that you are doing everything you possibly can to be transparent. Leaving this too late can lead to backlash, such as with Facebook when there were calls for greater transparency amid the ‘fake news’ row. If you follow the GDPR guidelines, you will be fine. By going against them, you will only create more problems.

When details are no longer required, implement data wiping.

Customers need full transparency, even when leaving or updating their details. So, when you have outdated data on file, you will need to delete it for them to feel safer and in control. But simply deleting is no longer enough to guarantee your data has been completely removed.

That’s why WipeDrive is essential for helping build trust in your brand.

The all-new WipeDrive 9.7 will ensure your company’s sensitive data remains secure. With WipeDrive’s leading software, your data is completely erased and unrecoverable using military-grade wiping technology. In addition, it successfully deletes all data, including programs and the operating system. So even with the most sophisticated tools, your data is totally unrecoverable.

If this data falls into the wrong hands following a breach, then you will be in deep trouble. Your customers’ data can be leaked and used against them in various ways. It will lead to distrust in your brand and a huge loss of revenue. You will most likely have to deal with lawsuits as well.

WipeDrive is the solution to this problem. It has the ability to make sure any outdated data is never taken away from your company, leading to full transparency and customer satisfaction.

To find out more, please visit our website today! Alternatively, give us a call on 0345 340 3105 to speak directly to our team or fill out an enquiry form. We look forward to hearing from you and welcome any potential questions.