What is GDPR? And how we intend to keep you safe with Franchise Supermarket
Are you ready for GDPR and will it affect the Franchise industry?
What is GDPR? Well it stands for Grim Devilish Petrifying Regulations…. I jest, it doesn’t mean that, but to those that are not fully prepared, it may seem like a petrifying and grim prospect. GDPR stands for The General Data Protection Regulation, a regulation by which the European Parliament, the council of the European Union and European Commission intend to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union. Isn’t a relief we’re leaving…..
But until we do, we must abide by this new regulation that will come into play on the 25th May 2018, or as it’s known by most businesses within the UK ‘D Day’. Which is kind of unfortunate, as I’m a Liverpool fan and the 25th may brings back so many delightful memories with a certain Champions League win… Right, back on track we go!
So, will this affect the franchise industry? In truth, GDPR will influence EVERY business that retains personal data, and they must demonstrate that they are following the correct procedures to protect the so called ‘personal data’.
We’re not ones for hiding away from a challenge, and the Franchise Supermarket team is in full training for the big bout on the 25th May, we’re ready to ‘KO’ GDPR. We’re not going to be caught napping with a left hook. So, what better way to try and explain GDPR then illustrate how we at Franchise Supermarket will become compliant with the imposing regulation.
An individual has the right to delete their personal data at any given time –
Franchise Supermarket will allow all subscribers the right to log into their personal (protected) account on our website where they will have the option to permanently remove their profile and all data contained within. Once deleted that’s it (unless they re-sign up), no backup data will be stored, oh no, Joe Bloggs will become a mere friend of yester year. In performing this activity, this will then trigger their email address to be removed from any mailing lists as well. Good bye our dear friend….
The Right to unsubscribe from a Newsletter –
As many of you know, anyone that registers through the Franchise Supermarket website has the option to tick in to receiving our monthly newsletter detailing the latest opportunities that month. If at any stage someone that has previously opted in decides they’ve had enough, and wish no longer to receive franchise opportunities (this is probably, hopefully down to them obtaining a franchise) then they have the right to unsubscribe from the mailing list at any time. We have an unsubscribe button at the bottom of every email we send out. As soon as the recipient clicks on this, boom… they disappear in to out of space, accompanied by their email address (data).
Inform the individual how we will use their data and why we collected the data –
Be it online, via the phone or at one of the various Franchise Exhibitions the franchise supermarket team exhibit at, we will ensure that we will always explain why we have obtained the data (email address). If it’s at a show, then the individual will be filling out a form and declaring their desire to be added to our mailing list so that they can receive the latest franchise opportunities. If someone calls the office, please do call, we love a chat! Then we simply advise them to register online and to opt in to receiving our newsletters where we will email them over the latest franchise opportunities.
Any individual has the right to view ALL data we contain on them –
Any data Franchise Supermarket holds will only be the data that has been supplied by the individual in question. This data will be stored within their safe account online. Only they have the login details (and anyone they so choose to share with) and this account and all contents can be deleted at any time.
An individual must have the right to amend their details at any stage –
We’re hip and trendy at Franchise Supermarket…. There’s none of this writing a letter requesting your telephone number or address to be changed within your account, oh no! Any subscriber to Franchise Supermarket can log into their own account and amend any detail they wish! As easy as that.
Ensuring data passed on is secured –
Any subscriber with Franchise Supermarket that decides they quite fancy the look of a certain franchise can request further information, in doing so they declare that they’re happy for certain information (Name, Email Address, Telephone number and Address) to be passed on to the Franchise in question. It’s now up to Franchise Supermarket to ensure that this data is passed through securely, and to do so, we will ensure that all leads are contained within an encrypted email sent to the franchise. It’s then up to the franchise in question to abide by all the regulations with the new data they possess.
Demonstrate that you’re compliant with the changes –
Franchise Supermarket will document all procedures that we adhere to, from an individual signing up and opting in to our newsletter to granting them the ability to delete their data at any given point.
Not to share any data that hasn’t clearly demonstrated that they want to be shared -
Usually speaking, sharing is caring, right? Wrong, if the subscriber to Franchise Supermarket hasn’t requested further information on a given franchise then we have no right to send their data on. That’s a big no no! Data will only ever be passed on if an individual has clearly given permission for it to be passed on.
To not withhold data for a greater period of time –
Franchise Supermarket are continuously (monthly) cleansing our database, so we’re already abiding by this! Golden star for the Franchise Supermarket team right there. What this means is if someone has been a subscriber for a period, but they’ve been dormant, then there’s no need to retain their data. Which works out well for Franchise Supermarket, there’s no need for retaining data if they’re not seen to be actively interested in franchising! They’re no use to us, sorry dormant users.
Training –
Like any new regulation, GDPR will require adaptation along the way, so we’re fully ready to provide ongoing training for all staff members to ensure that we are fully compliant.
I must stress that it is slightly different for us as we do not handle delicate information such as medical records, bank details etc.