20 Jun 2011: The UK’s response management service providers are being offered up to date, practical guidance on protecting personal data and complying with the Data Protection Act with the publication of a guide from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).

The new Response Management Best Practice guidelines have been drafted by the DMA’s Response Management Council and data protection, data capture and payment security. The guidelines also spell out the steps response management companies need to take to meet the Data Protection Act, such as audit trails and processing of payments, and complying with the PCI Data Security Standard, which protects credit card security.  

As well as addressing consumer data security, the best practice guidelines provide clear advice on drawing up contracts, issuing refunds, service level agreements, disaster recovery and postal processes.

Jo Varey, Chair of the DMA Response Management Council and Managing Director of Granby Marketing Services commented:  “Response management is integral to the relationship between a brand and consumer. Consumers demand and rightly expect the very highest level of service, which includes protecting their personal details. Our best practice guidelines provide response management practitioners with the advice they need to keep consumers happy and their data secure.”

The best practice guidelines can be downloaded from the ‘Tool kit’ section of the DMA’s website: www.dma.org.uk