I imagine that the operator asking the nature of the call is to check that
is the correct person that you want to speak to. I think it is fairly normal
practice, and I wouldn't personally read anything in to it. I was calling a
lot of universities to named individuals and the people answering asked me
what it was about. I don't see that as any different - and, in fact, it
enabled me to find a better contact on the topic rather than the Director
whose name I often had.
With respect, the person answering the phone is the gatekeeper and in a
large organisation they have to make sure that the caller is being put
through to the right person.
I have been recently doing marketing to companies - finding contacts - and
the person that I have been doing it for says that it is generally
impossible to get through to the right department unless you know the name
of the individual - and unlike a public authority you won't get anywhere by
phoning up the switchboard and asking the name of the Facilities Manager,
say - if you don't know it you won't get through.
As an aside, I have had an experience in the past where in a similar
situation I have asked to speak to the manager and the person at the other
end has said that they are the manager - I suppose I should have said
_their_ manager - not that it would have probably made any difference!
Good news about your mother.
Nick Landau
Nick Landau's Profile on LinkedIn.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicklandau1
The Numbers Game
www.thebestof.co.uk/barnet/33615/1/1/the_best_of.aspx
----- Original Message -----
From: Tim Trent
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 10:58 AM
Subject: Re: [data-protection] Hiding behind Data Protection
Interesting. A chat with the Barclays Data Protection Team revealed how
totally incorrect they viewed the actions of their own call centres. There
is an object lesson in staff education here.
The main customer relations number then took the details and handled me
correctly, placing a note against the account.
Each of these were aghast that the call centre had refused to pass me to
someone who could do the job if they could not do it themselves.
This proves increasingly that we, in the world of data privacy, are an
essential element of Customer Service, which is itself a vital element in
marketing - a discipline as relevant in the public sector as the private
sector.
An amusing side note, though. I called Barclays corporate switchboard and
asked to be put through to the data protection manager. "What is the nature
of the call?" "It is about data protection" And that allowed me to be put
through. I wonder what they really needed to know the nature of the call
for?
And my mother is making forward progress.
From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tim Trent
Sent: 29 May 2007 23:22
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [data-protection] Hiding behind Data Protection
I am replying to my own message because there are so many replies both on
and off list.
First I do want to thank you for the good wishes for my mother's health.
She is 88, and may or may not recover. Time will tell. Whatever the right
outcome is, that will happen. She is improving, but things can so easily go
backwards as well.
It seems that the consensus is that, even emotionally involved, I am correct
that Barclays seems to be without an understanding of true customer service.
I took the opportunity to inform them formally that no charges of any
description for any unauthorised overdraft would be accepted, and that they
must record this fact. Interestingly their customer service(!) team refused
to accept this notification.
I did make it clear to them that I wanted precisely NO information about the
account or the account holder, and that I was giving them information which
they should record for future validation. They were rather stupidly unmoved
by this.
Barclaycard exhibited excellent customer service. Obviously interest will
apply, but the account will be maintained "in good standing" because of my
call.
I do have a power of attorney (thank you those who suggested it), but I am
checking with the lawyer whether it is correct to invoke it in these
circumstances. The wording is important here because the power was intended
for mental incapacity. Physical incapacity may or may not be covered.
I do know that I am unlikely ever to bank with Barclays after this. I will
probably call their DP Manager and have a chat. I did a survey about 4
years ago and I do seem to recall that one high street bank said that
"Finding your details would be like looking for a needle in a haystack".
Now I wonder which high street bank that was?
I have long thought that certain banks spell Customer Service with an F in
it. And, as we all know, there is no F in customer service.
From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tim Trent
Sent: 29 May 2007 08:28
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [data-protection] Hiding behind Data Protection
My mother is in hospital and has been on life support. Naturally she is
unable to communicate. As a matter of prudence I called her credit card
company, Barclaycard, and her bank, Barclays, to let each of them know that
her accounts could not be operated normally during the next few weeks.
The reactions were stunningly different
Barclaycard said at once that it would put a note on her file and understand
if payments were not made
Barclays told me that "The Data Protection Act prevents us from making any
notes on a customer's file" And went on to tell me about fraud that could be
committed if they did so.
That was in India, of course. When I insisted on being transferred to a
call centre in the UK the person there simply reiterated the statement and
refused point blank to refer the call upwards. She did, in the end,
acknowledge that the statement about the DPA was not valid and that they
were stating "Bank Policy".
So why do people get trained to hide behind the Data Protection Act?
And why can they not "pin" a simple note to a file, EVEN if they then
disregard it? "Policy" so often means that Customer Service goes out of the
window.
However, I am emotionally involved with this. Perhaps someone who is not
emotionally involved would analyse the DP implications of the different
stances of Barclaycard and of Barclays?
Tim Trent - Consultant
Direct: +44(0)1344 392644 Mobile:+44(0)7710 126618
Personal blog: http://timtrent.blogspot.com/
See also http://complianceandprivacy.com
email: [log in to unmask]
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