How to Make Your Customer Services More Secure

Whether you sell products at a brick-and-mortar store or through a website, the main mantra today is that knowledge is power.

It is extremely evident that technological safety in today’s workplace is more important than ever. So take these steps to make your customer services safer and more secure, whether it is in-house or you use an outsourced customer service centre. Your company will not only retain more customers, but they’re going to feel safer doing business with you as well.

As business continues to move online, there is a growing sense of ownership over personal data. Customers expect companies to keep this information that they collect safe. Even the biggest companies are often subject to hacking. However, the effort made by companies to secure their customers’ data will go a long way in making your customers feel safe and satisfied.

If your company offers products and services online, you should ensure that your interface is properly encrypted. This is true for all pages, not just the pages where personal and financial information is being exchanged.

At a point of sale, it can be helpful to offer a variety of payment options. This way customers can use a favourite wallet, such as Google Pay or Amazon Pay, PayPal or even Apple Pay which is becoming an increasingly popular method of payment for iPhone and iPad users.

Once you collect this information, make sure that you have a safe space for keeping it. You don’t want to make the mistake of storing customer information on systems that are not networked with protected access.

Use a secure network. Invest in a secure, dedicated server used only by your business and your employees. While it may be cost less to use a shared server, by using a secure network you significantly lower the risk of leaving your customers’ information open to hacking. And always back up all of your data. By having backups of everything, you won’t be devastated by “ransomware,” a type of malware that blocks access to your data until you pay a ransom. See also ransomware resilience for more information.

Encrypt everything. Using encryption technology is another way to really safeguard customer information. Invest in the latest encryption software and keep it updated. It’s also wise to encrypt your email if you’re sending or receiving sensitive data.

Verifying PCI compliance is another important measure in securing customer services. If your company is handling credit card transactions, it is important to ensure that the way you’re storing, processing and transmitting cardholder information is compliant with

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. By implementing the basics of PCI compliance at your group, customers can feel safe knowing that their personal information is being handled securely.

Most companies nowadays allow users to set up security questions when creating their account. This allows users to easily reset their password or update account information. To confirm a customer’s identity, companies will ask for answers to the security questions posted on the account.

Questions as simple as your mother’s maiden name, however, don’t present the same feel of security as before, as most information is now accessible on the internet, so questions such as a first pet or first street would be more suitable to ask as security questions to secure a customers’ information.