An essential part of a dealer's Data Policy in line with the GDPR requirements relates to some key principles :-
- Opt-in policy for future marketing
- Only keeping private information as long as required for legitimate business use
- Taking all reasonable steps to ensure private information is kept up to date
The implication is that customers that are no longer engaged with the dealership should be removed from the database after a fixed period of time, and that a dealer should take active steps to ensure the validity of the database.
Fortunately, Navigator has been updated with new features to assist with this process.
Firstly, it will be possible to configure active customer and vehicle record archiving such that customers and vehicles are removed from follow up and marketing contact after a period of no-contact with the dealership (e.g. 3 years) and then deleted after a further period of non-activity (e.g 5 years).
Secondly, a new Navigator subscription service keeps data clean by referencing against the following online databases automatically every month :-
- Gone Aways
- Address changes
- Deceased Customer recognition
- TPS & MPS flagging
- Keeper change
- Vehicle Scrapped
- Vosa MOT database
This allows customers that have moved house with no forwarding address can be removed from marketing by letter (they will still gain email and phone calls/SMS messages). If a forwarding address is available then the record on the database will be updated accordingly.
Deceased customers are removed completely from the database – reducing both wasted marketing efforts and potential upset when attempting to contact the customer.
Records are flagged for TPS and MPS – so that they can be excluded from relevant marketing campaigns.
If the customer sells the vehicle and registers a keeper change, then the vehicle is flagged for no follow up and when it is scrapped it is deleted.
This service has been wrapped up into an ongoing monthly fee based solely on the size of the database.
The benefits of this is automated full GDPR compliance in accordance with your Data Policy, as well as taking more than reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of your data with the additional benefit of saving wasting marketing funds.
For further information, please contact your Customer Success Manager on customersuccess@dmsnavigator.co.uk.
