By Rich Hamilton, Vice President of Compliance and Administration Services
Fairly regularly we are asked details around members of our team being telemarketing compliance certified and what that means. To help explain why this certification is important for our business and industry, let me share an example we may all be able to relate to…
Let’s say you decide to remodel your kitchen. You want to totally redo the entire space. You will need a carpenter, an electrician, and a plumber for starters. How will you choose the electrician?
- Will you go with someone that is certified and understands the local, state and federal building codes?
- Would you use a family friend that could probably do the job for a lower price but with a little added risk? What’s the worst that can happen, a light switch doesn’t work? (Actually, it could mean an electrical fire and your home might burn down.)
- Is it worth the risk?
Telemarketing is no different
Are you running a telemarketing campaign right now or looking to start one? If you didn’t already know, there are many telemarketing laws and regulations to abide by.
Who will you hire to help you navigate the ever-changing telemarketing compliance landscape? Maybe someone you know such as an old colleague that has a little knowledge about telemarketing compliance? Or perhaps someone that has taken a course and passed a rigorous final exam and they are now telemarketing compliance certified?
It is imperative to understand the rules and regulations governing telemarketing practices today. Telemarketing laws can be very complex with different governing bodies and the various call type considerations.
Here are a handful of questions that are typical for those who do not have the depth of knowledge around telemarketing laws and requirements:
- Which laws apply to my telemarketing campaign?
- Are there any exemptions?
- Do I need to register as a telemarketer?
- Can I use an ATDS for dialing?
- Do telemarketing laws apply if I am just doing B2B calls?
- What is PEWC?
- Can I dial wireless numbers?
Telemarketing compliance certified
Each time a new telemarketing campaign is created, a thorough analysis of telemarketing laws should be completed to ensure that all Federal and State laws are considered and reviewed. Just like selecting a certified electrician, choosing telemarketing compliance certified professionals your telemarketing campaign has the best chance for success by abiding by state and federal laws and lowering your risks.
Non-compliance
Being non-compliant has very serious consequences. Don’t believe it’s worth the time or energy to invest in understanding what the current telemarketing rules and regulations are? Think again. Look at these examples from a simple Google search of “TCPA Settlements 2020”. They are very consequential!
Telemarketing compliance certified options
PACE, the Professional Association for Customer Engagement has a telemarketing compliance certification called CECP, Customer Engagement Compliance Professional. The training covers the full regulatory U.S. and Canadian landscape, including:
- Current Regulatory Environment – Federal (TCPA & TSR) and State
- Corporate Compliance
- Do Not Call (DNC) Regulations
- SMS Text Messaging, MSCM, Email and Facsimile customer communication rules
- Social Media, Dot Com Disclosures, ROSCA, Do Not Track (DNT) Regulations and much more.
If you don’t have the time or resources to invest in a complete training program, look for organizations like Quality Contact Solutions that have CECP’s on staff and who are available to consult specifically for your telemarketing programs.
Whether you work for a very large company or a smaller business just looking to stay on top of all the telemarketing laws, we are your team. We can help you discover any gaps in compliance processes or procedures and remediate them before they become a larger issue.
Mitigating risk is important. Speak to one of our CECP experts today!
Other Articles You Might Find Interesting:
Telemarketing Compliance Consulting Success Story
Membership Telemarketing: Telemarketing Laws Compliance
Robocalls are RiskyL Today’s Compliance Consulting Tip
Rich Hamilton is the Vice President of Compliance and Administration Services for Quality Contact Solutions, As a Customer Engagement Compliance Professional (CECP), Rich oversees the QCS telemarketing compliance consulting practice which conducts compliance assessments, reviews, and audits for companies that require outside professional assistance. Rich also advises the QCS management team on telemarketing compliance matters on a needed basis. Rich also manages accounting, human resources, and the administrative staff, ensuring all team members are aligned to support the QCS team as they work toward achieving client goals. Rich is also the creative powerhouse behind many special projects and initiatives throughout the organization. Rich can be reached at rich.hamilton@qualitycontactsolutions.com or 516-656-5105.
