GDPR and Remote Switchboards: 5 Best Practices for Staying Compliant

The GDPR requires all businesses to protect personal data — even when outsourcing their phone answering services. If you use a remote switchboard, it’s your responsibility to ensure that this service fully complies with data protection regulations. In this article, we’ll walk you through five essential best practices to stay GDPR-compliant while delivering a secure and seamless customer experience.

What Is the GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) governs how personal data is collected, processed, and stored within the European Union. It applies to all businesses — including contact centers and outsourced switchboard providers.
As a company, you’re accountable for any personal data you handle, whether you collect it directly or process it via third-party services like a remote switchboard. Under the GDPR, both data controllers (you) and data processors (your service providers) must meet strict compliance obligations.
Following these rules not only helps reduce legal risks, but also builds trust with your customers and partners. Ultimately, the GDPR is designed to uphold individuals’ rights and ensure that organizations handle personal data ethically and transparently.

How to Ensure Your Remote Switchboard Service Is GDPR-Compliant

Outsourcing your call handling doesn’t exempt you from your legal responsibilities. GDPR compliance remains crucial, even when data processing is delegated to an external provider.
To stay compliant, you must oversee every step of the data handling process — from choosing the right provider to implementing legal, technical, and organizational safeguards.

1. Choose a GDPR-Compliant Provider

Selecting your remote switchboard provider is a strategic decision that directly impacts your compliance. This shouldn’t be taken lightly — your provider is considered a data processor under GDPR.

Verify Security Measures in Place

Before signing any agreement, make sure your provider has strict security measures to protect personal data. These measures should ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information. The provider must also be able to demonstrate how they prevent unauthorized access and data leaks.

Review Internal Procedures and Certifications

To better assess GDPR compliance, ask to review the provider’s internal procedures. Check for certifications such as ISO 27001 or other data security standards. These accreditations offer clear proof of the provider’s commitment to data protection.

Include GDPR Clauses in Your Contract

Your service contract must include a specific GDPR compliance clause. This clause should outline the responsibilities of both parties, define how data will be processed, and specify the security measures in place. It formalizes the commitment and strengthens the relationship between the data controller (your company) and the processor (the provider).

Minimize Legal Risk and Build Trust

Partnering with a GDPR-compliant contact center reduces your legal exposure and enhances your credibility. Customers and partners are reassured when they see you take data protection seriously.

2. Control Data Collection and Processing

When outsourcing call handling, personal data may be collected as soon as a caller is connected. These interactions must be tightly controlled.
Start by clearly defining the purpose of data collection — why it’s needed and how it will be used. Only collect data that’s strictly necessary for the task. Collecting excessive data goes against the GDPR principle of minimization.
Make sure your provider follows your instructions and does not use the data for any other purpose or keep it longer than agreed.
Data processing must also rely on a valid legal basis — such as legitimate interest, contractual necessity, or, in some cases, consent.
Finally, inform callers about how their data is handled. This can be done verbally, via an automated voice message, or through a link on your website.

3. Ensure the Security of Exchanged Data

Data security is at the heart of GDPR compliance. You must implement appropriate technical and organizational safeguards.
Your remote switchboard provider should use secure systems for data transmission and storage — including encryption for calls and databases. Access to this data must be strictly limited to authorized personnel, with strong access controls and role-based permissions.
You should also have a plan in place for handling data breaches — including prompt notification to the relevant authorities and impacted individuals.
By working with a provider that meets these standards, you significantly reduce the risk of data leaks or loss.

4. Train Remote Switchboard Staff

Staff training is critical for ensuring compliance. Anyone handling your calls must understand their legal responsibilities under GDPR.
They should be well-versed in data protection best practices — especially confidentiality, respecting caller rights, and handling information securely.
Regular training sessions should be held to stay aligned with evolving regulations and internal procedures. This significantly reduces human error, which remains a leading cause of data breaches.
Make sure your provider includes GDPR training as part of their onboarding and ongoing staff development processes.

5. Implement Legal and Documentation Monitoring

Ongoing documentation and legal tracking are essential for accountability and audit-readiness.
You should document all data processing activities carried out by your remote switchboard — including contracts, privacy policies, and internal procedures.
Maintain an up-to-date processing activity register that’s readily available in case of a CNIL (or other supervisory authority) audit.
Regular audits should be conducted to assess your provider’s compliance and identify areas for improvement.
Lastly, keep contractual clauses updated and aligned with legal developments to ensure continued data protection.

Choose ProContact for Your Remote Switchboard Services

ProContact is a specialized outsourced contact center with proven expertise in managing remote switchboard operations. We ensure full GDPR compliance at every stage of your telephone interactions.
Our teams are trained in best practices for personal data protection and operate with secure, reliable tools tailored to your business needs.
By partnering with ProContact, you gain a trusted provider capable of handling your inbound and outbound calls with the highest standards of security and confidentiality.
Secure your remote switchboard service and stay GDPR-compliant — contact us today through our online form.