What is call center compliance? Guide for 2025

Call center compliance isn’t just a regulatory obligation; it’s a strategic directive. With ever-evolving data privacy laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), strict telemarketing regulations, and industry-specific compliance standards, call centers face a complicated regulatory landscape. Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines, serious damage to your brand reputation, and even legal consequences.

This guide will help you understand critical rules and regulations for call centers. From the latest laws to the best ways to record and monitor calls, we’ll cover how you can protect your business, customers, and reputation.

Call center compliance is the practice of following rules and regulations that govern how businesses communicate and store information about their customers. These rules can be about data privacy, telemarketing, and other important areas. By following these rules, call centers can operate ethically and legally.

Practicing compliance is vital for the long-term health of your business and for the well-being of your customers. Neglecting compliance risks, exposing sensitive customer data to breaches, subjecting customers to unwanted calls and texts, and engaging in unfair debt collection practices can lead to lawsuits and negatively impact your business.

Call centers are subject to a variety of regulations designed to protect consumer privacy, prevent fraud, and promote fair business practices. Here’s an overview of the most important ones: 

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Purpose: Give EU residents more control over their personal information

The General Data Protection Regulation is a European Union law designed to protect the privacy and personal data of EU citizens. It imposes strict rules on how companies handle personal information, including call centers operating in the EU or handling personal data of EU citizens. 

To comply with GDPR, call centers must:

• Obtain explicit consent: Call centers must ask people if they can collect and use their personal information.
• Promote data security: Businesses need to have strict data security measures in place to protect customer information from hackers and other threats.
• Respect data subject rights: People have the right to see, change, or delete their information.
• Appoint a data protection officer (DPO): Larger organizations may need to appoint a DPO to oversee data protection compliance.
• Conduct data protection impact assessments: Call centers must assess the potential risks to individuals’ rights and freedoms from using their information.
• Notify authorities about data breaches: If someone hacks into their system, call centers need to tell the authorities within 72 hours.

Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)

Purpose: Protect consumers from unwanted telemarketing calls

The TCPA was enacted in 1991 to address repetitive and unwanted telemarketing calls. As telemarketing became more popular, people became frustrated with too many unwanted calls, especially those made using automated dialing systems and prerecorded messages. 

The TCPA was designed to protect consumers from these intrusive practices and give them more control over the calls they receive.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act is a U.S. federal law that prohibits telemarketers from:

• Calling consumers on their cell phones without prior consent
• Using automatic dialing systems (auto dialers) to call residential numbers
• Making calls to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry
• Using pre-recorded voice messages (robocalls) without consumer consent

Do-Not-Call (DNC) Implementation Act 

Purpose: Empower consumers to reduce unwanted telemarketing calls

The Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003 allowed the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create and enforce the National Do Not Call Registry, where consumers can register their phone numbers to stop unwanted telemarketing calls. 

Telemarketers are prohibited from calling numbers on the registry, with the exception of:

• Political organizations
• Charities and nonprofit organizations
• Businesses with an established business relationship with the consumer
• Survey and research organizations
• Calls with prior consent

Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR)

Purpose: Protect consumers from deceptive and abusive telemarketing practices

Established in 1995, the Telemarketing Sales Rule is another regulation enforced by the FTC to safeguard consumers from dishonest telemarketers. It outlines specific rules that telemarketers must follow when contacting potential customers, like:

• Restrictions on calling times: Telemarketers can’t call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. local time.
• Respecting the National Do Not Call Registry: Telemarketers can’t call numbers on the Do Not Call list unless they have permission.
• Requirements for clear and accurate disclosures: Telemarketers must tell people who they are, who they work for, and why they’re calling at the beginning of the call.
• Restrictions on the use of automated dialing systems (autodialers): Autodialers can only be used to call numbers with prior consent.
• Restrictions on the use of prerecorded voice messages (robocalls): Robocalls can only be used to call numbers with prior consent.
• Requirements for payment restrictions: Telemarketers must have informed permission before charging someone for goods or services.
• Requirements for recordkeeping: Telemarketers must keep records of their calls for two years. 

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Purpose: Protect sensitive health information

For call centers that handle healthcare-related calls, HIPAA compliance is crucial. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a U.S. federal law that protects the privacy and security of patient health information. This means call centers must have strong security practices in place to protect patient data, such as:

• Secure data transmission: Agents must use encryption to protect data during transmission.
• Access controls: Only authorized personnel should be able to see patient information.
• Employee training: Employees must be educated on HIPAA regulations and security best practices.
• Regular security audits: Call centers should conduct regular security audits to find and fix vulnerabilities.
• Incident response plan: Call centers should have a plan for what to do if there’s a data breach.
• Data backup and recovery: Agents should regularly save copies of patient information and have a recovery plan if it gets lost.

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)

Purpose: Protect consumers from abusive debt collection practices

The FDCPA was passed in 1978 to address widespread reports of abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection practices. Today, the FDCPA requires debt collectors to treat people fairly and ethically.

This law has strict rules about how debt collectors can talk to people, including:

• Restrictions on communication times: Debt collectors can’t call people before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in their time zone.
• Prohibitions on harassment and abuse: Debt collectors cannot use abusive, threatening, or harassing language.
• Restrictions on contacting third parties: Debt collectors can’t contact friends, family, or employers to collect a debt.
• Requirements for accurate debt validation: Debt collectors must provide correct information about the debt, like the amount owed and the creditor’s name.
• Consumer’s right to dispute a debt: People have the right to challenge a debt in writing within 30 days of notice.

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)

Purpose: Protect sensitive financial information

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act was enacted in 1999 to modernize the U.S. financial services industry. One important part of this law is protecting people’s financial privacy, which can affect call centers that handle sensitive information like bank account numbers.

The GLBA requires call centers that service banks, credit unions, and insurance companies to keep customer information safe. This means: 

• Strong access controls: Only authorized personnel should be granted access to sensitive information. Strong passwords and multi-factor authentication can help protect against unauthorized access.
• Data encryption: Data should be encrypted both at rest and in transit to stop unauthorized access in case of a data breach.
• Employee training: Employees who handle sensitive information should be trained on security best practices, such as recognizing and avoiding phishing attacks and handling data responsibly.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rules

Purpose: Protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, or abusive financial practices

Call centers that handle money-related services must follow strict rules set by the CFPB. 

​​The CFPB is a government agency designed to protect people from unfair or dishonest financial practices, like misleading advertising, harmful loans, and aggressive debt collection. It has many rules call centers must follow, including:

• Truth in Lending Act (TILA): Call centers must give accurate information about loans, like interest rates, fees, and how much you’ll pay back.
• Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): Call centers can’t treat people differently based on their race, gender, age, or other personal things. They must treat everyone fairly when deciding if they’re a good credit risk.
• Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA): Call centers must follow specific rules for different types of loans, like mortgages, credit cards, and student loans.

State-specific recording and monitoring laws

Purpose: Regulate the recording and monitoring of employee and customer calls

Recording and monitoring laws are designed to protect customer privacy while helping call centers improve their service quality. These laws vary from state to state, so call centers need to know the specific rules for the states where they do business.

Generally, recording and monitoring laws address issues like:

• Consent requirements: Some states require everyone on a call to agree to be recorded, while others only need one person to agree.
• Notice requirements: Many states mandate that call centers must tell people their calls might be recorded.
• Purpose limitations: Some states limit how recordings can be used, such as training or quality control.
• Data privacy and security: These laws often include rules about how to store and protect recordings.

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

Purpose: Protect children’s online privacy

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act was established in 1998 to protect children under 13 from having their personal information collected online without parental consent. This law applies to websites and online services designed for kids or collecting information about kids.

Even though call centers don’t usually deal directly with children, they can still be required to comply with COPPA. For example, if a call center handles customer service for a children’s website or app, the company must comply with COPPA. This means:

• Obtaining verifiable parental consent: Call center agents must be able to verify that parents have given permission for their child’s information to be collected.
• Providing notice of information practices: Parents should be able to understand how the company plans to use their children’s information.
• Protecting children’s personal information: Call center agents must be trained to protect children’s personal information.
• Honoring parental rights: Parents should be able to access, edit, or delete their child’s information.

Non-compliance with industry regulations and internal policies can have severe consequences for contact centers, like:

• Financial penalties: Companies can face hefty fines from regulatory bodies like the FCC, FTC, and CFPB for breaking the rules.
• Legal consequences: Non-compliance can lead to lawsuits and legal action, which can be costly and time-consuming.
• Reputation damage: Negative publicity from data breaches or lawsuits can damage a company’s reputation, leading to loss of trust and customer loyalty.
• Loss of business or clients: Clients may choose to terminate contracts with non-compliant contact centers.
• Operational disruptions: Non-compliance can lead to investigations, audits, and other disruptions to normal business operations.

You could end up in hot water if your call center doesn’t keep up with ever-changing compliance regulations. Here are some of the biggest challenges call centers face: 

• Navigating complex regulations: Laws and regulations are constantly changing, making it difficult to keep up with them all.
• Maintaining data security and privacy: Keeping customer information safe is an important responsibility, requiring everyone to follow strong security measures.
• Adhering to industry-specific laws: Different industries have their own set of compliance rules call centers need to follow.
• Managing employee training and awareness: You’ll need to provide regular training on compliance policies and procedures and potentially conduct tests to assess employees’ understanding.
• Balancing compliance with operational efficiency: Following rules is essential, but they can sometimes slow things down. Finding a way to stay compliant while still being efficient may take some time.

To comply with relevant rules and regulations, your contact center should have a comprehensive compliance program that includes these best practices:

Use compliance-enabling call center software

Businesses can use call center software like Zoom Contact Center to help maintain regulatory compliance. This type of software offers features designed to help companies adhere to industry standards and government regulations. 

For example, call recording and monitoring capabilities enable quality assurance and compliance with regulations like HIPAA and TCPA. Built-in security measures like data encryption and access controls can also help protect sensitive customer information. By using compliance-enabling software, call centers can reduce risks and stay compliant with laws and regulations.

Conduct regular compliance audits

A compliance audit is a systematic review of how a company is following rules and policies. This includes checking adherence to data privacy laws, security protocols, and industry-specific standards. 

Regular audits help reveal potential compliance gaps, measure the effectiveness of security measures, and avoid risks. Use a checklist to regularly review policies, procedures, and employee practices.

Maintain accurate call records

Maintaining accurate and complete records of all customer interactions helps companies follow the rules, improve customer service, spot problems, resolve disputes, and get back on track after a disruption like a power outage. By keeping accurate records, companies can protect themselves and their customers.

To promote effective recordkeeping, you should: 

• Establish a clear record retention policy: Check the rules to see how long you need to keep different types of records.
• Implement a consistent recordkeeping process: Train employees on how to properly document customer interactions and safely store records. 
• Use a reliable recordkeeping system: Use software or systems specifically designed to securely store and manage sensitive information.
• Regularly review and update records: Conduct periodic reviews to verify the accuracy and completeness of your records.
• Securely store records: Implement appropriate security measures to protect records from unauthorized access, loss, or damage.

Provide regular employee training

Contact center employees must understand compliance regulations and how they apply to their daily work. Regular training helps:

• Prevent mistakes: By educating employees on the relevant laws and regulations, you can help them avoid costly mistakes and legal violations.
• Maintain a culture of compliance: A strong compliance culture is built on a foundation of awareness and understanding. Regular training helps reinforce compliance expectations and create a shared commitment to ethics.
• Adapt to changing regulations: Regulations are constantly evolving, so ongoing training is necessary to keep employees up to date on the latest requirements.

How often you train your employees depends on the complexity of the rules and the nature of your business. Generally, it’s a good idea to train everyone at least once a year. You might also need to train specific people more often or when regulations undergo a major change. 

Implement call monitoring and recording policies

Call monitoring and recording policies are important for maintaining quality standards, training employees, and staying compliant with regulations like the TCPA and FDCPA. These policies should be clearly defined and communicated to all employees.

Consider adding these elements to your policy:

• Purpose of monitoring and recording: Clearly state the purpose of monitoring and recording calls.
• Consent requirements: Specify whether customer consent is needed for monitoring and recording calls and how to obtain it.
• Notification of monitoring and recording: Decide whether customers will be notified that their calls may be monitored or recorded.
• Storage and retention of recordings: Set guidelines for the storage and retention of call recordings in accordance with data privacy and security regulations.
• Employee access to recordings: Specify who has access to call recordings and under what circumstances.

Adopt strong data security measures

Call centers handle a variety of sensitive customer information, including personal data, financial information, and health information. Protecting this data is crucial to maintain customer trust and comply with data privacy regulations.

To safeguard customer data, call centers should implement strong security measures like:

• Data encryption
• Access controls
• Regular security assessments
• Employee training
• Incident response plans

Call center compliance isn’t always easy, but it’s an essential part of running a successful contact center. Following rules and regulations can help protect your customers and your reputation. 

Leveraging AI-powered tools like Zoom Contact Center’s speech analytics can revolutionize how call centers approach compliance. By analyzing vast amounts of call data, these tools can quickly point out potential compliance risks like discriminatory language, unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information, or failure to follow scripting guidelines. 

Contact us today and find out how Zoom Contact Center can help your call center stay compliant.