In a major step to protect consumer rights, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has mandated all telcos to take action against the misuse of telemarketing message templates within the next thirty days. Strict consumer protection standards and regulatory supervision are needed to safeguard consumers against marketing tactics.
What are Telemarketing and Misuse of Telemarketing Messaging?
Telemarketing is the technique of promoting products and services over the phone. Its pitched as a sales and marketing strategy to reach out to existing and potential customers. It is beneficial to both the telcos and customers since it engages customers in a relevant and direct manner and helps telcos to meet their sales targets.
However, the misuse of telemarketing messages is a serious problem. They can customize a telemarketing message in a manner to target the intended recipient. However, yet have to change the content from one customer to the other. This does not allow customers to act on these messages and has caused major annoyance and customer dissatisfaction.
Why has TRAI issued this Order?
TRAI has issued this order to protect the rights of customers from this kind of unfair business practice. Telcos are required by law to make sure that only messages delivered under their direct supervision bear their identities.
TRAI has asked telcos to monitor the use of commonly used message templates shared by its partners in telemarketing. It has requested that telcos take steps to guarantee that they do not disclose any personal customer data. To any persons not involved in the telemarketing process, it is the sole which is utilized in the message template.
It further directs telcos to take remedial measures, such as the use of opt-in and opt-out mechanisms, to block messages sent with the wrong message template. They have also asked telcos to review their existing message templates to check if they comply with the best practices specified in the TRAI order.
What Next?
The TRAI order is a welcome step towards protecting customer rights and provides a better experience for all. It will encourage telcos to be responsible to ensure telemarketing messages are out responsibly.
This will encourage transparency in the communication between telcos and customers. Such transparency and clear communication will serve as a safeguard for consumers. It will also discourage customer annoyance and further strengthen the relationship between telcos and customers.
The TRAI order on telemarketing message templates is an important step toward protecting customer rights from unwanted, intrusive, and fraudulent marketing practices. It is also a clear indication that customer convenience and protection are the priority of telcos and TRAI and will go a long way in helping build consumer trust in the telecom sector.
