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Leading Call Centre Welcomes Do Not Call Legislation
Unity4 Calls for Strong Government Backing to Discourage Abuse
Sydney, 7 May 2007 -- A leading Australian call centre operator has welcomed the Federal Government's Do Not Call legislation and called for the Government to back it with sufficient resources to discourage companies from abuses.
Dan Turner, Managing Director of the Unity4 Group, a 220-strong team of call centre professionals, said the legislation is fantastic news for an industry that has gained a poor reputation with consumers and is plagued by unscrupulous operators.
"No reputable call centre has anything to fear from the legislation, however its effectiveness will be limited by the long list of exclusions, poor recognition of emerging technologies and the difficulty of enforcing it internationally," said Mr Turner.
"I absolutely support the right of individuals to opt out from receiving unsolicited calls that have no interest for them. Not only will this legislation give those who choose to join the Do Not Call Register greater peace of mind about who may contact them for telemarketing purposes, but it will make life easier for call centre operators by allowing us to focus on more receptive customers," he said.
"The challenge we face is that a large proportion of cold calls currently being made to individuals are from organisations that will be exempted by the DNC legislation, such as religious bodies, political parties and government agencies, educational institutions, charities and researchers. I full support the exemptions but the government need to ensure that the expectations of the community are managed"
"If the new legislation forces disreputable organisations to mend their ways, so much the better. However I suspect a more likely outcome is that they will simply go offshore, effectively circumventing the ability of Australian authorities to enforce the guidelines."
Mr Turner called on the Australian Government to ensure it provided adequate resources to enable authorities to identify and prosecute companies that violate the DNC Register.
"The US Government has over 62 million numbers on its Do Not Call Registry, and an impressive record of catching and fining offenders - in some cases - millions of dollars. We must ensure that the Australian version is not simply lip service, but becomes an effective mechanism to protect personal privacy," he said.
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