Collecting customer details for repeat sales

Decide what you need

Collect the least information that does the job. For a mailing list that usually means a name and an email address. Ask for a phone number only if you plan to text customers. Holding less data is easier to look after and easier to explain. Think about each field on your form and ask yourself whether you will use it. If the answer is no, leave it out.

Ask with a clear opt-in

The ICO says you must not send marketing emails or texts to individuals without their specific consent, such as a ticked opt-in box. At a stall you can use a sign-up sheet or a QR code that links to a form. Use an unticked box and a short sentence that says what you will send and how often.

Tell people how you will use their data

Give customers a short privacy notice, or a link to one, at the point where you collect their details. It should say who you are, why you want the data, how long you will keep it and how to contact you. The ICO publishes advice for small organisations on writing one. Keep the wording plain, and put it where people can read it before they hand over their details.

Existing customers and the soft opt-in

The ICO explains that you can market to your own existing customers without specific consent only if they bought, or negotiated to buy, something similar from you, you offered a simple opt-out when you first collected their details and you offer that opt-out in every message. It does not cover bought-in lists.

Make every message easy to leave

• Say clearly who the message is from.
• Include an unsubscribe link or a simple way to reply to opt out.
• Act on opt-out requests promptly.
• Keep a do-not-contact list and check every mailing against it.

Keep records and store them safely

• Record when and how each person agreed.
• Keep sign-up sheets and phone notes in a safe place, and delete paper copies after you enter the data.
• Use a password on any device or account that holds the list.
• Remove details you no longer need.
• Tell any helpers to use the list only for your business.

People can ask what information you hold about them, ask you to correct it or ask you to delete it. Decide in advance who answers these requests and where the data sits, so you can reply quickly. The ICO explains individual rights in its UK GDPR guidance.

Use the list well

Send useful messages, such as your next event dates, a new product or an offer for subscribers. A short message that matches what people signed up for brings repeat sales. Offer something useful for joining, such as early notice of new stock or event dates, and say that this is the reason for the sign-up. Check how many people open your messages and adjust the content to match what they like. Our guide to social media for event traders shows how to promote your sign-up to followers.