Demonstrate you deserve that data

The better consumer data you have, the more you strengthen your capabilities to personalize service, forecast guest demand and labor needs, and ensure the accuracy of guest orders. But as you look to use data to provide superior service and make your guests’ experiences more customized, be careful to not step across the line into invading your guests’ privacy. Consumers know you want their data — and they may not be so comfortable about it — so be prepared to defend how you manage it. If any of your guests were to ask you about how you collect and use their personal information, could you respond to them in a way that demonstrates you’re being careful and thoughtful? The California Privacy Act of 2018, which goes into effect in 2020, is designed to serve as a bill of rights for consumers whose data have been collected by businesses. It will enable consumers to request an accounting of what personal information of theirs a business has collected, how the business gathered and is using that information, and who can access it. Consumers can have their data deleted upon request and can demand that a business not sell any of the information it has collected. While this particular legislation will apply to just California, note that it may serve as a blueprint for other states — and encourage consumers everywhere to take steps to protect their data. To pre-empt that, partner with your suppliers and other vendors to set standards for data protection and encourage collaboration now. For some help in assessing your needs and how to protect the data you collect, consult the National Restaurant Association’s two guides on cybersecurity and data protection, Cybersecurity 101 and Cybersecurity 201