How sure can you be that when you give someone your information, they’re going to use it for what they say they are. Misuse of personal information has led to tons of problems. Identity theft is a prime example, but not the only one out there. While just trusting someone to do what they are supposed to with your information is hard enough, it’s even more difficult not to worry about what else they are doing with it.
Marketing is a regular offender. When you call your local lawn care service you give them your information so that they can provide you a service. You give them your address so they can get there, and your phone number so that you can be notified or problems arise. The problem isn’t that they don’t use your information for those purposes, it’s that they use it for their own purposes as well. Often, their purposes take precedence over yours. This practice is called “Secondary Use”. TruGreen is a prime example. The odds of your technician calling you before he comes out, or getting a manager to return your call, are pretty slim. The sales staff, however, will call more than your family and friends do.
Primary use is important but sometimes it is the secondary uses of our information that is the most consequential. The number one reason that TruGreen customers cancel their service is not dissatisfaction with the service or even the lack of it. It is because they are tired of all the phone calls and are under the mistaken impression that cancelling will stop the sales staff from calling.
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