How to write customer data retention rules: a one-page table
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
Data retention rules answer three questions for every kind of customer data: where it lives, how long it’s kept and who deletes it. Write them on one page. For example, calling lists are deleted after the campaign, leads who didn’t buy after a set period, recordings and transcripts according to their purpose, and consent records and the do-not-call list are kept for as long as you call. Review the rules every quarter and set the exact periods with a lawyer: Uzbekistan has a law on personal data.
What retention rules are and why you need them
Without rules, customer data piles up everywhere: in the CRM, Excel files, Telegram groups, a former employee’s computer. Nobody knows what to delete or when, so everything stays for years.
With written rules, every employee knows how long a file is needed and who deletes it. And when a customer asks “how long do you keep my data?”, the answer is ready.
A one-page table
| Data | Where | Period (example) | Who deletes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calling list (Excel) | Computer, portal | A month after the campaign | Campaign owner |
| Leads who didn’t buy | CRM | After 12 months without a reply | Head of sales |
| Customers and orders | CRM, accounting system | The period your lawyer gives | Director and accountant |
| Call recordings and transcripts | PBX, AI operator portal | By purpose, 1–3 months | Quality checker |
| Consent records | CRM | While you call, plus a while | Marketing |
| Do-not-call list | CRM or portal | As long as the number must not be called | Responsible employee |
| Call cards in Telegram | Telegram group | A month, then clean up | Group admin |
| Downloaded files | Employee’s computer | The day the work ends | Whoever downloaded them |
All the periods are only examples. Set your own with a lawyer and put a date on the table.
Writing the rules: 6 steps
- List every place customer data lives: CRM, Excel, PBX, AI operator portal, Telegram, email, staff phones.
- For each one, answer: what is it for?
- Set a period and show it to a lawyer.
- Name one person responsible for each row.
- Put the deletion day in the calendar, for example the first working day of each quarter.
- Review the rules once a year: if a new system was added, put it in the table.
Common mistakes
- Cleaning only the CRM and forgetting Excel and Telegram.
- Deleting the do-not-call list too: the number comes back with the next list.
- Forgetting backups: deleted from the main system, still in the backup.
- Writing down a period but making nobody responsible.
- Not checking the files on a former employee’s computer and phone.
When a customer asks “how long do you keep it?”
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, Sharq Kuryer, this is Shohruh.
Caller: I placed an order yesterday. How long will you keep my address and number?
Sado: Good question. Order details are kept as long as the accounts need them, and call recordings are deleted after three months.
Caller: Will you send me adverts?
Sado: Not unless you gave consent. If you like, I can mark you as “don’t call” right now.
Caller: No need, I just wanted to know.
Sado: Understood. If you have more questions, give us a call. Have a good day!
The answer is short and precise because the rules were written in advance. If you use an AI operator, add this answer to its facts: it answers only from what you give it.
Sado’s data in your table
In Sado, the recording, transcript and answers of incoming and outgoing calls are in the portal. Data is kept for a limited time, keys are encrypted, and you have the right to have it deleted. Ask Sado’s team for the exact period and write it into your table.
Results you download from the portal to Excel and call cards in your Telegram group are your own copies: add them to the table too. More answers: frequently asked questions. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
Are retention periods set by law?
Uzbekistan has a law on personal data, and some documents may have separate requirements. Ask a lawyer for the exact periods.
Does a small business need written rules too?
Yes, but one page is enough, like the table above. Even with few staff, data piles up quickly in Excel and Telegram.
What should we do with backups?
Put them in the table. Delete old backups after the set period, or deleted data stays inside them.