Would your users trust you with the data you collect if they knew exactly how you used it?
Every brand wants to know its customers better. At the same time, every customer has had that ad that followed them around for weeks after one click. This is the moment they reconsider the line between helpful and creepy.
The good news: you can learn a lot about what your customers want while protecting their privacy. Here are five principles for using customer data in a way that builds trust, and how we apply each one at enless.
Look for patterns, not people
Planning a collection rarely needs names. You want to know that many of your customers are missing a good winter coat, not that one specific person is looking to buy one.
Work with totals and groups wherever you can. Anonymous data is less risky to hold, easier to explain, and often more useful for decisions anyway.
How enless does it
Brands on enless never see who their customers are. The dashboard shows totals, such as how many of your customers own, wear and keep a category.
Say why before you ask
People share more when they know what it's for. "Tell us your size so we can recommend the right fit" gets better answers than an empty form field.
In the EU, this is also the law. Under the GDPR you need a clear reason, a legal basis, for every piece of personal data you collect, and you have to tell people what it is.
How enless does it
Your customers choose to follow your brand in the app, and can unfollow any time. They know what you see, because we tell them in plain words.
Never sell or retarget with it
Data someone shared to get better shopping recommendations or outfit ideas should not end up in an ad network. Once customers feel watched, they stop telling you the truth, and the data loses its value.
How enless does it
We never sell personal data, and we don't share it with advertisers or data brokers. That applies to your catalogue too: it stays yours, and we only use it to recommend your pieces.
Choose partners you can explain
Every tool that touches customer data is part of your promise. Before you add one, check three things:
- Where is the data stored, and under which country's law?
- Will they sign a data processing agreement with you? Under the GDPR, you need one.
- Can they delete the data when you, or your customer, ask?
How enless does it
Our software runs on our own servers in Austria, and we choose European providers wherever we can. Before we process any personal data about your customers on your behalf, we sign a data processing agreement with you, as our partner terms promise.
Keep less, for less time
Old data is a risk with no upside. Decide how long you need each kind of data, and delete it after that. Fewer records also mean less to lose if something ever goes wrong.
How enless does it
When a customer deletes their enless account, their wardrobe, photos and answers are deleted right away. What remains in your statistics are totals that can't be traced back to them.
Make trust your advantage
Customers who trust you tell you what's really in their wardrobe. That honesty is worth more than any tracking pixel, and it gets you better collections and less waste.
Want to see what anonymous wardrobe insight looks like for your brand? If you sell on Shopify, you can connect your store in about two minutes. It's free during beta, with no lock-in. And if you'd like to see how we protect your customers' side, read how to protect your personal data in the age of AI.
This article is general guidance, not legal advice.