Subject Access Request (SAR) Empathy
There are many definitions of empathy but the Wikipedia definition is, ‘the capacity to understand or feel what another person is feeling from within their terms of reference’. This is a little deep for a Monday but I think this is a very important consideration when you reply to any sort of GDPR SAR or complaint.
When you draft your reply, try to think about why the person sent the SAR and respond accordingly, using appropriate style and language. We see a lot of SARs are most are from people who are unhappy about something and not just looking for information about how their data is being processed. They may be disgruntled ex-employees, customers with service issues, candidates that didn’t get the job, or people that just don’t remember contacting you – your reply should address their issue but also consider their feelings and their personal situation.
You must always comply with Article 15 requirements and make sure you meet your GDPR obligations but considering who the data subject is and why they sent the report might just help you respond in the most appropriate way, defuse the situation and avoid any escalation. Take your time when you draft the response – don’t rush – a few extra minutes drafting a good first reply might just save you a huge amount of time later.
Have a great week all.
About the Author
Head of Commercial & Country Manager
Zlatko Delev is Head of Commercial and Country Manager at GDPRLocal, where he leads the company’s commercial strategy and market presence. He brings international experience across sales, marketing, and customer success, along with a legal background from his studies at Iustinianus Primus Law School in Skopje, Macedonia.
Zlatko sits at the front line of GDPRLocal’s client relationships, guiding organisations through the first stages of their compliance journey and helping them understand where they stand and where they need to go on GDPR, information security, and the emerging landscape of AI regulation. His role bridges commercial strategy with practical data protection knowledge, ensuring clients get clear, actionable direction from their very first conversation with GDPRLocal.
Alongside his commercial focus, Zlatko has trained extensively in project management and organisational leadership, including risk management, stakeholder communication, agile methodology, and digital marketing, a broad skill set that supports his structured, delivery-focused approach to growing GDPRLocal’s business internationally.