Voice Authentication: Customer Satisfaction Meets Increased ROI

By Jessica Foreman

All your customer wanted was a simple, efficient interaction with your call center. But instead he finds himself jumping through hoops to prove he is who he says he is. And he may not be able to do that if he's forgotten his password, or a childhood address, or if the name of his first grade teacher’s pet poodle slips his mind.

Companies holding on to customers' confidential information need to take appropriate measures to verify a caller's identity — that’s in everybody’s interest. But, just as obviously, customers don’t like being interrogated on the way to conducting their business and they don’t like to have their experience start out on an unpleasant note that can color the entire exchange.

How much don’t they like it? The Consumer Experience Report notes 85 percent of customers dislike the identification and verification process and find it frustrating. Contact centers don’t like it much either because it’s a time-consuming interruption of the real work at hand.

It No Longer Has To Be That Way

The emergence of cutting-edge solutions grounded in voice biometrics is changing the equation for customers and financial institutions alike, according to customer experience experts at NICE, a provider of software solutions. A number of major banks such as Citi and HSBC have already instituted voice biometric options in some markets, and voice authentication is projected to become the industry standard by 2020.

That amounts to a win-win for customers and businesses. For the consumer, the verification process happens seamlessly as they speak, without the frustrations of other authentication methods. For the institution, the greater efficiency that results from the time saved on verification of each caller — on average a savings of 30 to 45 seconds per call multiplied by how many of millions of calls per year —means a big impact on ROI. Add to that the authentication attempts that fail (an average of one per hour for each rep, according to the Consumer Experience Report article). For any active call center, it all quickly adds up to tens of thousands of employee-hours saved over the course of a year for revenue-generating activity.

How Voice Biometrics Provides Authentication In Real Time

Just as we each have unique fingerprints, each of us has a unique voiceprint — a mathematical representation of the myriad factors that distinguish a voice, including unique physical traits of the vocal tract, nasal passages, mouth shape and size, as well as pitch, rhythm, tempo, accents or dialects, frequencies, and much more.

The voiceprint is every bit as distinctive as a fingerprint, and when rendered in numeric terms it offers a high degree of accuracy and reliability. An impersonator may be able to fool the human ear, but defeating the math is a different matter altogether. In that way, voice authentication not only enhances efficiency and the customer experience, but first and foremost improves fraud protection. Voice authentication can also be employed in a multi-factor authentication process combining biometrics and dynamic security questions.

Once a customer is enrolled in a voice authentication system — a process that can be passive and seamless using recordings of previous calls — authentication occurs automatically as the call begins, a real-time function of the conversation itself. Rather than devote a half-minute or more to the verification dance, you can get right down to productive business.

Your Customers Will Thank You

Businesses today understand happy, loyal customers are their greatest assets and the most important factor in ensuring long-term success. Simply put, the quality of the customer experience will determine whether or not a company retains its customers for the long run, or finds itself continually trapped in the expensive pursuit of their replacements.

So the last thing anyone needs to do is frustrate them every time they call. Sure, they know that authentication is necessary, and for their own good, too. But few people would say it makes the experience more pleasant. By removing distractions from the real purpose of the call, voice authentication not only improves calls but actually makes for an altogether enjoyable customer experience.

Jessica Foreman is a Durham University graduate specializing in business and lifestyle based writing. She has developed her skills on projects surrounding The British Broadcasting Company and running a print and online based magazine whilst at university. She is currently looking towards starting her Masters in Mobile and Personal Communications as well as broadening her horizons through traveling.