Wednesday, December 30, 2009

US contact centers spend over $12bn each year asking customers to identify themselves

New research by ContactBabel has found that US contact centers spend $12.4bn each year simply making sure that the caller actually is who they say they are.

Research for the report has found that 59% of calls require identity verification, but that only 3% of these are dealt with entirely through automated processes, leaving the rest for contact center agents to ask security questions to callers.

One solution to this wasted time is to implement a voice verification system, which use spoken words to generate a voiceprint. A voiceprint can be compared with a previously enrolled voiceprint to verify a caller’s identity. These systems are not affected by factors such as the caller having a cold, or using different types of phones, or aging.

Identity verification processes are typically based on one or more authentication factors that fall into the following generally-accepted categories:

-- something you know - e.g. password, identity number or memorable information
-- something you are - a biometric such as a finger print, retina pattern or voice print
-- something you have – a tangible object, e.g. a number-generating key fob, or the 3-digit code on some credit cards.

Combining these factors, for example, by asking the caller an answer to their secret question (thus checking the answer, as well as the veracity of the voiceprint) creates a more complex, and potentially more secure two-factor or three-factor authentication process. Increasingly, regulations require two-factor authentication processes. Financial institutions’ can no longer rely simply on passwords to protect web banking services. Voice verification systems are now delivering levels of accuracy and security that have proven robust enough for use by banks and insurers.

More information on the contact center industry can be found at www.SupportIndustry.com

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