In contact centers, voice authentication is critical. IVR authentication is time-consuming, costly, and prone to fraud. That’s where Conversational Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems like OpenQuestion come in, revolutionizing customer authentication.
Voice Authentication: The Rising Challenge
Businesses used to rely on trust, assuming callers were genuine. But with the rise in phone-based fraud, robust IVR authentication is now essential. Traditional methods, such as asking for a mother’s maiden name or date of birth, are vulnerable. Fraudsters often access this information and answer knowledge-based questions correctly more often than genuine customers. Even multiple-factor authentication, which combines a password with a PIN, can be inconvenient and time-consuming.
Even worse, caller ID authentication is slower than it has ever been, taking 50% longer than it was 10 years ago. A survey by Teneo.ai and ContactBabel found that around 60%-70% of caller authentication require identity checks, which take considerably longer due to more stringent testing.
The Cost of Multi Factor Authentication
Multi factor authentication methods impact customer experience and operation costs. In the UK, 68% of calls require authentication, taking an average of 44 seconds per call. This costs the contact center industry around £2.1bn per year. In the US, 60% of calls require authentication, costing a whopping $9.6bn per year.
Furthermore, agents spend a significant part of their shift on this repetitive task, which affects their productivity. Think about it; an agent taking 80 calls per day will spend around 45 minutes of an eight-hour shift doing the mundane and repetitive task of taking customers through security. There’s no need for agents to go through that when this part of the process can be automated with authentication software.
Enhancing Voice Authentication Software
Voice Authentication Sofware can easily be integrated with Conversational IVR systems like OpenQuestion. By automating the authentication process, they improve the customer experience, reduce call durations, decrease fraud, and save costs.
For example, a contact center could set up SMS two-factor authentication software and allow OpenQuestion to guide the user through the process. This allows the caller to verify their identity before connecting to a human agent. It speeds up the process and ensures that agents interact only with verified customers, enhancing information security.
OpenQuestion: A Versatile Solution for Modern Challenges
OpenQuestion works seamlessly with existing authentication methods, making it a versatile solution for authentication and verification. It’s prepared to implement a range of authentication methods, including Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). This requires users to provide two types of identification for added security.
By automating the IVR authentication process, OpenQuestion can save an average of 40 seconds or more per call. This translates into substantial contact center cost savings for businesses.
In conclusion, customer authentication in contact centers is crucial. The advent of Cloud IVR and Conversational IVR systems like OpenQuestion is a game-changer. By automating and enhancing the authentication process, this systems significantly improve the customer experience, reduce costs, and ensure the security of customer interactions.
Want to learn more about this topic? Register for this upcoming webinar where we will be discussing about voice authentication and how automation with technology such as Conversational IVR can help contact centers save time and money and provide customers with a better experience.
