Operating a sturdy and protected call center is no longer as easy as it seems. In today’s day and age, secure business transactions should be at the top of one’s priority list – whether customer or business. I was able to speak with David Baker, Vice President of Sales for Servion, Inc., who exclusively detailed what’s most important in maintaining a fully secure call center. Bringing nearly 20 years of experience in selling IVR, speech, and CTI (News - Alert) solutions to the call center industry, David’s refreshing and witty take on the subject is self-explanatory of just how easily preventative this issue is to begin with.

“It’s no wonder why we have such high credit card fraud in the world today,” Baker explains. “We would never give out our credit card information to a stranger who approached us on the street and asked us for it but we are so very willing to give it to a call center agent whom we have never met located who knows where.”

An agent can very easily write down your credit card information and use it for fraudulent purposes – from selling it on the street to using it for a quick shopping spree. You may scoff and say this is ridiculous, but it very likely can happen to anybody – even you.

With the innovations of interactive voice response (IVR) solutions in the call center industry today, however, this shouldn’t be as big of a problem, Baker insists, ““With the widespread adoption of self-service IVR applications out there, I can’t understand why a live agent is still taking down our credit card information over the phone.”

Some surefire ways to address these security issues are to implement a reliable self-service IVR system, which easily and indefinitely protects callers’ credit card information. Since they enter their information via touch-tone or speech recognition, it’s impossible for a live agent to access any valuable/private information. Furthermore, callers can automate their entire transaction and specific inquiries, such as ordering, billing, ship-to address, and any other general payment information. Even better, the majority of self-service IVR systems also allow callers to check the status of their order.

IVR isn’t all you need, though.

“Although an IVR system is a good defense in protecting your credit card information, it still doesn’t stop someone from being able to use your credit card to order something through a self-service IVR system,” Baker advises.

To achieve a truly flawless system, you need to boast what Baker deems the “triple threat measure,” which consists of a PIN, a voice biometrics, and a self-service IVR system. These three aspects combine to fully protect your credit card information, where voice biometrics and a PIN provide optimum levels of customization, working uniquely for each individual for added security.

“Voice biometrics is like your finger print,” Baker says. “It is completely unique for each person. What voice biometrics does is it allows you to say your name, which in turn becomes your fingerprint for when you call into that particular company.”

When it comes down to it, implementing voice biometrics and a PIN in addition to a reliable self-service IVR system guarantees that you are who you say you are and secures your credit card transaction via the IVR system.

We now know how this IVR and voice-activated combination work to provide peace of mind to callers and consumers, but what about businesses? How do these solutions work further to create a more reliable, sturdy call center for one’s company in order to maintain and promote business continuity, and what consequences can ensue if the proper measures aren’t taken?

Stay tuned for Part Two of this article, where we will discuss the specific benefits and after-effects of IVR and speech technology in the call center industry today.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO click here.

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