What is Third-Party Verification for Phone Service?

This is the age of information overload. As businesses, we have access to so much data and customer information. This is awesome for doing market research and ensuring greater customer service efficiency. However, with great power comes great responsibility. We need to be aware that identity thieves and scammers have an easier way of accessing all of this information, potentially compromising important customer records and the security of your business. That is why verification is so important and becoming increasingly so as we shift towards a greater dependence on technology. Most businesses provide customer service via call centers, which are at an even greater security risk since it can be so easy to impersonate someone over the phone. That is one of the main reasons companies are turning to third-party phone service verification providers.

What’s this all about?

A third-party verification provider for phone services can mean a few different things depending on the exact business. The common thread is that this form of verification is always used to ultimately confirm the identity of the customer on the other end of the call. The customer’s verification is binding by law and will certify their identity as well as the intention of their call. Some common uses for third-party verification are when people call customer service to make changes to their account or order, when requesting billing information, purchasing a new product, or really any time an account is being brought up and sensitive information is being discussed.

Benefits

Using a third-party verification provider for your phone service is a smart move if you want to save time and money. These companies specialize in verification, doing the job in a fraction of the time it would take your in-house customer service team. It is also cheaper because you don’t have to invest in training programs for your own employees and service representatives. Verification deals with sensitive personal information that takes even longer to properly train an employee to handle. Additionally, phone conversations are one of the major routes by which scammers can hack into customer accounts and steal information. Since the level of risk is so high, it’s best to take this pressure off your company and leave it to an outsourced company who knows the latest methods to combat fraud and information theft. In turn, your liability and possibility of lawsuits is dramatically reduced if something were to ever go wrong.

Finding a provider

It is easier than you would think to hire a third-party verifying company. There are lots of options available on the market to satisfy a range of needs. Many companies are located overseas, where the mass hub of call centers are located. Most of these companies are reputable and will be a great, cheaper option for your business. However, if your company has strong footholds in the US and prides itself on being an American company, we highly suggest you look stateside for a company to partner with, as you will keep the trust of your customers this way. When looking for the right company to partner with, specify your needs and make sure you will have direct lines of communication with real people on the other end. Some of the biggest factors to consider are speed, security, and price. Some third-party verification companies even specialize in certain fields, such as medical/insurance, banking, etc. Today, there are websites dedicated to rating third-party providers, so do some thorough research and you should be able to find the perfect partner for you.

How to implement

Once you’ve hired your chosen third-party verifier, you need to take the next step and give them access to your customer information database or CRM system. This may seem like a huge leap of faith, but if you have done your proper research and know you’re in good hands, it shouldn’t take too much to trust them. It can be a big change at first, especially for your own service representatives who previously had to verify customer identities on their own. It will probably require you to change your automated phone systems to accommodate the switch to the third-party provider. But once everything is finally set in motion, you should find that you are saving your employees lots of time and stress.

The facts don’t lie

Customer service matters. In a recent study, 33% of Americans reported that they would switch brands after just one poor customer service experience. The stakes are too high for companies to not take their verification process seriously. They must be able to accurately verify the identity of a customer, direct their call to the right party within the company, and not take up too much of their valuable time. That is why third-party verification providers are amplifying the phone service game for the betterment of both businesses and their valued customers.