Websites of banks, telcos and other service providers make available a lot of generic information (e.g. interest rates) to their customers without asking them to log on. However, when the same customers telephone their call centers, why do they insist on knowing the account number, telephone PIN number and other info that’s virtually the equivalent of a voice log on? It irritates me no end when they do this before ascertaining whether their callers are seeking generic info like “What’s the GBP:INR exchange rate today?”, or some account-specific details.
If only call centers provided generic info without creating any fuss over trying to ascertain a caller’s identity, they can not only make the interaction frictionless and thereby enhance the customer experience but also reduce call times and save time and money for themselves and their customers. Of course, authentication should be compulsory for the subset of callers who are seeking account balance, last bill amount, and other account-specific information.