What is Voice Biometrics?
Voice biometrics uses a customer’s voice as a form of identification, much like a fingerprint or facial recognition.
It works by capturing a voice sample and creating a digital voiceprint based on physical and behavioural traits — including vocal tract shape, pitch, tone, accent, and speaking style.
In a contact centre environment, voice biometrics can be applied in two main ways:
- Active verification: Customers speak a specific passphrase, and the system compares it to the stored voiceprint for authentication.
- Passive verification: The system verifies the customer’s voice during natural conversation without requiring a specific phrase.
Voice biometrics improves the authentication process by reducing reliance on security questions or PINs, which can be time-consuming and easier to compromise.
It also enhances security by making it more difficult for fraudsters to impersonate legitimate customers.
In customer service and call centre operations, voice biometrics can:
- Speed up call handling by reducing the time spent on identity verification.
- Improve customer experience through faster and smoother authentication.
- Strengthen security and reduce fraud risk.
- Integrate with multi-factor authentication systems for higher security assurance.
To be effective, voice biometric systems must account for variations in a person’s voice due to illness, background noise, or changes in equipment.
Modern solutions use advanced algorithms and machine learning to adapt to these factors while maintaining accuracy.
Why Voice Biometrics Matters
Voice biometrics offers a balance between security and convenience in contact centres.
By authenticating customers through their natural voice, it streamlines the service process while safeguarding sensitive information.
Related Terms:
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Caller Authentication
- Fraud Prevention
- Contact Centre Security
- Passive Voice Authentication