QA Notebook Test (1)

Today we're diving into customer verification. We have internal documents from a company called King that outline guidelines for agents. Verification is important when sensitive information is involved. Companies assess the risk and only verify when necessary. The second document provides step-by-step procedures for agents. The process starts with checking the phone number, and if it matches, verification is complete. If not, agents use careful language to confirm information. If verification fails, there's a number to contact for assistance. This balance ensures security without being too invasive. Alright everybody, get ready because today we are taking a deep dive into the world of customer verification. You know all those hoops that companies make you jump through just to prove that you're actually you. We've gotten our hands on some internal documents from a company called King and these are their guidelines for customer service agents on exactly when and how to verify a caller's identity. Interesting. You might be thinking, who cares? But honestly this stuff is surprisingly juicy. It really reveals how companies try to balance security with making sure the customer has a good experience. Right, right. We have two main documents to get through today. The first one lays out the general philosophy, so like when agents should and shouldn't verify someone on a call. And then the second one is where things get really interesting because it's like the step by step, the nitty gritty procedures, almost like a script for like a customer service spy thriller. Interesting. Okay, so the first document, it starts with this principle that almost seems counterintuitive in our like super security obsessed world, which is that you don't always need to verify someone's identity on outbound calls. Really? I know, right? That's surprising. You would think they'd want to make sure they're talking to the right person every single time. Yeah, you would think so, absolutely. So I'm curious to get your take on this. Why wouldn't companies require verification on every single call? Well, it's really interesting actually. Companies are getting a lot more strategic about this. It really comes down to assessing the risk. Okay, so unpack that a little bit for me. Yeah, so basically companies are realizing that verification is the most important when there's a chance that sensitive information could be shared or if they have to rely on information that the customer gives them. But if those things aren't really a factor, then it's not as critical. So it's not just about blindly following this checklist every single time, it's about looking at the context. Exactly, exactly. Okay. And these documents actually have a really great example to illustrate this. Let's say you're a customer service agent and you're calling about a sofa. That's ready to be picked up. Got it. You're not giving out payment details, you're not changing the order or anything like that. You're just calling to say, hey, your couch is here. Come get it. Right. Just a simple confirmation. Right. Yeah. So in that case, going through a whole verification process would be completely unnecessary. Totally. Yeah. It would just be a hassle for the customer. Right. But, and this is where it gets really interesting. Okay. I love a good plot twist. Let's say it's the same scenario. Okay. You're calling about a sofa. Okay. But this time, the customer is the one who asks for their order details. Okay. Or they want to change the delivery address or something. Okay. So right now, verification is super important. Because now we're talking about information that could be used for, you know, bad things. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. You need to make absolutely sure that you're talking to the right person. Right. And not someone who's trying to like send your new sofa to their house. It protects both the company and the real customer from fraud. That makes a lot of sense. Yeah. So it's interesting how just one small change in the conversation can completely change what needs to happen. Absolutely. Have you noticed that yourself when you're dealing with companies? Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Like you'll be talking to someone and it'll seem very casual. And then all of a sudden they need your email or the last four digits of your credit card number. Exactly. And then you're like, oh, okay. Things just got real. Totally. Yeah. You're like, wait a second. Yeah. Exactly. Like you're suddenly very aware of the fact that you're in a verification dance. Exactly. Exactly. Okay. So we've talked about like why verification's important. Right. And how. Right. And that's where this second document comes in. Uh-huh. And it is fascinating. Really? Yeah. I was expecting just like some general guidelines. Right. But this is like incredibly detailed. Oh, wow. They literally tell you step-by-step what agents are supposed to do, what they should say, what they shouldn't say. Wow. It's like fascinating and a little creepy at the same time. Yeah. I can see that. It's like you're getting this look behind the curtain. Yeah. It's like a how-to manual for politely interrogating people. Right. Exactly. Yeah. It's like you're getting this look behind the curtain. Yeah. It's like a how-to manual for politely interrogating people. Right. Exactly. Yeah. So, I mean, but I guess if you think about it from their perspective. Yeah. They're dealing with potentially thousands, if not millions, of these interactions every day. Yeah. That's true. So, I guess they probably do need everyone on the same page. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Especially when you're talking about something as important as people's information, you know, keeping that secure. Right. Like consistency is key. Yeah. So, okay. So, walk us through it. Okay. What does this, like, verification process look like? What does it look like? It looks like it's very simple. Yeah. It looks like it's very simple. Yeah. It looks like it's very simple. Yeah. It looks like it's very simple. Okay. So, what does this, like, verification playbook actually look like? All right. So, it starts out pretty simple. Okay. The agent is going to look for the customer's phone number in the system. Okay. And if it matches, great. Done. Like, verification complete. Right. Right. No need to waste any time. Okay. But what if the phone number's not there? Right. Okay. So, that's when... That's when the fun begins. That's when they bring out the script. Right. Yeah. And they're really careful about the language they use here. Okay. So, they're not going to be like, give me your email address. Right. Right. They'll say something like... Okay. So, we can quickly access your account details. Could you please confirm the email address we have on file? Oh, that's smart. Right. It sounds much less aggressive. Exactly. It's all about making it feel like less of an inquisition. Right. And more like a friendly chat. Exactly. Although, I guess they are kind of interrogating you. Well, I mean, in a way. Yeah. But, yeah. So, it sounds like they're trying to be very deliberate about the way that they phrase things. Absolutely. Yeah. So, instead of saying, you wouldn't happen to know your order number, would you? Right. Which already kind of makes you feel like you should know it. Exactly. They're supposed to say, to confirm, could you please provide your order number? Oh, that's interesting. Right. It's amazing how much thought goes into this stuff. It really is. It seems so simple on the surface. Yeah. It does. It really does. But, they're walking this really fine line here. Totally. They're trying to make it feel like less of an inquisition. Right. And more like a friendly chat. Exactly. So, instead of saying, you wouldn't happen to know your order number, would you? Right. Which already kind of makes you feel like you should know it. Exactly. Exactly. So, it's this balance. It is. It's a delicate balance. Okay. So, what happens if someone fails the verification? Oh, that's a good question. Like, let's say they give the wrong information, or they can't remember their order number, or something. Right. Right. What happens then? Well, the document actually has a number on it. Right. Right. So, it's a balance. Right. So, it's a delicate balance. Okay. So, what happens if someone fails the verification? Oh, that's a good question. Like, let's say they give the wrong information, or they can't remember their order number, or something. Right. Right. What happens then? 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Well, the document actually has a number on it. So, that's the why and the how of King's customer verification. Right. But, I'm always most interested in the so what. Yeah. So, what do you think? What do these documents tell us about the bigger picture of like customer service and data security? That's the million dollar question. Right. But, I think what's really interesting is they show how much companies are really struggling with this. Yeah. This balancing act between keeping things secure, but also making sure the customers have a good experience. Right. Because, you can't make it so difficult that people don't even want to call you. Exactly. But, you also can't just give information out to whoever asks for it. Exactly. Yeah. You got to find that balance. It's tricky. Yeah. It really is. It's like they're trying to thread a needle. That's a good way to put it. Right. Because, they want to protect all the sensitive information. Uh-huh. But, they also don't want to make you feel like you're being interrogated. Yeah. Like, every time you pick up the phone, you're suddenly in an interrogation room. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. That wouldn't be good for business. No. Definitely not. So, yeah. This is an interesting challenge, really. Yeah. Because, it's not enough to just find the right balance in theory. Right. You have to actually put it into practice. Yeah. Exactly. And, that's got to be hard. It is. It's really hard because every interaction is different. Every customer is different. Right. And, they're trying to map out every possible scenario. Yeah. It's like those choose your own adventure books I used to read as a kid. Yes. And, it's like, if you choose this, then this happens. Right. And, every interaction is like a potential branching path. It totally is. Yeah. And, you don't always know where it's going to lead. Right. Exactly. So, it's really a lot more complex than it seems on the surface. It really is. And, it's not just about security. It's about communication. It's about empathy. Oh, absolutely. Something like psychology, in a way. Yeah. Like, you're trying to understand what makes people pick. Yeah. What makes them feel comfortable? What makes them feel safe? Right. And, I think that's something we're seeing a lot more of. Definitely. In customer service, in general, now. Sure. For sure. It's not just about answering the question and getting off the phone as quickly as possible. No. It's about building a relationship with the customer. Exactly. It's about building trust. Exactly. Because, every interaction is an opportunity to either build trust or break trust. That's a really good point. And, especially now, with data breaches and identity theft being so common. Right. Exactly. People are a lot more aware of the risks. Yeah. For sure. And, companies are being held to a much higher standard. It's almost like we've entered this new era of data consciousness or something. Yes. I love that. Data consciousness. Right. Where everyone is more aware of the information that they're putting out there. Exactly. And, more aware of what could happen to it. Right. And, this is only going to get more important as technology keeps evolving. Right. Because, I mean, you think about things like biometrics. Oh, yeah. Like, facial recognition, voice recognition. All that stuff. It could completely change how we verify our identities. Oh, absolutely. And, we're already starting to see it happening. Right. Exactly. It's like those sci-fi movies where they just scan your eyeball and they know who you are. Exactly. It's not sci-fi anymore. No. It's becoming our reality. It is. It really is. Which is kind of wild to think about. And, a little creepy, if I'm being honest. Yeah. There are definitely some ethical questions there. Right. Because, what happens when that technology gets into the wrong hands? Exactly. That's the big question. It's both amazing and terrifying at the same time. It really is. It's this weird duality. It makes you wonder what those King customer service documents will look like a few years down the line. Oh, for sure. Right. Will they be using AI to analyze our voices and verify our identities in real time? It's totally possible. Right. Will we even need human customer service agents anymore? Oh, that's a good question for another deep dive. Right. Maybe that's our next episode. Sounds good to me. All right. Well, on that note, I think we've done enough deep diving for one day. I agree. But, this has been a fascinating conversation. It really has. And, I think the biggest takeaway for me is that the way we verify our identities is changing really, really quickly. Absolutely. And, as customers, it's more important than ever to be aware of the technology. Yes. For sure. And, the choices that we're making with our information. Couldn't agree more. So, thank you, as always, for your insights. Oh, it was my pleasure, as always. And, to our listeners, next time you're talking to a customer service rep and they ask you all those security questions, just remember. Yeah. There's a lot more going on behind the scenes than you might realize. Oh, yeah. For sure. It's all about finding that balance between security and customer experience. Absolutely. And, at the end of the day, it's all about trust. Couldn't have said it better myself. All right. Well, on that note, we'll wrap things up here. Sounds good. Until next time, stay curious. And, stay secure.