Voice Biometrics Case Study – TD Waterhouse Canada

In 2008, TD Waterhouse Discount Brokerage Canada launched a client-facing voice biometrics application. The service, dubbed “Voice Print System,” is powered by Nuance Verifier™. According to TD Waterhouse’s Website, the Voice Print System provides the following benefits to clients:

• Enhanced convenience and speed – automates verification of client’s identity allowing quicker access to their accounts and transactions
• Improved security – voice biometrics verifies that the client is who they claim to be

Enrollment Process:
• Client calls TD Waterhouse’s contact center and, when prompted, says “I’m not enrolled.” The client’s identity is manually verified by a rep, who also explains the Voice Print System. The client is then connected to the enrollment system
• Client is prompted to speak their phone number
• Client is prompted to say the phrase “my voice is my password”
• Client is prompted to speak a secret date (month & date), as well as a hint
• This process creates the client’s “base” voiceprint and stores it in the database for future use

Verification Process:
• Clients call the TD Waterhouse contact center and, when prompted, say their phone number and secret date. This process creates the client’s “sample” voiceprint which is then compared to their “base” voiceprint in the database. If the voiceprints match, the client’s identity is verified

According to Nuance, most TD Waterhouse clients have elected to participate in the Voice Print System service. This may be due in part to their personalized approach of having a rep explain the process to clients. The Voice Print System has also allowed TD Waterhouse to reduce agent talk time by 30+ seconds.