Customer identity verification is more necessary than ever, thanks to globalization and regulations intended to deter cyber-crime and terrorism. Taking potential customers at face value is too risky for your business, especially when dealing internationally or with an entirely online or virtual client relationship. While verifying your potential clients’ identities is essential, finding the tools to streamline the process may seem like an obscure area that is hard to evaluate for a non-expert.
Define Your Interests
The first step is always to get a clear picture of what exactly you are looking for when onboarding new customers. You need to consider what your business model is, your daily operations, and how a new software tool or set of protocols will be integrated. You may need to remind yourself why you need an onboarding solution in the first place. What are your potential risks, and what regulations apply to your industry? How much effort will your staff have to invest in implementing this service, and how does that compare to the time and effort it currently takes to do manual onboarding?
Consider Customer Needs
What will your potential clients think about your digital onboarding process? Any system that you require your customers to use or interact with must also take their needs into account. Being easy to use is always high on the list of important attributes for any new system, process or tool. You don’t want to alienate potential customers by making onboarding a headache. There should be as few steps as possible, and instructions should be clear and easy to follow. Security and privacy are two essential elements, as you ask people to provide highly sensitive documentation and possibly biometric proof of their identities. Your onboarding process must provide assurances that this data will be safeguarded and handled appropriately.
The Right Verification Service
Once you have formed a clear idea of what both you and your potential customers expect, you are ready to find a digital onboarding solution that fulfills those expectations. Assessing the reputation of potential solution providers is critical at this stage. One good way to judge that is by looking at the number and quality of the companies that are already working with the providers you are considering. Look for testimonials or customer reviews. Ask questions about the level of technical support provided, security and privacy safeguards, and how often their onboarding products are updated. Finally, you need to think ahead and consider whether a simple onboarding system is all you will ever need in terms of verification services. While many companies will limit themselves to one specific niche in this field, you can find providers like Data Zoo that offer many related identification and background check services.
Stay Flexible and Informed
The right identity verification solution will allow you to get on with your business without worrying about onboarding details every day. However, it also should not leave you altogether “out of the loop.” Communication between you and your digital onboarding provider is key to ensuring you continue to have services that work for you as circumstances change. New regulations could mean that your previous means of identity verification is no longer compliant. Changes to your business or customer base could present unforeseen challenges to using your digital onboarding solution. Your onboarding service provider should keep you up to date on advances in the underlying technology, and you must communicate changes in your company’s needs.
Happily, digital tools for verifying your customer’s identities are growing and improving all the time. Doing business with integrity and safety is too important to leave to chance.