Customer loyalty based initiatives capitalising on smartphone capabilities have been big news in retail for the last few years; however, the infrastructure used to deliver it to the customer can be very intrusive, particularly when using location based technology. With biometrics, customers are not tracked via location, rather they can control when interaction takes place by using a biometric reader, for example when entering a store or logging in on the internet to register their presence. This can create a new type of experience giving customers more confidence that they are not being invaded by a brand, while still allowing the retailer to gather valuable behavioural data.
Another benefit of biometric authentication is speed. Verification is completed by simply placing a finger or palm on a reader, getting rid of the mild panic and last minute rummaging for a purse or wallet that usually accompanies (and slows down) a visit to the till. It also means consumers don’t have to memorise a PIN or multiple passwords which seem to get rapidly accumulated while navigating modern life.
Biometric technology is certainly interesting and gets the creative mind surging with the possibilities for payment and customer service integration across all channels. But the future of retail, will it be a high-tech, high speed biometric utopia?
Customer loyalty based initiatives capitalising on smartphone capabilities have been big news in retail for the last few years; however, the infrastructure used to deliver it to the customer can be very intrusive, particularly when using location based technology. With biometrics, customers are not tracked via location, rather they can control when interaction takes place by using a biometric reader, for example when entering a store or logging in on the internet to register their presence. This can create a new type of experience giving customers more confidence that they are not being invaded by a brand, while still allowing the retailer to gather valuable behavioural data.
Another benefit of biometric authentication is speed. Verification is completed by simply placing a finger or palm on a reader, getting rid of the mild panic and last minute rummaging for a purse or wallet that usually accompanies (and slows down) a visit to the till. It also means consumers don’t have to memorise a PIN or multiple passwords which seem to get rapidly accumulated while navigating modern life.
Biometric technology is certainly interesting and gets the creative mind surging with the possibilities for payment and customer service integration across all channels. But the future of retail, will it be a high-tech, high speed biometric utopia?
Customer loyalty based initiatives capitalising on smartphone capabilities have been big news in retail for the last few years; however, the infrastructure used to deliver it to the customer can be very intrusive, particularly when using location based technology. With biometrics, customers are not tracked via location, rather they can control when interaction takes place by using a biometric reader, for example when entering a store or logging in on the internet to register their presence. This can create a new type of experience giving customers more confidence that they are not being invaded by a brand, while still allowing the retailer to gather valuable behavioural data.
Another benefit of biometric authentication is speed. Verification is completed by simply placing a finger or palm on a reader, getting rid of the mild panic and last minute rummaging for a purse or wallet that usually accompanies (and slows down) a visit to the till. It also means consumers don’t have to memorise a PIN or multiple passwords which seem to get rapidly accumulated while navigating modern life.
Biometric technology is certainly interesting and gets the creative mind surging with the possibilities for payment and customer service integration across all channels. But the future of retail, will it be a high-tech, high speed biometric utopia?