System and method for pre-authentication of customer support calls

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed that leverage multi-factor authentication features of a service provider and intelligent call routing to increase security and efficiency at a customer call center. Pre-authentication of customer support requests reduces the potential for misappropriation of sensitive customer data during call handling. A contactless card uniquely associated with a client may provide a second factor of authentication to reduce the potential for malicious third-party impersonation of the client. Pre-authorized customer support calls are intelligently and efficiently routed in a manner that reduces the opportunity for malicious call interference and information theft.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer-readable media embodied with programming code, that when executed by a processor of a client device cause the processor to:
 provide, by the client device, a support request to access call center services of a service provider system;   determine a first multifactor authentication process for the client device has occurred;   in response to the determination, populate a client interface of a client device with customer service web content delivered to the client device by the service provider system;   present on the client interface a prompt from the customer service web content that requests a connection with a contactless card;   establish a connection with the contactless card via a communication link between the client device and the contactless card;   receive customer information from the contactless card, wherein the customer information includes a number for the call center services and a pre-authentication number, wherein the pre-authentication number is a unique number associated with pre-authentication of the client device;   generate, using the number for the call center services, a call to the call center services of the service provider system, wherein the generated call includes the pre-authentication number; and   obtain, based on the pre-authentication number included in the generated call to the call center services, an advanced position in a call handling queue of incoming calls that bypasses an authentication queue.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the programming code, that when executed by the processor of the client device, further causes the processor to:
 generate the pre-authentication number in response to a communication with the contactless card.   
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the programming code, that when executed by the processor of the client device, further causes the processor to:
 in response to a subsequent customer support request, change the pre-authentication number from a previous pre-authentication number.   
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the programming code, that when executed by the processor of the client device, further causes the processor to:
 generate a prompt requesting re-authorization of the client device.   
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the programming code, that when executed by the processor of the client device, further causes the processor to:
 communicate with the contactless card; and   in response to communicating with the contactless card, receive authentication information.   
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 5 , wherein the authentication information includes the pre-authentication number. 
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the programming code, that when executed by the processor of the client device further causes the processor, when generating the call to the call center services, to:
 append the pre-authentication number to the number for the call center services.   
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 providing, by a processor of a client device, a support request to access call center services of a service provider system;   determining a first multifactor authentication process for the client device has occurred;   in response to the determination, populating a client interface of a client device with customer service web content delivered to the client device by the service provider system;   presenting on the client interface a prompt from the customer service web content that requests a connection with a contactless card;   establishing a connection with the contactless card via a communication link between the client device and the contactless card;   receiving customer information from the contactless card, wherein the customer information includes a number for the call center services and a pre-authentication number, wherein the pre-authentication number is a unique number associated with pre-authentication of the client device;   generating, using the number for the call center services, a call to the call center services of the service provider system, wherein the generated call includes the pre-authentication number; and   obtaining, based on the pre-authentication number included in the generated call to the call center services, an advanced position in a call handling queue of incoming calls that bypasses an authentication queue.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 generating the pre-authentication number in response to a communication with the contactless card.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 in response to a subsequent customer support request, changing the pre-authentication number from a previous pre-authentication number.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 generating a prompt requesting re-authorization of the client device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 communicating by the client device with the contactless card; and   in response to communicating the contactless card, receiving authentication information by the client device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the authentication information includes the pre-authentication number. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , when generating the call, further comprises:
 appending, by the processor, the pre-authentication number to the number for the call center services.   
     
     
         15 . A device, comprising:
 a processor;   a memory coupled to the processor and operable to store a client application;   a user interface; and   a card interface, wherein the processor is coupled to the user interface, the card interface and operable to execute programming code of the client application, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to:
 provide a support request to access call center services of a service provider system; 
 determine a first multifactor authentication process for the device has occurred; 
 in response to the determination, populate the user interface with customer service web content delivered to the client device; 
 present on the user interface a prompt from the customer service web content that requests a connection with a contactless card; 
 establish a connection with the contactless card via a communication link between the card interface and the contactless card; 
 receive customer information from the contactless card, wherein the customer information includes a number for the call center services and a pre-authentication number, wherein the pre-authentication number is a unique number associated with pre-authentication of the device; 
 generate, using the number for the call center services, a call to the call center services of the service provider system, wherein the generated call to the call center services includes the pre-authentication number; and 
 obtain, based on the pre-authentication number included in the generated call to the call center services, an advanced position in a call handling queue of incoming calls that bypasses an authentication queue. 
   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the programming code, that when executed by the processor further causes the processor to:
 generate the pre-authentication number in response to a communication via the card interface with the contactless card.   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the programming code, that when executed by the processor further causes the processor to:
 in response to a subsequent customer support request, change the pre-authentication number from a previous pre-authentication number.   
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the programming code, that when executed by the processor further causes the processor to:
 communicate with the contactless card; and   in response to communicating with the contactless card, receive authentication information.   
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein the authentication information includes the pre-authentication number. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the programming code, that when executed by the processor further causes the processor, when generating the call, to:
 append the pre-authentication number to the number for the call center services.