Just like the British secret service agent winning over the audience whenever a new movie is released, you want your customer service agents to have the same “magnetic” charm working on your customers.
Although it’s highly unlikely that a customer service representative will need to know how to sneak through a laser security alarm without being spotted or land on a crocodile’s back with a parachute while dodging a missile, our super-spy James Bond can still serve as a shining example for every customer service agent out there.
In fact, you don’t need to be on Her Majesty’s secret service at all to take note of these 007 James Bond skills that every customer service agent must have.
001. Understanding the Mission
The very first thing that Agent 007 does before a mission is getting to know the mission. Studying every detail, investigating every person he will have to interact with, places he will have to travel etc. This is all important for his plan to go smoothly.
Same goes for a customer service agent. You must have extensive knowledge about your product to be able to provide every detail and benefit that it has to your potential client. Whenever a customer interacts with a service representative, they must be motivated, enthusiastic and informed about the product.
You won’t win over any customer with poor product knowledge and an apathetic interaction, so take notes from Mr. Bond. Learn your product and be as enthusiastic about your mission as he is.
002. Demonstrating Confidence
One of the main charms of James Bond is his astonishing confidence. Regardless of the situation and circumstances, 007 manages to portray himself as a person in control.
The agent is tranquil even in the toughest situations. Remember in Casino Royale when he drank that poisoned cocktail? The moment Bond took a sip he realized that his life was in danger. But what was the response? He kept a cool head and excused himself calmly.
Maybe this example is a little too extreme but, nonetheless, confidence is one of the essential skills that a customer service representative should possess. How are you expecting to assure your customer when you are not sure of yourself?
A good customer service representative shows its customers that he/she knows what needs to be done and is ready to serve them in a professional manner. Demonstrate your clients your competence and requisite skills to keep them satisfied.
003. Taking Responsibility
The reason why the British government values 007 so much is because he takes every task seriously and acts responsibly (for the most part, anyway). The agent does not stop until the project is complete, and often is ready to go beyond the call of duty. Bond himself said it better than anyone else:
Just because a customer service agent does not ensure Britain’s geopolitical standing and resource security or is not shooting bullets from their jewel-encrusted watch doesn’t mean that their mission is less important or requires less responsibility than 007’s.
Customer service representatives are the front line of satisfaction. 70% of customers indicated that they would stay loyal to a company if their problems were resolved in one interaction. Customer service rep should make customer satisfaction one of the main missions and take responsibility for achieving the success.
004. Effective Listening
Apart from fighting six-feet-tall henchmen, shooting planes and performing impressive stunts, one of the things James Bond constantly does is listening. In fact, it is one of the most important parts of his profession. Only through effective listening and observation could an agent understand the problem, spot lies and make correct judgments.
Listening is also important for customer service agents. No, we don’t mean listening to the music while they work. Quite the contrary… getting rid of the headphones while working and start listening to the customer more!
Listening carefully helps out big time. It helps identify the problem, choose a product that clients are looking for, or understand what kind of approach is the best for that specific customer. In other words, listening is a delicate tool for customer service agents and should be utilized as much as possible for interacting with the customers.
005. Self-Control
Do you remember that time when Bond started panicking while on his mission? Me neither! Not only is our secret agent a martial arts guru, but he is also an expert in mental stamina. When it comes to emotional control and the ability to keep calm no matter the circumstances, 007 does it like nobody’s business.
Come to think of it, a customer service agent also often ends up in precarious situations — being interrogated is a daily occurrence for them. So it’s important to brush up on your self-control, as it’s a powerful skill when dealing with hostile customers.
When aggressiveness and anger are directed towards you, it’s only natural to respond in the same manner. However, remaining calm and controlling your emotions will allow the customer to vent and release the aggression.
Yes, it is hard and unfair but losing self-control in these situations and responding to anger with anger escalates things further, and the whole interaction becomes even worse. A customer service agent should suppress their emotions. Try to err on “The customer is always right” side, and respond in the most rational way possible.
006. Attentiveness
How could Mr. Bond survive so many misadventures and mishaps without being attentive? 007 is always paying close attention to the details around him. Carefully observing the environment and the people, so that later he could identify the threats.
Take a look at how Bond leaves Vesper Lynd (played by Eva Green) impressed when he deduces her identity based on her appearance alone. That’s something customer service agent need to pick up on, too.
Carefully observing the customer, identifying their pain points and providing the best solution possible. It does not end there, being attentive also concerns the environment, noticing some faults that would create disturbance to the customer is also important.
007. Tech-Savviness
How do Bond movies start? The agent gets briefed on the sleek-looking, explosion-prone new gadgets he needs to complete his mission. You can take a look at every 193 gadgets of James Bond: the luxurious cars and watches might look fancy but, at the end of the day, these are the things that saved 007’s life multiple times.
Customer service representative should also be tech-savvy. Innovations are shaping the way company’s win over the customer and compete with each other. New technologies provide important insights into your customer habits and equip your customer service reps with sufficient information, so they can perform their duties with higher efficiency.
A good customer service agent in the 21st century means being up to date with the technologies.
Apart from being entertaining, James Bond shows us a lot of qualities and skills that we can start using in everyday life for improving the customer service standard. Training those skills will make the interaction with the customer as smooth as the missions accomplished by 007.
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Giorgi Lobzhanidze Taking customer service to new heights
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