Do you want a job or a career in customer service? If so, there is no escaping the fact you will have to take part in an interview.
Before you apply, you may want to check out some great personal branding from Arielle Executive. Next, you need to start looking into the most commonly asked questions and prepare some answers. To help give you a head start, below are some of the most popular questions you will be asked if you want to start a career in this area.
What things would you do to provide a customer with excellent service?
When answering this interview question, discuss how you have always worked to go the extra mile when providing a customer with service. Make sure to emphasize that ensuring that the customer is satisfied and happy is always your top priority.
Sample answer: In the past, I worked at an auto insurance company as a customer service representative. Once, I got a call from a customer who had a complaint about the auto repair shop that was repairing his car. This customer was very upset because he didn’t know a lot about cars and was feeling that the shop was ripping him off. This issue really wasn’t about the insurance company that I worked for since it did not relate to the customer’s claim, but I told him that I would call the auto repair shop and get everything straightened out for him. I was able to speak to the manager and convince him to reimburse the customer. As a result, the customer was very happy with my service and even called my manager and said I deserved a promotion.
Why should I hire you for this job position?
When you are answering this specific interview question, discuss how your talents, skills, and experience align very well with the job’s requirements. Talk about your outstanding work ethic and your willingness to always go beyond the call of duty when needed. Discuss how you are the best person for the job but do this in a humble manner. Also, when answering this question, never disparage another candidate.
Sample answer: Your job description states that you are looking for someone who is not afraid to deal with conflict and has outstanding customer service skills. I practice conflict resolution on a daily basis and have more than a decade’s worth of customer service experience.
How do you handle an angry customer?
When answering this interview question, discuss your outstanding ability to remain calm in stressful situations. Then, discuss the process that you use to resolve the angry customer’s problem or issue. Emphasize that until the customer is fully satisfied that you are not satisfied either.
Sample answer: My initial reaction to a stressful situation or conflict is to attempt to understand the perspective of the person involved. I live by the rule of seek first to understand before seeking to be understood. Listening to the other individual not only allows me to determine what the root of the problem is, but it also helps to ease the tension. That way we can communicate in a more effective and calm manner.
How do you describe your customer service abilities?
Whenever you encounter this interview questions, discuss your customer service skills in a way that communicates the following very emphatically: you provide great customer service at all times, to all kinds of customers (difficult ones as well as pleasant ones). Also note that you do this in a polite, easy-going, and prompt manner at all times.
Sample Answer: I would say that I am obsessed with my customers. I always put my customers first and make sure they know how important they are. I listen carefully to what their problems are and provide them with the best solutions possible.
Our position requires you to function very well as a team member to resolve customer problems. Can you please discuss your teamwork skills and experience working within a team environment?
Sample answer: In college, I belonged to two teams: student government and the basketball team. Both experiences involved me working very closely with individuals who held very different points of view from mine. These differences proved to be invaluable since opposing perspective can often result in better solutions than I could find by myself. The most important aspect of teamwork that I have learned is that for a team to reach its full potential, everybody needs to be valued and contribute. In every job that I have had and on the college teams I was on, believing that everyone had something to contribute has resulted in a better culture and better results.
Do you consider yourself to be someone who has the ability to easily handle high-pressure, fast-paced situations?
Sample answer: Yes. In the past, I was a cashier at a very busy big-box retail store. During the holiday sales season, it was a very hectic environment. All the cashiers were provided with scores that were based on how fast they checked out customers. If you received too many low scores you would be disciplined by the head cashier. Many co-workers of mine complained on a regular basis that it was an unfair system. However, I embraced this challenge by focusing on those things that I could personally control, and I ignored the things that I could not control. My strategy resulted in me being the store’s fastest cashier and it helped to keep my level of stress low.
Can you please discuss a time when you needed to deal with a difficult customer. How did you handle this situation?
Sample answer: I was working at an office supply store when I encountered the most difficult customer I have ever dealt with. The customer was very irate that our store would not match a price on a product even though they were not the same item. After I explained this politely to this customer, she started to scream personal insults. I continued to smile, apologized to her for the inconvenience and recommended that she check with a different store. She realized that I was not reacting to her insults or tirade and left the store.
It is very important for you to be well-prepared to answer these kinds of interview questions for the role of customer service representative. Develop personal answers to these questions for your next job interview and you will be well prepared for success.
