Transcript of 10 Most Common Customer Service Interview Questions (PLUS, Example Answers!) | Indeed Career Tips

Customer service can make or break a business. So how can you show that you're the right person for the job? There are consistent themes that you can be sure most interviewers will definitely focus on when hiring for a customer service role. Hey, everybody. I'm Sinead. And coming up in this video, we'll share 10 common questions recruiters ask during a customer service interview. And of course, we've got some example responses. And if you listen closely to these answers, you will understand what employers are looking for in this role. And we'll also even share a bonus tip that many applicants don't even bother with, but in the long run can make all the difference. And with that in mind, let's dive in. Customer service interview question number one, why do you want to work here? Now you want to demonstrate knowledge of the company and share your personal interest in the role. So an effective answer might be, I am actually a customer myself and I'm consistently impressed by the quality of your products and service. In the rare instance I have an issue with an order, I have been able to speak to a real person and have been really impressed with the fast solution oriented approach. It's important to me that any company I represent is putting customers first. And that's why I'm interested in this role. Now whatever the product or service is, do your best to share some experience that you can personally relate to, and to tie it back to the role at hand. Saying what you love about the company's customer service shows that you have done your homework. And it also highlights what qualities you would emulate if you got the job. Now if you don't have a personal experience to share, referencing something that you learned while doing your research can be just as effective. Moving on to customer service question number two. Why do you want to work in customer service? Now the goal here is to understand your motivation. With this question, the interviewer wants to know that you have a service minded mentality, and that you really truly enjoy helping others. So a strong response would be, naturally I am energized by people and I love to help where I can. Seeing the direct impact I can have on a customer is very rewarding to me. There is a high level of responsibility in being the face or the voice of a company, and I take pride in that role. Do you notice how this answer described motivation including feeling energized, having a direct impact, and a high level of responsibility. These are personal attributes that could make you successful in many customer facing roles. Have these examples been helpful so far? Head down to the comments and let us know what questions you've gotten during your customer service job interviews. And if you have found this video helpful so far, be sure to give us a like, subscribe to our channel, and of course, hit that notification bell so you never miss out on our weekly career advice. OK. Question number three, how would you handle a difficult or unhappy customer? For a question asking about a challenging experience, prepare a story following the STAR method. And then relate that experience to the role at hand. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Results. The key to this approach is to explain your individual role in a situation and the impact. And if you need some help doing just that be sure to check out this video right up here. Now here's a great example for how would you handle a difficult or unhappy customer. I've worked in many roles where I've resolved customer dissatisfaction. For example, in my last role as a barista, I once took a drive-thru order for a customer who ordered a holiday frappuccino. This was our most popular seasonal drink and personally one of my favorites too. About 10 minutes later, the customer called us in dissatisfaction and said that the drink had tasted burnt. She wanted a full refund on her coffee. Although I took her order and did not make her drink, I listened, sincerely apologized, thanked her for being a customer, and then I did my best to make things right. If given the opportunity to represent your organization, I would handle difficult situations similar to this with empathy, sincerity, and kindness. Now are you ready to answer question number four with a standout response? Question number four, what makes you a good fit for this customer service role? Not everybody's personality is suited for a customer service position. Employers want to know how self-aware you are and what qualities make you suitable for their position. They're also looking to see if you can maintain your composure when things don't run smoothly. So here is a great example. I empathize with those in need of help and I'm mindful of company resources. So in my previous role at a bakery, there was a situation with an upset customer. A cake did not meet her expectations. Even though I wasn't the representative who had taken her initial order, and it did appear that there was actually nothing wrong with the cake, I still felt it was my responsibility to make things right. So I asked her why she was unhappy. And it turns out it was about the presentation and not the actual cake itself. I got that fixed right away. No matter the problem at hand, I always look for achievable solutions while showing compassion through my voice and body language. Now because our baker was totally slammed and just did not have the time to remake the cake, I fixed the presentation myself. And ultimately everybody benefited from this situation. I believe this customer service approach would benefit your business as well. Oh, yeah. Now notice the key traits being described here-- listening skills, empathy, and taking ownership, which are all top traits for someone in this field. All right. Let's move on to question number five, tell us about a time when you made a mistake. Now this is a common question in all types of interviews. In customer facing roles it's especially common because mistakes can have bigger consequences. Dissatisfied customers may rant on social media or they may even make a public scene. Yes. So in answering, explain a reasonable but not huge failure. For example, in the first week of my last job, I was learning the computer automated phone system. I received a questionable call and I needed to consult with my manager. Instead of placing the customer on hold, I accidentally hung up on him. And when the customer called back, I could sense his frustration. I apologized for the mistake and for adding to any frustration. And luckily, he did understand and he also appreciated my sincere apology. Now because of this experience, I learned quickly to write down a customer's phone number at the beginning of the call. My process not only improved the customer experience, but my service as a whole. What a great response. Now it is also common along with our failures to be asked about our weaknesses as well. Which yes, I know, just doesn't seem fair. But we got you covered. For even more on how to talk about your weaknesses in an interview, you can check out this video right up here. All right. Let's move on to question number six. Tell me about a time when you received bad customer service. Well, all of us have been customers so this is actually an easy question to prepare for. Share a specific example using that STAR method. And then, share how that experience has shaped your definition of good customer service. For example, the other day I was using a self-checkout station at the grocery store. With each item, the scanner paused and said, help is on the way. A few minutes later, a representative came over to my station and asked if I needed help with anything, but was unaware of my checkout challenges. Now from this experience I learned that while we can't always solve every customer problem, we can pay attention to our surroundings and watch for customer issues. If I had simply felt seen and heard in that situation, I would have felt 10 times better. Notice how the story was harmless, and also relatable, but also optimistic in tone. There was also no ranting just simple frustration and a nuanced understanding of the core problem, bad customer service. All right. Let's move on to customer service question number seven. Tell me about your scheduling requirements. So in addition to finding someone who has the skills to be a customer service representative, recruiters may also have to fill particular shifts, including nights and/or weekends. So pay close attention to job postings to see if specific hours are mentioned and then be prepared to be asked about your preferences. An example might sound like, I have school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On those days I'm available between 7:00 AM and 12:00 PM and from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. I have no schedule restrictions on the weekends and I am eager to maximize my availability. So you want to be honest about your availability. Again setting expectations is key. But also you don't want to be so busy that you come across as inflexible. All right. Moving on to question number eight. Give an example of a time when you worked under pressure. Companies with customer facing roles can experience peak periods during the holidays, special occasions, or events. These fast paced environments can test how you perform in high pressure situations. So when answering this question, you want to assure the recruiter that you don't let stress impact how you treat your customers. Especially your body language and tone of voice. For our answer, let's use the STAR method again. For example, my old company ships flowers nationwide. So naturally, Valentine's Day was always busy. We'd often end up delivering shipments late. But last year we actually delivered every flower arrangement on time. We worked together as a team taking breaks and covering for each other when needed. We even followed up with every customer over the phone to ensure that online orders were entered correctly, saving time from correcting mistakes later. Although every Valentine's Day was high pressure, we did our best as a team to anticipate the unexpected, while delivering excellent customer service along the way. So you see, almost every job has periods of stress. One customer engagement is the job. But it's your customer who will see how you handle that stress. So it's important to show self-awareness in how you handle demanding situations. All right. Let's move on to customer service interview question number nine. Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond for a customer. Now this is actually a question that you should try to address in an interview in order to showcase your superior skills, whether or not you're asked. Here's a great example answer. In a past role, I had a regular customer who came into our clothing store about once a month. Over time, I had learned that she was a business reporter for the local newspaper. On one occasion she called the store needing a wardrobe refresh and she asked for a virtual personal shopper. Now we didn't have that service, but I picked out a few pieces of clothing that I thought she would like based on her previous purchases. And at the time we did not offer home delivery, but I asked our delivery service to drop off her items. She was so grateful for the service, and as a result, she included our store in an article about local businesses with stellar customer service. So a small gesture can make a really big difference. OK. Last question for you guys. This is one of those questions that seem so simple yet difficult to answer. Question number 10, do you have any questions for me. This is your opportunity to interview the company. So make sure that you are strategic in what you ask, to show off what you already know as well as assess if this job is actually right for you. Since you're often given the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview, a good way to leave a strong final impression is to ask, I noticed you get tons of five star customer reviews, which speaks highly of your team. How would you describe your most successful employee? Now with that question, you're showing that you've done your homework and you're sincerely interested in not just getting the job, but also doing it well. This is a golden opportunity to learn what qualities the employer values most. Whatever their answer is, listen for positive traits that you also possess. And once they've wrapped up their response, mentally notate the qualities mentioned and how they relate to the attributes you own. Now you know how to answer some of the most common customer service interview questions. And if you found this video helpful, be sure to hit the Like button down below, subscribe to our channel right over here, and of course, hit that notification bell so you never miss out on our weekly career advice. And then you can click right over here for even more career advice because we got you covered. And to find out how to answer the tough question, why did you leave your last job? You got to check out this video right up here. I'm Sinead. Thank you all so much for watching and I'll see you next time.