A customer service representative interacts with the customers on behalf of an organization, helping them solve problems. They also offer information about the company’s products and services, process returns, take orders, receive and document complaints.
Most customers usually judge a company by its customer service, making these professionals highly valuable in the organization. In this article, we will look at a few questions that you should note if you intend to be a customer service representative.
You will most likely be assessed on your experience, skills, expertise, and traits. Therefore, take a close look at the following questions to know what to expect:
1. What Are You Interested In This Role?
This is usually an opening question that seeks to determine whether you are the perfect fit for the job. Going about this question is to sell yourself and tell the potential employer some of the things that you can do for them.
Sample Answer
I am an experienced customer service representative who has worked with several companies. I, therefore, know what it takes to execute my roles in this position flawlessly. I am also a great belief in your products since they are aimed at wellness. I would therefore be part of the team that delivers them to the consumers, who are the final destination.
2. What Are Some of The Roles of a Customer Service Representative?
Interviewers will generally ask you such a question to determine if you know what is expected of you in your workplace. The best approach to this question is to refer to the provided job description or mention some of your mandated roles within your former workplace.
Sample Answer
A customer service representative receives and places customer orders via phone calls. They ensure that there exists a solid customer relationship by attending to their questions and concerns. They also resolve any customer complaints, draft status reports, conduct extensive research aimed at troubleshooting customer problems, and offer information about product inquiries.
3. What Are The Qualities That a Customer Service Representative Needs To Be Effective?
The interviewer wants to know if you understand what it takes to be a good customer service representative. If you need to answer this perfectly, remember to list some of the qualities that have seen you through your career.
Sample Answer
A good customer service representative must have excellent problem-solving skills to offer solutions to customer concerns. They must also be good communicators and have a friendly attitude to relate well with customers. Other qualities include empathy, impressive business acumen, extensive knowledge of the products and services, and excellent time management. All these are essential for this role.
4. Mention a Challenge That You Faced During Your Last Role. How Did You Manage It?
The interviewer wants to know if you are a problem solver. Remember, no one expects you to spend most of your time whining instead of finding solutions to problems. To answer this question well, give an experience that paints you as a problem solver.
Sample Answer
The main challenge that I faced during my last role was angry customers who would call and hurl all abusive words. Even though this threatened to take a significant toll on my emotional well-being, I managed to handle them professionally. I would let them vent, apologize and then reassure them that we were working on their issue. Most of them ended up being remorseful in the end and apologized. I have also realized that maintaining calmness when dealing with angry customers works the magic.
5. Describe Your Daily Routine
What do you do daily in your life as a customer service representative? The interviewer may purposely ask this question to determine whether you know some of your essential duties and activities in your workplace or have an in-depth understanding of your job.
Sample Answer
I report to my station the moment I get to work. I then check some of the calls from our previous day and call the customers back before checking the mailbox for customer queries. I will then assess data from the service cloud for background information on previous customer interactions. The rest of the day is spent listening to customers through various channels, identifying the appropriate persons to respond to their queries if an immediate fix is not available, and offering as much help as possible. I may also attend a meeting with the other customer service reps or engage in team-building activities.
6. Briefly Describe Your Experience
The gist of your experience is captured in your resume and CV. Therefore, do not narrate them to the interviewer once more. The best way to approach this question is to summarize some of the places you have worked in and the posts you have occupied.
Sample Answer
This is my eighth year as a customer service representative. I have worked in telecommunication firms, schools, oil production companies, and online shopping platforms. I was the head customer service representative in Johnson Shopper, an online platform that deals in baby products. I have also held other supervisory roles.
7. Mention a Strategy and Mindset For This Role
A strategy refers to how you approach a role. The right mindset is the perspective that guides your operation. This question has no unique answer; just make sure that you mention a working strategy and mindset to relate to the position.
Sample Answer
The best strategy for this role is being as helpful as possible and maintaining an excellent company-customer relationship. Customer service rotates around making the customers satisfied and happy by being resourceful. As for the right mindset, one needs to work with an accommodative and resourceful perspective, which is needed for excellent customer service.
8. Mention a Challenge That You Foresee In This Role
This is an important question that needs your honesty. The interviewer may be in search of recommendations to better your experience when you land the job. While answering this, use the information that you discovered from the work policies or company’s culture.
Sample Answer
I believe that the challenges we face in our job as customer service representatives cut across different organizations. I cannot, therefore, mention a specific one and fail to address the others. However, I believe that I have all it takes to manage these challenges and find the best solutions.
9. How Do You Stay Motivated In This Job?
This is as simple as what keeps you waking up every day to come to work. Customer service representation can be pretty hectic, especially when dealing with angry customers. However, however true it may be, do not mention any material benefits.
Sample Answer
I love interacting with people and helping them with solutions to their problems. Most of the time, I understand customers who give me the zeal to continue with my job. I have also developed several positive habits, such as meditation which has built my tolerance to most of the issues that we face.
10. Mention a Time That You Failed In This Role? What Lesson Did You Learn?
This question can be asked to either test your accountability or unravel whether you can learn from your mistakes. You need to mention an experience with a lesson. However, make sure that you do not appear incompetent.
Sample Answer
I once assured a customer that I would attend to his queries immediately, then got so engrossed that I forgot completely. He later came to our offices and lodged our complaints. I got a severe reprimand. I learned the importance of dealing with one task at a time before focusing on the other.
11. What Do You Understand By Customer Service?
This may be an opening question, from which the interviewer will ask follow-up questions or use it as a means to get you talking. All in all, your description of customer service will help the interviewer know if you are a good fit for the job from the start and whether you will be committed to the role,
Sample Answer
From my experience, I believe that customer service entails being empathetic to a client’s problems and finding solutions that exceed their expectations. This can only be possible when one has a deep understanding of a company’s service or product. Customer service should therefore seek to make a good and lasting impression on the customers.
12. Have You Ever Found Yourself In a Situation Where You Do Not Know How To Help a Customer? What Do You Normally Do?
As a customer service representative, do not expect that you will know how to help every customer. However, this does not mean that you are less skilled or experienced. The best approach to this question is to convince the interviewer that you can calmly handle such a situation and be efficient while at it.
Sample Answer
I have been in such situations. To effectively deal with such, I prefer being honest with customers and ask them to give me a chance to find out more about the problem. I have managed to help lots of customers with their problems despite not knowing the accurate answer. I usually ask my coworkers or refer them to someone who may help them.
13. Do You Consider Yourself a People Person?
As a customer service representative, you need to know how to nurture strong customer relationships. The best way of doing that is by knowing how to deal with different people. When answering this question, convince the interviewer that you enjoy talking to customers and boost their loyalty and engagement.
Sample Answer
I love talking and interacting with people. Therefore, it is safe to say that I am a people person. I love finding out about people’s backgrounds and lives and helping them work out their problems. I have won several awards throughout my experience, including the most social employee.
14. Kindly Walk Us Through How You Would Calm an Upset Customer?
This question seeks to find out your professional experience working with several customers. Convince the interviewer that you have the right skills set to offer helpful assistance to different customers and help your company maintain its reputation.
Sample Answer
Whenever I am faced with such a situation, I let the customer air their experience undisturbed. I will let them finish speaking and then offer an apology for whatever made them feel upset before assuring them of doing everything in my power to find a solution. Making the customers feel that I am empathetic to their plight cools them down.
15. What Are Some of The Service Tools That You Have Used In Your Time as a Customer Service Representative?
The interviewer is trying to find more about your past experiences or background. The best approach to this question is to show that you have experience using ticketing systems, collaboration tools, and CRMs. I am also interested in learning about new technologies and systems.
Sample Answer
I have used several live chat software to help customers. For ticketing, I usually use JIRA and Zendesk for customer relationship management. I also love learning about new things and would therefore jump on any chance to interact with more automation tools.
16. Can You Teamwork With Others? Do You Think It Is Important?
You need to remember that exceptional customer service requires more than your independent effort. You must collaborate with others and build a solid and positive reputation for your company. Convince the interviewer that you can work with your colleagues when responding to customers’ queries. Also, show that you have excellent communication skills.
Sample Answer
I believe in the power of collaboration, especially in such a job. I always ensure that I work in a cohesive team, where we poll knowledge and resources to tackle anything that may come our way. Collaboration is also crucial since it helps me collect customer feedback and relay it to the product team.
17. Have You Ever Managed To Win The Heart of a Customer?
As a customer service representative, you should always expect unhappy customers in your line of work. Making such delighted can be a hefty task, which calls for more than just speaking and offering assistance. When answering this question, convince the interviewer that you are willing to go the extra mile and make a customer happy.
Sample Answer
I have had a few experiences. I once dealt with a mad customer who could not access a product’s warranty because of not having a receipt of the item. I gave him time to vent, listening carefully and encouraging him to speak. I then apologized for how he felt at our digital footprints and discovered that we had a record of his online order. I then gave him a ticket number and urged him to bring the item to our warehouse. He was elated and thanked me for my professionalism and patience.
18. What Are Some of The Elements of Good Customer Service?
This question will help the interviewer know whether you understand what makes up your job. Your expertise and years of experience should make this easier to tackle. Make sure that you mention all the key elements that make up good customer service.
Sample Answer
The elements of good customer service are product awareness, attitude, efficiency, and offering solutions to customers. You need to have in-depth knowledge of the company’s products or services, have the right attitude when dealing with customers, and efficiently develop solutions for any of their queries.
19. How Would You Deal With a Customer Who Feels That You Are Taking Too Long To Handle an Issue?
The interviewer is assessing your customer handling skills. How do you deal with customers in different scenarios? Show the interviewer that you can handle negative feedback and effectively deal with stressful situations.
Sample Answer
I rarely get such feedback because I give customers an estimate of how long every task will take. However, if a customer still feels that I am taking too long, I will apologize for the issue and tell them that it takes longer than we expected instead of being defensive. I would then look for practical solutions and ensure that no more time is lost.
20. Why Do You Want To Be Part of Our Customer Service Team?
This question can be simplified to9 mean, “Why do you want to work for us?” Here, you need to talk positively about the company and tell the interviewer some of the things that spark your interest. All in all, make sure that you show enthusiasm for the role.
Sample Answer
I am passionate about your company’s products, given that I am a massive advocate of wellness. I would therefore like to be of help to customers who are interested in your offerings. I believe that this job will leave me highly fulfilled.
Conclusion
These twenty recommendations sum up some of the frequently asked questions in customer representative interviews. Make sure that you have the correct answers at your fingertips. Also, take some time and brainstorm more questions that the interview is likely to ask. We wish you well in your upcoming interview.