Dillard’s, fully known as Dillard’s Inc, is one of the largest department store chains in the US. It is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, and has over 280 stores in 29 states. Some of the products it sells include designer shoes and clothing, beauty and cosmetics products, wedding registry items, and home items.
Our article will look at some of the most common interview questions at Dillard’s in case you have been thinking of working at any of their establishments. Use our suggested answers to come up with the best replies that can guarantee success. Let’s get right into it!
1. What Do You Know About Dillard’s?
Dillard’s is a departmental store chain with close to 300 stores founded in 1938 by William T Dillard. It is present in 29 states and offers a range of products such as bedding, jewelry, furniture, clothing, beauty products, footwear, and house items. Currently, Dillard’s is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. The establishment is widely known for its clearance sales.
2. Why Do You Want To Work At Dillard’s?
I have been shopping at Dillard’s for the last 15 years, and apart from loving your products, I am particularly impressed by how you treat your employees. Most of my friends who work at your establishments have positive things to say about you, making me believe that Dillard’s is the best place to grow my career in retail. Lastly, I am impressed by your performance over the years and would love to contribute to your future achievements.
3. Why Do You Believe You Are The Most Suited Candidate For This Role?
I am unsure about the other candidates because I haven’t had a chance to interact with them, but I am confident that I have everything it takes to succeed in this job. I have five years of retail experience working for different retail stores and hypermarkets across the country. I am also a hardworking, dedicated, and outgoing individual, qualities that I believe are needed to thrive in this Role.
4. What Hours Are You Available For Work?
I don’t have any commitments currently, which makes me available around the clock. I can therefore work any shift, whether day or night. However, I prefer the night shift because I am normally at my best during the night. I have also mostly worked night shifts in my former working places, and therefore possess the experience and readiness needed to work throughout the night as a vast majority of the population sleeps.
5. Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?
My last job was great and taught me several things I needed to know about retail. However, I felt I had learned everything I could from it and wanted new opportunities to learn more and grow in my career. I am confident that I will be a great addition to your team. I am prepared to do my best and contribute to the overall performance of the establishment as I further my learning and advance in my career.
6. Define Customer Service
Even though there are several definitions attached to customer service, I believe it is all about making customers feel appreciated and valued from the moment they set foot into the store up until they leave. It means welcoming them to the store with a smile, helping them find whatever they are looking for, and, if possible, ensuring they don’t spend lots of time during checkout. In short, customer service means giving someone a reason to return to the store, become a loyal customer or make repeat purchases.
7. We Have Had Issues With Employee Theft In The Past. What Do You Intend To Do If You Ever Find Your Coworker Stealing?
I understand my coworkers expect loyalty from me in the spirit of teamwork, and even though I don’t dispute that, I believe my loyalty to the establishment should be greater. I am prepared to blow the whistle whenever I catch any of my coworkers stealing. I will inform the relevant department of a theft I witnessed or security in case of a theft in progress. I believe in making an honest living and can’t let such an incident pass unless the store has a different policy.
8. This Job Can Get Stressful At Times. How Do You Intend To Manage The Stress That Comes With It?
I understand the stress that comes with retail work. Luckily, with my years of experience, I know the right ways to handle it. Firstly, I normally plan my day at the start to ensure that everything is well-balanced to avoid doing too much work at once, which has significantly improved my output. I have also developed several healthy responses over time that helps me deal with any stress I encounter. Lastly, I usually take a few minutes to recharge whenever I feel overwhelmed- a trick that has always worked for me. I am confident that I can handle anything this job throws at me.
9. How Would You Deal With A Difficult Customer?
Retail work involves meeting lots of different customers. I have discovered that the best way of dealing with difficult or angry customers is to treat them just like you’d treat any other customer, with respect but having set limits too. Whenever I encounter one, I give them my utmost attention and allow them to vent instead of getting impatient before working hard to find a solution to their issue. However, if I cannot help them for whatever reason, I will refer them to the supervisor. I also have limits depending on the degree of hostility, the complexity of the issue at hand, and the time duration taken to deal with the customer.
10. You Have Mentioned That You Have Been Our Customer For Quite Some Time, So, What Do You Love Most In Our Catalog?
First of all, I must mention that all your offerings are great. I have bought at least one item from your different product lines and enjoyed all of them. However, I am particularly impressed with your shoes as a fashion lover. Your great design and prices when it comes to shoes have got me coming back here repeatedly. They are also comfortable and stylish, qualities that every shoe lover wants in their pair of shoes.
11. Can You Work Over The Weekend Or During Holidays?
I am flexible enough to step in over the weekend or during the holidays. However, I need at least one resting day a week to stay with my family, meaning that I may only be available for one day of the weekend and not both Saturday and Sunday. I would also appreciate it if I am notified early enough to readjust any plans I had for the weekend or holiday or, alternatively, make new ones.
12. How Will You Be A Great Addition To Your Team Here At Dillard’s?
I have vast experience, which I believe they can learn from. I have worked in 5 retail establishments over the past eleven years, including some of your competitors, and therefore understand quite a great deal about the retail world. I can teach them how to deal with workplace stress, improve their performance and make the best out of their time. I also know how to motivate others, a skill I am willing to use on them. I believe we will all impact one another positively in this role.
13. How Do You Intend To Make Our Customers Happy?
I believe in excellent customer service and can’t make a repeat purchase in a store with poor customer service. To make customers happy, I intend to make myself helpful around the store. I will welcome them with a warm smile and help them locate products around the store to save time. I also normally position myself in an easily-accessible place and look out for customers who need help. I am willing to go the extra mile to give customers the satisfaction they need.
14. Are You Willing To Relocate If There Is An Urgent Position In Our Other Branches That Require Your Skill Level?
I live alone, which makes me quite flexible. I also love traveling and experiencing new places, so I won’t have a problem relocating when a better chance arises. However, I will definitely need some time to get my things in order, meaning that the establishment ought to give me an early notice and a couple of weeks before I report to my new workplace. All in all, I believe that we will work something out if such a chance ever comes up.
15. Do You Know Our Competitors?
Yes. You have five main competitors offering similar or closely related products. They include Macy’s, a chain of high-end departmental stores that mostly deal in clothing and fashion accessories; Belk, an American department store chain that deals in clothing, shoes, home items, and wedding registry items; Rakuten, a Japanese conglomerate headquartered in Setagaya City, Tokyo; Costo, made up of membership only big-box retail store and headquartered in Issaquah, Washington and Burlington industries headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina.
16. How Did You Know About This Job Opening?
Several of my friends work at Dillard’s, with two working in this particular store. Knowing my desire to work at Dillard’s, they informed me about this opening immediately after it was announced, after which I applied and got shortlisted for an interview. I have to mention that all the positive things they say about this establishment also positively influenced me to apply for this role. I am positive I will do an excellent job if given a chance.
17. Where Do You See Yourself In The Next 2 Years?
Thank you for that question. I normally prefer living in the moment, meaning I work as hard as possible, focus on what’s at hand today, and do not give too much thought about the future. I believe that whatever I do today has a massive impact on the future and should therefore be my main concern. With that said, I will be in a better place in the next two years in terms of skills and experience. Also, I intend to stay with you for a longer duration, meaning that the next two years will find me here if I get this job, probably in a higher position, given the amount of work I plan to put into this role.
18. What Is Your Greatest Strength?
I am outgoing; therefore, my greatest strength is knowing how to get along with different people. This has always helped me fit into diverse teams and help different customers. My outgoing personality also makes me approachable, meaning customers find it easy to work with or approach me whenever they shop. I am willing to use this particular strength and many others for this establishment’s betterment if given a chance.
19. How Do You Intend To Deal With Team Conflicts?
Having worked in the retail industry for quite some time, I understand that conflicts are somewhat inevitable. The only thing that matters is how we deal with them to ensure that they don’t negatively impact the overall spirit of the team. I will ensure that every conflict is solved as soon as possible since delay only weakens the team’s morale. I will urge coworkers to be open with each other and point out when they feel wronged instead of holding back resentment. I am also ready to apologize and work out any difference with fellow employees when I am wrong.
20. What Do You Love Most About This Job?
As I mentioned, I am an outgoing person, so working in retail means that I get to meet as many people as possible. I interact with several customers daily, welcoming them to the store and helping them with their purchases. I particularly enjoy seeing customers light up whenever they get their favorite product. I find this job fulfilling, which gives me a reason to wake up early in the morning and keep doing it.
21. What Don’t You Love About This Job?
Even though I love this job because I find it fulfilling, I am not fond of a few things. For example, we meet different customers, and although most are great, some are unnecessarily mean, rude and difficult. Some of their comments can get to a person killing their morale. Also, the pressure we experience during holidays and weekends due to increased shopping can sometimes get out of hand. Fortunately, I have been in retail for quite some time and therefore know how to deal with such pressure whenever it comes.
22. Give Us An Experience Where You Dealt With A Difficult Customer
I have dealt with a number of difficult customers owing to the nature of this job. I once experienced an extremely vulgar customer who kept shouting at me for reasons I couldn’t decipher. However, understood that the problem lied with him and not me, and politely but firmly requested him to stop the behavior and show respect to other shoppers. However, he continued and, sensing that he wouldn’t stop any soon, had security escort him out since other customers had started showing signs of discomfort.
23. Tell Us About An Experience Where You Dealt With Harsh Criticism
I understand we don’t have control over what the customer thinks of our service and may sometimes have to cope with harsh criticism. While working at a restaurant during college, I mixed a customer’s order due to the many orders we always experienced during lunch hours. Even though I apologized and corrected it immediately, she told my supervisor I was the most incompetent server she had ever encountered. I didn’t take it personally and later explained to the supervisor what had transpired. She understood and urged me to avoid such mistakes. In return, I decided to start noting down orders during stressful hours.
24. In Your Opinion, What Is The Best Way To Deal With An Angry Customer?
Apart from difficult customers, we also meet angry ones, who are quite difficult to deal with. From experience, I have discovered that the best way to go about it is to patiently listen to their complaints without interrupting them to give them a chance to vent their anger or frustration. It’s also important to remain calm during the entire encounter and exercise high levels of politeness.
25. We Have Different Offerings. Which Ones Do You Think You Can Deal With Best As A Sales Associate?
I understand and appreciate the fact that you offer different products. However, as a fashion lover, I will perform best if stationed in the clothing or shoes section, where I can help shoppers find whatever products work for them. However, that doesn’t mean I cannot perform equally well in other stations.
Conclusion
These 25 questions should help you prepare for an interview at Dillard’s. Note that you will mostly be asked about your experience, events, and interests, so it’s better to have concrete and honest answers. We wish you all the best and hope you will get the job you have always been eyeing at Dillard’s.
