Customer Service Job Interview Questions

When you’re interviewing for a customer service position, you can expect some frequently asked questions. Customer service representatives have a diverse job that requires them to possess a couple of important skills. For companies, it’s important to have the right people in the customer service departments. The sole reason for this is the impact of customers on the growth of a company.

Customer service representatives are the first point of contact and are, therefore, the face of the company. They are the ones who can drive loyalty, customer retention, and also acquisition. Employers value engaged and productive team members when it comes to customer service. Therefore, interviewers will ask different kinds of interview questions in order to find and hire top customer service talents.

Usually, job interview questions for customer service positions regard different topics. Think of your attitude and approach to customer service, your emotional intelligence, empathy, and work behavior. Furthermore, it’s likely that your problem-solving skills will be assessed, just like your communication skills.

Some of these questions require you to provide the interviewer with examples of how you used those skills in the past. The questions are called behavioral job interview questions.

Your goal during the job interview is to convince the interviewer of your suitability for the job. But how do you do this? In this article, customer service interview questions are discussed in more detail.

Also, find out why the interviewer is asking you certain questions and how you should answer them. Also, check our job interview preparation checklist to come as well-prepared as possible.

What does a customer service representative do?

The customer service department interacts with customers on behalf of a company. They, for instance, provide information about the products and services the company offers, but also take orders, handle customer complaints, and take care of processing returns. It’s also not uncommon for customer service representatives to work in customer contact centers from where they handle all requests.

In short, customer service representatives resolve problems and answer questions from customers or clients. The tasks that they are responsible for are for instance:

• Listening and responding to the clients/customers needs and concerns
• Providing (additional) information about services and products
• Taking orders, determining charges, and overseeing payments or billing
• Reviewing or adjusting accounts of clients/customers
• Handling returns or customer complaints
• Recording details of customer contacts
• Researching answers or solutions to encountered issues
• Referring customers to other departments, as needed

Therefore, make sure that you are ready to discuss these tasks and the experience that you have with performing them. If you do not yet have experience in the field of customer service, you should prepare answers that show how you would handle situations if you encounter them.

What customer service skills the interviewer is interested in

Employers are looking for candidates who share the underlying beliefs about the customer service role plays in their organization. Different companies have different views about the role that customer service plays, and they are looking for candidates who have those same high expectations. It’s therefore important that you thoroughly research the job description and company.

So what customer service skills are important to employers? There are several things interviewers look for in a job interview. First, as a job candidate, you need to be able to explain why customer service is important to a company. Also, you must be able to give clear examples of good and bad customer service. During the interview, you should be prepared to discuss the specific company and how you, as a customer service representative, can contribute to its success.

The skills you need to demonstrate

One of the most important customer service skills is possessing strong listening and speaking skills to clearly and accurately respond to any inquiries or concerns from customers. It’s essential that you are able to listen carefully to thoroughly understand their needs and concerns in order to resolve any issues. Also, during the job interview, you must be able to demonstrate that you have what it takes to perform such actions.

Besides strong listening and speaking skills, writing skills are also important. When you’re working as a customer service representative, and you interact through non-voice channels, which a lot of companies also do, you must possess these skills. When you interact via live chat, email, or any other channel, you need to possess professional writing skills that include using the correct grammar, sentence structures, spelling, and punctuation.

Customer service representatives tend to be enterprising personalities. This means that they are ambitious, assertive, extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, optimistic, and confident. They are also social, empathetic, tactful, friendly, and patient. Make sure that the answers you give during a job interview for a customer service position include these important skills.

Top indicators of great customer service representatives

1. Approach to customer service

Your general approach to customer service is important for interviewers. They are interested in your underlying beliefs about providing great customer service and if they align with the expectations of the company. During your job interview, you should be able to give clear examples of good and bad customer service.

To provide solid answers to questions about customer service, it’s crucial that you understand how the company you’re applying to works and what services or products they offer. Furthermore, make sure you’re prepared to discuss how you can contribute to their success in the role of a customer service representative.

Prepare to answer interview questions such as:

• What do you consider great customer service?
• Tell me about a time you received poor customer service.
• Is there a difference between customer support and customer service?
• Tell me about a time you received great customer service.
• Tell me about what appeals most to you about this specific role.

2. Empathy and emotional intelligence

Empathy and emotional intelligence regard the ability to understand the motions of others, empathize with those emotions, and respond to them in an appropriate manner. These are very important parts of providing good customer service.

When answering questions, you need to be able to provide true stories of past customer service experiences. Interviewers look for candidates that can provide detailed examples that include their own experience. Also, they are looking for honest answers.

Prepare to answer interview questions such as:

• Describe a situation where you were proud of the level of customer service you provided a customer.
• Did you ever go out of your way to assist a customer? What was the situation, and what was the outcome?
• Have you ever received negative customer feedback? What did you do with the feedback?
• How would you help a customer that already talked to multiple agents who did not yet receive the help they need?
• Tell me about a time you had to deal with an unreasonable customer. How did you handle it, and how would you handle a similar situation today?
• Describe a time where you had to tell a customer or client ‘no’ to a request from their side.
• Tell me about a time you had to deal with a customer that you had difficulties with understanding. How did you approach and solve that situation?

3. Communication skills

Good customer service representatives require excellent communication skills. You will deal with customers in different ways. Think of face to face interaction, but also via written correspondence, online chat, or via telephone. The ability to provide customers with clear answers with enough details for them to understand what you mean is essential. During your job interview, you should be able to clearly explain how you approach customers and how you talk and write to them. Interviewers are looking for candidates that are able to interpret the needs of customers and adjust their communication style for different types of customers.

Prepare to answer interview questions such as:

• Tell me about a time you have simplified a complex issue in order to gain an understanding from a client or customer.
• When you’re talking to a client or customer, how do you decide what information to include, and what information to leave out?
• Tell me about a time you had to adjust your style of communication to help a customer.
• Give me an example of when you had to use your persuasiveness skills at work.

Learn more about communication interview questions and how to answer them.

4. Problem-solving skills

In order to provide great customer service, representatives need to possess great problem-solving skills. It all starts with the ability to identify a problem or issue. Sometimes customers are not able to clearly explain what exactly is wrong. They just know that they had expectations of a product or service, and they are disappointed in one form or another.

It’s the task of the customer representative to restore their faith in the organization and its products, but first, you need to identify where the problem is. When you’re discussing questions about your problem-solving skills, you need to be able to walk the interviewer through your problem-solving approach. The interviewer will ask you for examples and what you’ve learned from certain situations.

Prepare to answer interview questions such as:

• Tell me about a time you had to deal with an angry customer.
• Describe a time a customer had a question or issue that you did not know how to answer or solve. How did you approach this situation and what happened?
• Give me an example of a time where there were major issues with the service or products your company provided. How did you respond to customers without having all answers to their questions yet?
• Tell me about a time you had to deal with a customer, and there was not a clear policy on how to handle the situation. What decision did you make and what happened?

Learn more about problem-solving skills interview questions and how to answer them.

5. Work ethic

A strong work ethic is important in any job, but especially in customer service to optimize the customer experience. Work ethic is a set of moral values and principles which guide the performance of an employee at their work. Your attitude and approach to work are important to demonstrate during job interviews. Show that you are that person that is always looking to improve or acquire skills. Furthermore, demonstrate that you are supportive of customers, but also team members, and coworkers.

Prepare to answer interview questions such as:

• Tell me about any new skills that you acquired recently. How did you learn it?
• What do you think makes a great team member?
• Name the achievement that you’re most proud of.
• Tell me about a time you made an important contribution to your team.

Learn more about problem-solving skills interview questions and how to answer them.

Why these skills matter to the interviewer

The results of excellent customer service are very important to companies. There are several benefits such as generating repeated business, enhancing business reputation, improving employee morale, and providing a competitive advantage in general. In other words, customer service is a part of making a company successful. This is also the reason that interviewers are looking for candidates who possess or can develop these important customer service skills.

Interviewers are looking to get the following questions answered during a customer service job interview:

1. How well developed are your customer skills, and will they help you in the challenges you will face in customer service?
2. Are you able to adequately and creatively respond to situations when needed?
3. Can you communicate effectively and efficiently?
4. Are you able to adjust to changing environments at work?
5. Can you perform under pressure?
6. Are you flexible in your approach to work situations?

Customer service interview questions are sued to find out who you really are and how you handle certain work situations.

Red flags during customer service interviews

Just like there are points to focus on during a customer service interview, there are also points you should avoid. Below you can find a list of answers you should avoid.

1. A lack of passion for the position

Showing no real interest in a job will not get you the job. Being motivated is important for any job. Employers know that employees have a direct impact on productivity and growth. Therefore, they are looking for candidates that can explain why they want to perform a profession. Try to show your passion for a job during a job interview and be ready to explain why you want to work for a company.

2. Not asking questions

Good job interviews turn into conversations. During the conversation, you need to show interest and ask the interviewer questions back. Not doing so can suggest disinterest in the job and company.

It takes two sides to be engaged in a conversation, and this requires you to ask questions as well. Not asking questions is considered a red flag by interviewers. The interviewer is looking for candidates that are genuinely interested in the position and want to learn more.

3. Only providing theoretical examples

Interviewers are looking for candidates that share detailed examples of their past work experiences. When you’re in a job interview, you need to be prepared to answer follow up questions as well.

Your behavior and approach to past situations are the most accurate predictors of your performance in similar situations in the future. This is the main reason interviewers are interested in your work experience.

4. Not taking responsibility

When you’re being asked about challenging situations that you’ve been in, it’s important that you show humility and take responsibility for any mistakes that you made. By asking questions such as ‘have you ever received negative feedback from a customer?‘ they want you to provide a situation where you were at fault and what you learned from it.

Candidates who claim they have never made a mistake or only give answers where a team or coworker provided the final answer are considered red flags.

5. Not being able to interpret customer’s needs

A good customer service candidate can show the ability to interpret the needs of customers. Also, if your answer allows it, you can discuss how you have modified your style of communication for different audiences in the past. Flexibility and empathy are important characteristics of a good customer support representative, and a lack of it is considered a red flag.

6. Being unprepared

If you come into the job interview, unprepared interviewers will notice. It’s a red flag if you do not provide the interviewers with the information they’re looking for. Therefore, put your best foot forward and prepare yourself to make a good impression.

The interviewers will view your level of interview preparation as an indicator of how engaged you will probably be on the job. Make sure that you’re on time, know your resume, research the position and company, and prepare good questions to ask back

Behavioral questions for customer service positions

During your interview for a customer service position, the interviewer will ask you behavioral interview questions. These questions require you to provide work situations that you experienced in the past by describing how you dealt with them.

Your answers to these questions give the interviewer more insight into your personality, work methods, thought processes, and work ethics. The goal of the interviewer is to find the candidate that suits the position best but also the one that fits the company culture.

Behavioral interview questions often start with

• Describe situations where
• What do you do when
• Give me an example of
• Tell me about a time when you
• Have you ever

Common customer service behavioral interview questions

Examples of commonly used customer service behavioral questions are:

1. Give me an example of a time where you resolved a difficult customer issue.
2. Tell me about a time when you ensured that a customer was pleased with your service.
3. Give me an example of how you helped increase revenues, reduce costs, or save time at your current company.
4. Tell me about a time you received negative customer feedback. What could have been done to make it better?
5. Give me an example of a situation in which you provided excellent customer service.
6. Describe a time when you had to interact with a difficult customer. What was the situation, and how did you handle it?
7. Tell me about a time you noticed a problem and took the initiative to correct it rather than waiting for somebody else to do it.
8. What do you do when you’re dealing with a large number of customers? How do you go about prioritizing your customers’ needs?
9. Tell me about a time you were unable to help a customer with their problem. What was the exact issue, and how did you handle the situation?
10. Give me an example of a time that you changed an unsatisfied customer into a happy one.

The interviewer wants you to elaborate on your experience

As you can see from the questions above; they require you to provide the interviewer with a specific work situation that you were in. Interviewers want you to provide an actual situation from your past experience in which you used customer service skills at work. Behavioral interview questions are used to assess key skills such as creative thinking, communication, leadership skills, adaptability, and conflict resolution skills.

You can expect questions from the interviewer that relate to the most important skills needed for the position that you’re applying for. Behavioral questions reveal your behavior and approach to past work situations, and they are the most accurate predictors of your performance in similar situations in the future. You can find more information on behavioral job interview questions here.

Tips for answering customer service job interview questions

The following tips will help you prepare for your customer service job interview. Make sure you start your preparation in time to make a great impression.

• Do your homework

Start with studying your resume and knowing everything about it to answer questions about your work history.

• Research the position and company

Find out all the important facts about the company and the job you’re applying for. Check our job interview preparation checklist for more detailed information.

Make sure you know who you are interviewing with and what their position is in the company. Research what the company does, what their company culture is like, and anything else you need to know. Below you can find a list of five key aspects that you should research.

1. The company’s culture, mission, and values.
2. The people that you are interviewing with.
3. Key players in the company.
4. Any news and recent events about the company.
5. Their main clients, products, and services.

• Stay professional

Interviewers are trained to notice when you’re faking or making up a story on the spot. Ensure that you prepare yourself well before the actual interview so that you have several example situations ready that you can discuss if the interviewer asks you to. Furthermore, it’s in your best interest, to be honest about your work experience, qualifications, and also your strengths and weaknesses.

Being honest, however, does not mean unprofessional. Always stay diplomatic in your answers and do not bad-mouth any previous employers or colleagues. Not only does this look bad on you, but it also sets a negative tone for the rest of the interview. As a result, the interviewer might associate you with that negativity, whether or not your opinion is shared.

Honesty, openness, and confident behavior is the way to go during job interviews.

• Prepare answers to interview questions you can expect

We highly advise you to prepare for the most commonly asked interview questions. Based on the research you do on the company and job description, you can figure out which skills and requirements are most important for the position. Once you’ve done this, you can make an educated guess on which types of questions you can expect.

Besides preparing for general interview questions focus on preparing at least a couple of behavioral interview questions. It’s certain that you will get asked these questions during your job interview. Interviewers are interested in how you handled situations in the past because it’s the best indicator they have to predict your future job performance. Based on your answers, they can assess whether or not you’re the right person for the job.

• Prepare questions to ask the interviewer

Always prepare questions to ask the interviewer. This is an important aspect in order to make a great impression. However, it’s key to ask the right kind of questions. Interviews should be conversations, not interrogations. The interviewer will appreciate it if you show interest in the position and company. Therefore, ask questions such as:

1. Can you walk me through the day-to-day responsibilities of the job?
2. How does success gets measured in this particular role, and how often are employees evaluated?
3. What do you see as the most challenging part of this position?
4. What are the company’s plans for growth and development?
5. With whom will I be working most closely in this position?

• Keep it positive

There are sorts of factors that can influence your mood during the interview. For instance, you could be frustrated with how long your job search is taking, or you do not believe that the job for which you have an interview is a great fit for you. Maybe you’re afraid you’re not really qualified for the job, or you’re just feeling a bit down. Whatever the case may be, during the interview, you need to make a positive impression. A positive, open, and friendly attitude help a lot.

1. Start your preparation early

Start your preparation as soon as you get an invite for a job interview. Figure out who you will be interviewing with, at which location and make sure that you’re dressed according to the company dress code, this goes for men and women. When you’re looking good, you will feel more confident. Also, study your resume and cover letter thoroughly in case you get any questions about them.

2. Listen actively and stay focused

Active listening skills are important in any position. During job interviews, it’s just as important to fully understand what the interviewer is saying. Look him or her in the eye when they are talking and ask clarifying questions if something is not clear. If a lot of information is provided to you, you can always paraphrase (‘Okay, so what you are saying is..’). Active listening skills demonstrate that you’re engaged in the conversation and genuinely interested in the company and position.

3. Convey a professional attitude

A job interview is a perfect opportunity for you to prove that you will be a great fit on the team. This is where your professional attitude and manners come in. The interviewer will probably ask you why you think you’re a great fit for the job or why they should hire you. When they do, provide the interviewer with answers that relate your qualities, experience, and abilities to the requirements of the position you’re applying for.

4. Maintain an open posture

Your body language has probably more influence on how you come across as you might think. Your posture is one of the main forms of nonverbal communication and needless to say, it says a lot about yourself. For instance, avoiding eye contact or sitting with crossed arms give the interviewer the idea that you lack confidence or that you’re not really interested in being there.

Therefore, focus on your body language and sit up straight with your shoulders back. When you’re talking look the interviewer in the eye and when they talk nod to express that you understand what they mean. Demonstrating positive body language will make you appear more confident during your interview.

5. Smile and try to enjoy the interview

Don’t worry, be happy. Smile during the interview and show genuine interest in the position and company. Smiling shows that you’re confident, relaxed, and stable, energetic, enthusiastic, positive, and friendly. Therefore, smiling is a great way to show the interviewer that you share similar interests and that you have the potential to be a fresh addition to the team.

6. Don’t overdo it

Don’t get too friendly with the interviewer or smile constantly; it will make you come across as fake. Nobody smiles all the time, and this might be off-putting for interviewers. Your goal is to come across as friendly, open, and confident, not overwhelming, and aggressively friendly. An interviewer will be able to tell when you’re faking, which will not create a great impression on your part.

Frequently asked customer service job interview questions

Below you find a list of commonly asked job interview questions for customer service jobs.

1. What do you enjoy about providing great customer service?
2. Tell me about a time when you turned an unhappy customer into a satisfied customer.
3. What makes a great customer service representative?
4. What are your personal career goals?
5. As a customer service representative, how do you measure success?
6. What do you do when you don’t know how to help a customer?
7. Describe what customer service means to you.
8. What types of customer service software have you worked with in the past?
9. Did you try our products yourself? What issues did you encounter?
10. How do you de-escalate a situation with an angry customer?
11. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond to please a customer.
12. How important do you think it is to collaborate with other customer service teams across an organization?
13. Tell me about the toughest customer service case you have handled.
14. How do you define empathy? Can you provide me with an example where you used empathy in previous work situations?
15. Tell me about a difficult customer you had to deal with, and you handled the situation.
16. Tell me about a time you had to improvise to solve a problem.

Preparing answers to job interview questions about customer service

There are several important elements to consider when you’re preparing interview answers to questions related to customer service. Desirable traits of good customer service employees are, for instance:

• Being calm under pressure
• Good people skills
• Empathic
• Great communicator
• Showing patience
• Deep understanding and knowledge of products and services they represent
• Willing to learn and grow as a professional
• Great time management skills
• Positive attitude

Therefore, it’s important that you identify what the company is looking for in the specific position that you’re applying for and that you show that you have what it takes to successfully perform the job.

1. Start with research

Start your preparation by researching the job description and company. Identify what the job is all about and what the needed experience, skills, abilities, and competences are.

2. Write down a list of skills, abilities, and competences

Besides the ‘regular’ interview questions you can expect, such as ‘Tell me why you want to work here?‘, you can definitely expect the earlier discussed behavioral interview questions. These questions require you to provide the interviewer with an example of how you handled a particular situation in the past. Such questions are actually great opportunities for you to show that you’re a good fit for the position. Based on the required skills, abilities, and competences, you found you can structure your answers in a way that appeals to the interviewer.

3. Think about your greatest customer service achievements

Make a list of your work experiences that include the earlier identified skills, abilities, and competences for the position. Focus on highlighting the situations in which you successfully demonstrated the behavior needed for the job. Make sure to create concise and to-the-point answers.

4. Prepare successful situations and challenging ones

The interviewer will ask you about the experiences in which you excelled. Therefore, make sure that you highlight situations that had successful outcomes. The interviewer will most likely ask you about challenging situations you encountered in your previous work as well.

It’s therefore important that you prepare for such questions as well. Think, for instance of a question such as ‘Tell me about a time you were unable to help a customer with their problem. What was the exact issue, and how did you handle the situation?’.

Walk the interviewer through situations and how you handled them. Include what actions you took, why you took them, and what the exact results of those actions were. Furthermore, include the learning moments from those experiences.

Keep in mind that based on the information you give, it’s likely that the interviewer will ask you follow-up questions. The reason for this is to test your self-knowledge and awareness. Interviewers could, for instance, ask you how you might handle similar situations differently now.

5. Use the STAR technique to structure your answers

When the interviewer asks you behavioral interview questions, he or she wants you to elaborate on past work situations. Think of a question such as: ‘Tell me about a time when you had to interact with a difficult customer. What was the situation, and how did you handle it?’ By preparing example scenarios to these questions (that you’re most likely to get), you can give answers that include details that the interviewer is looking for.

Ensure that your answers include the situation you were in, what your task was, which actions you took, and the specific results of those actions. This is called the STAR technique and is discussed in more detail later on.

The STAR method allows you to provide to-the-point answers that are logically structured if you follow each step. Below the STAR method is discussed step by step.

Elements to consider when you’re preparing your answers according to the STAR interview technique

1. Start by creating a list of questions you think you can expect during your interview. Then, write down your answers in the form of a story that is structured logically. The STAR interview technique is the perfect way to do this. STAR is an acronym that stands for the situation you were in (S), your task (T) in that situation, the actions (A) you took, and what results (R) you got based on your actions.
2. Demonstrate the needed skills, abilities, and competences of the job that you’re applying for. Ensure that you match your qualifications to the job and skills, as mentioned in the job description.
3. Be genuine and honest. Interviewers are trained to notice when you’re making up a story on the spot. They will also ask you follow-up questions to go in-depth into the situations you provide them with. Make sure that you prepare several answers that demonstrate the skills that you think will be discussed based on your earlier research.

STAR Interview Technique

During your job interview, the interviewer will ask you personal questions about your motivation, personality, and other things of that nature. However, they will also ask you questions about your work experience and how you’ve handled certain situations in the past or how you might handle certain situations in the future. The questions are called behavioral job interview questions.

The STAR interview response technique will help you structure your answers logically. This interview technique is a perfect way to provide a to-the-point and concise answer on how you handle situations. Below the STAR acronym is broken down into steps.

Situation (S)

Share the context around the situation or challenged you faced. Don’t forget to include relevant details. However, stick to the essential details and keep it to-the-point.

Task (T)

Next, talk about your task in that particular situation. Provide the interviewer with information about your specific responsibilities and what your role was.

Action (A)

Explain to the interviewer how you handled the situation you were in and how you overcame the challenges you faced. The best way to go about this is by providing a step by step description of your actions.

Result (R)

This part is important. The interviewer is very interested in the results you got from your actions. Therefore, focus on these results and describe the outcomes of your actions. Make sure to take credit for your behavior if this led to specific results.

Also, besides discussing what you achieved to provide the interviewer with what you learned from the situation. Focus on positive results and positive learning experiences in your answers.

Mistakes to avoid when answering customer service interview questions

Below a couple of common mistakes are discussed.

1. Unrelated answers

Make sure that your answers include and relate to the skills that are needed for the job that you’re applying for. Giving unrelated answers are not relevant to the interviewer because they do not include anything that they are looking for in a candidate.

2. Rambling

If you ramble during a job interview, this can suggest that you’re unorganized in your thinking process. It can also suggest to the interviewer that you did not prepare as well as you should have.

When you’re walking the interviewer through your story, it’s easy to go into too much detail. When you’re doing this, you might actually end up confusing the interviewer. Prepare for different kinds of interview questions to make sure that you have an answer in every possible scenario that you expect.

3. Lacking confidence

Especially for positions in customer services, interviewers are looking for candidates that can confidently demonstrate their skills and abilities. Therefore, when you’re preparing your answers, practice delivering them as well. This will help you fluently articulating your answers and showing the confidence that you need to land that job!

Sample answers to interview questions about customer service

Below you can find a couple of example answers to frequently asked customer service interview questions. The example answers below are general examples to be used as inspiration. Don’t forget to structure your answers and relate them to the required skills of the job that you’re applying for. This is the best way to demonstrate your suitability for the position.

Customer service interview question example 1:

The first question is more of a personal question about your values. It’s important that you come across as an approachable person that has a passion for customer service and understands what the role entails. Also, if possible, include elements such as problem-solving skills, product awareness, and a positive attitude.

‘Can you tell me about what customer service means to you?’

‘To me, great customer service means going above and beyond in order to meet and exceed customer expectations. It starts with identifying the issues of a customer through active listening and using in-depth knowledge of a company’s products or services to find effective and efficient solutions.

Excellent customer service is a top priority for any company, and it is essential to create loyal and returning customers. The ultimate goal is to give customers the best possible user experience with a product or service and build a positive reputation for the company.’

Why is this a strong answer?

1. The answer is short and concise. It gives the interviewer insights into your views on customer service.
2. Also, the answer gives the interviewer room to ask follow-up questions about why you think certain things stated. Make sure to prepare for logical follow-up questions such as ‘tell me about a time you went above and beyond in order to meet and exceed customer expectations.’
3. The answer shows that you understand customer service, that you’re determined to help customers, and that you think in terms of solving problems efficiently.

Customer service interview question example 2:

This question is about teamwork and communication. These are both important factors in providing and continuously developing great customer service. Focus on why you think teamwork is important and how you have experienced this in the past.

‘How important is teamwork within customer service teams in a department or company?’

‘I think that teamwork within customer service teams is a fundamental key in providing a consistent customer experience. In my previous customer service jobs, I always worked closely with different teams to get the best results.

In my last job, within my own team, we held regular strategic meetings to share our knowledge about what kind of issues customers ran into. We would collect and document our findings to discuss them with our development team. This way, we made sure that the experience of customers was actually communicated throughout the company to the departments who could then work on a solution.’

Why is this a strong answer?

1. The answer demonstrates your teamwork and communication skills.
2. This answer demonstrates that you understand what is needed for customer service processes to be streamlined.
3. Also, the answer shows that you’re thinking about what’s best for the company and its brands.

Customer service interview question example 3:

This question regards a difficult customer service situation where you turned an unhappy customer into a satisfied one. This is a great opportunity to highlight this accomplishment. Also, it allows you to show that you have what it takes to successfully perform the job.

‘Give me an example of a time when you changed an unsatisfied customer into a happy one.’

‘In my previous position, where I worked as a customer service representative, I had to solve a situation with an angry customer. The customer wanted to return an item bought in the store without a receipt. He demanded a full return but company policy only allowed me to offer him store credit or let him exchange the product.

The first important step I took in this situation was staying calm and making sure that he felt heard. I listened carefully to the customer and apologized for the inconvenience. Through empathizing and reassuring that I was there to support him and resolve the matter the tensions calmed. I assisted him in the store in finding a similar product which he really appreciated. He told me he understood my position and was happy with the new product.’

Why is this a strong answer?

1. The answer demonstrates your creativity and conflict resolution skills to help solve an issue with a customer.
2. Also, the answer shows that you abide by the policies as set by the company, which is very important in such situations.
3. The answer has a positive outcome, which is great to make a good impression on an interviewer.

Customer service interview question example 4:

This question is about what actions you take when you do not know how to help a customer. It’s important to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and honesty. Be confident and tell the interviewer how you handle such a situation.

‘What actions do you take when you don’t know how to help a customer?‘

‘I’ve experienced such situations in the past, and when it happened, I did not pretend to know an answer if I didn’t. When a customer asks me a question, and I don’t know the answer I tell them ‘That’s a good question! Let me find out for you!’, and start taking steps to find a solution.

In my previous position as a customer service representative at a software development company, I helped customers with understanding and using our products to its full potential. The products contained a few complex features, and if I could not find the answer in the customer service manual, I would reach out to colleagues for assistance or referred the customer to someone who could help them out. This way, I always made sure that the customer got the service they needed.’

Why is this a strong answer?

1. It’s an honest answer, which is what the interviewer is looking for.
2. The answer demonstrates your problem-solving skills and that you have several options in case you do not know how to help a customer.