How To Answer Questions About Customer Service In An Interview

Sample Customer Service Representative Interview Questions

Interviewing for customer service jobs? Nosotros've got you covered!

We're going to expect at 17 sample customer service representative interview questions, including the top behavioral client service interview questions.

These are the questions yous tin expect to hear in whatsoever customer service interview… whether it's a offset phone interview or face-to-face interview.

Brand certain you can answer ALL 17 before going into your interview. Let'south go started…

Sample Client Service Representative Interview Questions

1. "Practice yous have any previous customer service experience?"

Non anybody'southward slap-up at dealing with customers, and employers want to make sure yous'll practise a skillful job before they hire you.

And then they're going to desire to know if you've washed like work before.

They'll start by asking if yous have whatsoever previous customer service experience, and if you practise, then the hiring manager volition ask a lot more than well-nigh information technology.

They're going to ask for details like:

How you interacted with customers (phone, in-person, etc.)
How many customers you served per day/week
The types of customers you served (retail customer service, business organisation customers, etc.)

And so brush up on your past experience and review your own resume when preparing for your interviews.

Be ready to go into particular most everything yous've done in the past in the field of customer service.

If you lot don't accept any previous client service experience, don't worry. They patently liked SOMETHING on your resume or they wouldn't have invited yous to interview.

So you tin be straight and say, "no".

Or if you lot have another experience yous recollect is relevant fifty-fifty if it wasn't exactly client service, you can say, "no… just…" then talk well-nigh what else y'all've done and why you experience it'd help you succeed in this customer service job.

ii. What does "proficient" customer service mean to y'all?

Next, the interviewer is going to want to run across if you accept a bones understanding of the purpose of customer service.

This is a tough interview question because it's so open-ended.

I recommend saying something similar the post-obit:

"To me, groovy customer service is going above and beyond what a customer expects to make sure they accept an outstanding experience and want to tell friends nigh how positive their interaction with our company was."

It'south important to show that you know your job involves making sure customers are happy with the company, not just you as a person.

You'll find a lot of customer service surveys say, "From 1-10, how probable are y'all to recommend the company to a friend?"

And that's how they evaluate their customer service representatives.

They're not asking customers, "Was Jake a squeamish guy when he helped you?"…

They're asking whether you'd recommend the company. So that'southward what your job really is equally a customer service representative – to aid customers and give them a positive impression of the visitor overall.

3. "What motivates you in your career?"

Employers want to know what motivates you and keeps yous going aside from money… especially when you interview for a difficult/stressful job like customer service representative positions.

These jobs are DEFINITELY stressful at times.

So employers desire to make sure there'southward something that will motivate you and continue you going when a solar day gets hard.

Don't say "coin" when yous answer this question.

They want to know what'due south going to keep yous motivated besides the paycheck.

That's what hiring managers are curious about this when they ask this question in a customer service representative interview.

Here's some further reading on answering the "what motivates you" interview question.

4. What are your career goals/Where do you see yourself in 2-5 years?

Nigh people don't dream of being in customer service and don't desire to stay there forever.

So employers are probably going to enquire nearly your long-term goals in a customer service representative interview.

You don't need to lie and say this is your dream chore…

You just want to show that this client service representative position fits into your overall goals, fifty-fifty if it'due south not where you want to be forever.

For case, do you want to go a manager? Learning the "ins and outs" of customer service can boost your people skills and help you acquire about a vital part of the system.

Want to work in sales somewhen? Yous can say that yous hope to build A+ interpersonal skills and communication skills, and you thought customer service was a corking identify to build that foundation.

That'south the basic thought when answering this interview question.

Must-Know Behavioral Customer Service Interview Questions

Next, you lot'll desire to prepare for behavioral questions. These are questions that offset with phrases similar, "tell me near a time y'all had to ___."

Behavioral questions are very common for customer service representative jobs.

Employers want to make sure you can handle hard situations with customers Earlier they rent you.

They also want to brand certain you won't practise anything to impairment the company's reputation, similar yelling at a customer, walking out, etc.

Here are some sample behavioral interview questions to brand sure you're set to answer for whatever customer service job:

5. "Tell me about a difficult client you had to deal with and how you handled it?"

For answering behavioral interview questions, I similar the S.T.A.R. method.

Due southituation. Tenquire/Challenge. Action you took. Result.

That's a good way to organize your respond.

So when you lot're in a client service job interview and they ask about a difficult customer y'all encountered, you could say:

"It was Friday afternoon and we were most to close the store." (Situation)

"A customer came to me extremely unhappy considering __" (Task/Challenge)

"So I quickly did ___ and decided to offer her ___ to rectify the situation" (Action you took)

"She was very grateful and completely understood after I explained ___. And she was thrilled that I was able to give her ___ equally compensation for her hassle. She said she'd exist back soon to store once more." (Result).

I'd recommend using this method to break down your reply into smaller pieces and tell clearer and better stories.

This is useful for whatever behavioral client service interview question.

half-dozen. "Tell me about a fourth dimension you went above and beyond what was expected to please a client?"

Employers don't simply want someone who does the bare minimum or sticks to their exact task description as a customer service representative.

So they enquire behavioral questions similar this one to see if you're able to really please customers and get higher up and across the nuts.

If you lot accept any previous customer service experience, exist set up to get into item nearly a time you got creative or put in the extra effort to delight a customer.

For case, if you worked in a grocery shop, what was something you did that they actually didn't expect, and made their 24-hour interval?

Perhaps you helped them discover their lost child as the store was closing.

Maybe yous special-ordered a product that y'all don't normally carry.

Remember well-nigh those things that aren't on the job description. That's what to talk almost when answering this interview question.

If y'all've never worked in a customer service role before, they might ask a similar question similar, "tell me about a time you went to a higher place and beyond what was expected of you at piece of work?"

So fifty-fifty if you've never worked in client service, be set up to talk about a situation where y'all did more than than what was expected in your job.

Read sample answers to "Tell me about a time you went above and beyond" here.

7. "Tell me about a hard day y'all experienced at work. What happened and how did you handle it?"

You're going to have difficult days every bit a customer service representative.

And then employers desire to know that you're resilient and tin handle it.

They want to know that you lot won't freak out, throw your uniform and quit.

So show them you know it's not always like shooting fish in a barrel being in customer service, but that you're able to stay professional and come dorsum the next day no affair what happens.

Use the S.T.A.R. method (mentioned earlier!) to tell a articulate story almost a mean solar day that actually didn't go your way, and what you lot learned from it and how you turned information technology into a positive feel.

What were you able to amend from that experience?

How did you make certain the client was satisfied?

How did that experience assist you avoid problems/mistakes/hard situations later in your career?

That'southward the general approach I'd accept when answering this type of question in your customer service interview.

eight. "Give me an case of a fourth dimension when yous had to explain something fairly complex to a frustrated customer or coworker. How did you lot brand sure they understood you?"

Communicate skills are vital for any client-facing task, so employers desire to encounter how y'all explain yourself and communicate.

They'll judge this throughout the interview with EVERY answer yous give them, too.

And so make sure all of your answers are clear, concise, and to-the-point.

9. "Tell me near a time you thought you communicated conspicuously but were misunderstood. What happened and how did yous handle the state of affairs?"

This is some other customer service interview question designed to measure your communication skills and your ability to recover when things don't go exactly every bit planned.

They're looking to hear a story showing your ability to solve a problem/issue after your first attempt to communicate didn't get so well.

If y'all work in client service long enough, y'all'll be misunderstood once or twice. (No matter how smashing you are).

And so the hiring managing director or interviewer wants to encounter you tin keep your cool and recover even if a client totally misunderstands you and gets upset.

10. "Draw an instance when you had to improvise or think on your feet to solve a problem"

Some other part of being great at customer service is solving problems and improvising on the spot.

Sometimes the unexpected happens.

A power outage.

An injury to a customer (if you're in retail, etc.)

So effort to use the Southward.T.A.R. method that nosotros discussed earlier to tell a story of how you improvised in the past to find a solution to an unexpected problem.

11. "Tell me virtually a time you were under a lot of stress at work and how you dealt with it"

You're likely to be asked about stressful situations in any customer service interview. Mainly, considering customer service jobs aren't easy and usually practise bring some stress.

Employers know you'll be better able to deliver good customer service if you don't let the stress get to yous, so they ask interview questions well-nigh the topic.

To sell yourself in the client service interview, prepare an example of a high-stress situation, ideally involving a customer, and how yous got through information technology.

Try to bear witness the hiring manager that y'all've seen plenty of tough, stressful situations earlier and information technology doesn't phase you. Make your answer as closely related to the task you'll be performing for this hiring managing director in guild to demonstrate that you'll exist a great customer service representative in their role.

Read total sample answers and more tips on this question hither.

12. "Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work, what happened?"

This question isn't specific to customer service jobs, but it'southward most commonly asked when interviewing for a customer service representative role.

Hiring managers know that anybody makes a error from fourth dimension to time. With this question, they desire to hear that you can own up to it, be accountable, and not let it touch on your ability to bounciness back and deliver bang-up service for each new customer that comes in.

One flim-flam to answering: Yous can name a mistake that y'all fabricated involving your interactions and work with other team members, rather than a customer.

Most hiring managers for a customer service-oriented role care almost pleasing the client to a higher place all else, since negative reviews and give-and-take of mouth can harm a business long-term.

So if yous're able to share a small mistake involving another squad fellow member, you can avoid casting any doubtfulness on your power to deliver good client service in your interview.

Read sample answers to this question hither.

13. "When you're working with a large number of customers, information technology's tricky to deliver excellent service to all. How exercise you go nigh prioritizing customers' needs?"

There isn't one right way to prioritize in a customer service job.

It depends a lot on your industry and whether you interact face-to-face with customers, whether you're working in an role and talking to customers on the telephone, etc.

Your goal in your respond should exist to explain how yous try to remain fair and use your best judgment to keep all customers satisfied.

Endeavor to testify hiring managers that you've been in tricky situations in the by (ideally as a customer service representative) and that know how to handle it without panicking.

Example Answer:

"I try to exist off-white and treat our customers equally. Of grade, if in that location's a large client that is crucial to our business organization I am going to make certain they're well taken care of, but I want every customer to experience like they're important to usa. In whatever situation or challenge, I maintain first-class communication. I'm not always able to handle every customer request the instant information technology comes in, but I respond and requite a timeframe for how shortly I can handle information technology. I show that I understand their business and that I'm working on taking action to resolve it. This goes a long style to keeping customers happy. I more matter I do in my response is invite them to follow upwardly if they have any further concerns or need an update. That mode they feel comfortable checking in, and aren't left waiting anxiously without an reply."

14. "Draw a fourth dimension when yous had to interact with a difficult client. What was the situation, and how did you handle it?"

Employers want to know you can do some quick problem solving to aid a difficult client (or at-home an angry customer).

And they want to see you lot can help a customer in this situation while also staying within the company's policies and guidelines.

If yous are applying to a service industry job, like a server or retail worker, the flexibility to practise whatever it takes to appease an unsatisfied customer is commonly larger than if y'all are working in a corporate environment. Either way, the client should come up outset, and then they want to hear that yous retained their business concern and did everything possible to make sure they were satisfied.

Example Answer:

"My concluding job was in a call heart for a large e-commerce company, and a customer called in yelling about an e-mail he had sent us. He said that he had emailed us three days ago and we hadn't responded, in regard to an particular that arrived broken. I apologized and told him I understood his frustration. He was nevertheless very loud and upset but I asked him if he could please hold for two minutes while I expect into the outcome. I looked in our records and saw that the e-mail had been overlooked by some other associate. I put in the request for a replacement to be sent out immediately. I got back on the phone and reassured him that his replacement was on the mode. I explained when he could await to receive information technology. He seemed satisfied once I was able to tell him when the new item volition arrive. Staying calm and showing him I understood why he was frustrated was what kept the phone call nether control and kept him from getting more hostile."

15. "Tell me virtually a time a client was pleased with your service"

At that place are a few important things you should embrace in your answer. First, demonstrate your skill and your ability to do loftier quality work in your field. And so show that you take excellent communication and are dedicated to customer service. If you can end your story past saying the experience led to more business organization for the company, that's ideal (but don't worry if yous can't).

Instance Reply:

"I worked with a difficult customer to resolve a few bug they were having with their internet service. I stayed patient and took the fourth dimension to fully sympathise the issue, and so came back to them promptly with a solution. They had spoken to a few other customer service representatives in the past who didn't take the fourth dimension to address the whole issue, so the problem kept occurring. After the issue was stock-still, the company went out of the way to tell my manager how satisfied they were with the service I gave them. Later that year they signed a contract to aggrandize our service into three more of their role locations for a total of $70,000 in revenue for our company."

16. "Give me an example where you did not meet a client's expectations. What happened and how did y'all endeavor to ready the situation?"

To answer this client service interview question, think of a misunderstanding or a fourth dimension you or your team failed to deliver what the client expected.

Explain what happened, how y'all corrected information technology, and what you learned from the situation that yous nevertheless apply today with your next customer.

Example Answer:

"Nosotros had a make new web pattern client and I was asked to handle their outset project, forth with another junior designer. I took the lead but wasn't on the initial conference call due to a disharmonize in my schedule. So I relied on the junior designer to talk with their website manager and gather the specifications for the project. My colleague misunderstood a few of their requests and didn't ask plenty questions so it resulted in united states having to schedule some other telephone call and do a few revisions on our initial work. The project turned out keen in the end and the customer was happy, just it cost united states valuable time. I learned that if I am responsible for a project, I need to exist communicating with the customer first-paw to understand their needs then delegating tasks afterwards."

17. "Describe a fourth dimension when it was especially of import to make a good impression on a customer. How did you approach things?"

With this question and answer, make certain you lot show them y'all're willing to practise whatever it takes to assistance the company if yous're hired. Chances are they put the customer first if they're asking this, so you lot need to prove that you do the same if you desire them to feel comfy offering you the chore.

Instance Answer:

"I had been working every bit an account manager for two years in my previous company when the person who managed our largest business relationship resigned. The business relationship was given to me. The client had a lot of special requests that I needed to acquire about. I spent time reviewing the previous notes in the business relationship, and I scheduled a call to get acquainted with our contact in the visitor to introduce myself. I was attentive and set expectations for what I would deliver, and was able to keep the customer very happy. They actually gave united states of america xx% more concern later that year."

Conclusion: Acing Your Customer Service Job Interview

If you follow the advice above and practise these common client service task interview questions, you lot'll exist amend prepared than near candidates, and yous'll give yourself a dandy shot at getting the job offer!

If y'all want more help succeeding in your interviews, hither are two boosted free resources to aid you:

20 must-know interview questions and answers
How to send "thanks" notes/emails afterward your interview