#5 Common Customer Service Interview Questions

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Good customer service is an integral part of any successful business. As such, businesses must always strive to ensure that their customer service is quality, in addition to being efficient enough to address customers’ complains and queries. One of the ways through which this can be done is by ensuring that competent personnel are recruited to handle this department. In this regard, there are common customer service interview questions.

What is customer service?

This question seeks to find out whether the interviewee has a good grasp of the field and what is involved. Most of the information required to answer this question will be learnt through theory classes. This will show how well the applicant qualified in their theory examinations. In answering such a question, the applicant can define what customer service is and what the staff members in a customer service department do on a daily basis. They should also outline that there are different levels of customer service and briefly state the benefits of good and efficient customer services.

What relevant qualifications do you have?

In asking the question, the interviewer is actually looking at two aspects of qualifications. Qualifications obtained from a school setting and qualifications regarding past experience in the customer service field. This will help in determining how suitable the interviewee is for the position for which they have applied. The job applicant should outline their academic qualifications relevant to the job. After this, they should point out the experience they have gained from past jobs. This should be done in a way that demonstrates the application of theory to practical skills, focused on handling real life situations.

What do you know about our products and services?

Customer service is all about handling customers on issues relating to the products of a business. As such, the staff members in this department should be conversant with a lot of information relating to the products. The interviewer will want to find out if the interviewee has an interest in their job and how much research they have done before applying for the position. When answering such customer service interview questions, the interviewee should indicate an understanding of the business environment, nature of operations and target and existing markets for the business.

How would you deal with a difficult customer?

It is a common phenomenon for a customer service representative to encounter a customer that they consider to be difficult. This question will seek to find out how the interviewee would handle customers when pushed to the brink and subjected to pressure. Will they maintain their calm? What image of the business will they project? In order to answer these customer service interview questions effectively, the interviewee should clearly explain how they would listen to customer complains, handle a customer who is wrong and deal with a rude customer. Previous examples of how they handled such situations may be helpful.

Do you prefer to work alone or with others?

Customer service is aimed at making the business improve its operations for greater profitability. In effect, staff members should communicate customer tastes, preferences, complains and changing trends to their colleagues and seniors for adjustments and improvements to be made. The interviewee should demonstrate their ability to work, under minimum supervision, within a team. They should leave no doubt as to the benefit they will bring to the business.

Job seekers in the customer service industry should familiarize themselves with these and other related customer service interview questions to increase their chances of getting hired. And to land more interviews, make sure you’ve built a great resume. LiveCareer’s Resume Builder can help you build a high-quality professional resume in a matter of minutes!