If you’re looking for customer service jobs one way to prepare for interview might be to look at YouTube. There you’ll find video’s covering just about every aspect of the industry, from every point of view – some good, some bad, and some very funny. A lot are incredibly obvious and annoying, especially the American training videos, which may make you really glad that you’re applying for customer service jobs in the UK. All the links to the videos are referenced at the bottom of this blog post.
Don’t let the US clips put you off
Unfortunately some of these American clips are an easy place to find the stuff you’re interviewer will want you to know. Top 6 Ways to Get An Angry Customer to Back Down is a case in point. It does have some useful tips though you might have to grit your teeth due to the over-explaining voice of the presenter who sounds like she lost her true personality in the company machine long ago. In a similar vein is Abusive Customers: Customer Service Training: Examples of Bad Customer Service. It spouts gems such as ‘courtesy is the hallmark of good customer service’ - hardly original but useful sound bites for a customer services job interview.
Don’t go near The Resident/Customer Dis-service, unless you want to see the most patronising, insincere New York presenter ever. It’s as if she’s fresh from a workshop on ‘How to Demonstrate Empathy and Encouragement to very small children’ and doesn’t realise the skills need to be adapted a bit before for use on adults. How she doesn’t get nauseous with all that empathic nodding is beyond me, because I certainly did. Customer service jobs in London may not sound as glamorous as New York but at least you won’t bump into her here.
Check out some (possibly) real examples
Those already in customer service careers know that some automated phone systems can send people mad. Dell Support Call, very funny! - is a genuine example of just how irrational some customers might be by the time they get to talk to you.
If you’re looking at customer service vacancies that involve cold calling, please be reassured that it’s rarely as offensive, abusive or as funny as annoyed BT customer.
There are plenty of examples of bad service but my two favourites are terrible customer service and Funny Dell Customer Service. These just appealed to
my childish sense of humour and won’t be much help in your customer service job interview unless you didn’t already know not to taunt, copycat or make rude signs at customers. Another favourite if unhelpful one is Customer Services Training. This features complaints like’ the kitchen I bought off you has given me manic depression, and ‘this isn’t kettle; it’s a f….g liberty!’
Can YouTube really help you get a job in customer services?
Watch all these and any of the thousands more on offer and it could be very valuable to any customer services interview. It’s an ice-breaker. It shows you take an interest in the industry. And finally it may help you tick that all- important ‘must have a sense of humour’ box.
One last tip. It may not be a good idea to quote any YouTube footage featuring the company you’re interviewing for. (Assume American accent.) “But hey you knew that right, because you’re a warm empathetic human being with a great customer service career ahead of you. Love ya baby.”
Useful Links
- Top 6 Ways to Get An Angry Customer to Back Down
- Abusive Customers: Customer Service Training: Examples of Bad Customer Service
- The Resident / Customer Dis-service
- Dell Support Call, very funny!
- Annoyed BT customer (visit:www.ballsofsteel.tv)
- Terrible customer service
- Funny Dell Customer Service
- Customer Services Training
Why not check out our latest customer service jobs.
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