Preparing For a Customer Service Job Interview

Candidates attending a customer service job interview will be asked a wide variety of questions, both standard interview questions as well as customer service specific ones. In this blog post I take a look at some typical customer service specific job interview questions you're likely to be asked and provide job seekers with some advice on how to prepare for and answer these common questions.

If you're attending an interview for a customer service job role then you're quite likely to be asked this favourite: "What does excellent customer service mean to you?" and "What is your customer service philosophy?"

Prepare for this question by thinking about what excellent customer service might look like for the company you are applying a job with. Familiarise yourself with the company's products and services, their mission, vision and values – you should be able to find most of this on their website. If not phone them up and ask if you can obtain copies of any company reports etc – this will show real initiative and will demonstrate a real desire that you want to work for that company. It’s also a good idea to be able to demonstrate how you’ve put your customer service philosophy into action by referring to past experiences, so make a note of these and rehearse them.

Also be prepared to answer behavioural interview questions like “How would you deal with an angry customer?” and "Tell me about a time when you had to sort out a complex problem for a customer.”
Questions like these are intended to help the interviewer measure competencies like problem analysis and solving, adaptability, patience and stress tolerance.

As a good response to this type of question the interviewer will want to see evidence that you are capable of maintaining a positive mental attitude when under pressure and you maintain your focus on delivering first class customer service. Tell them about the coping techniques that you use to keep calm under provocation and stress and that you are able to show patience when faced with a challenging  customer.

Many interviewers will also want to hear about any customer service training you’ve had so it’s always a good idea to bring along details of any formal customer service qualifications you've gained that are relevant to the job.

Good communication skills are key to success in any customer service position, so demonstrate that you are an excellent communicator by listening carefully and asking smart questions. Answer questions concisely and clearly and remember to be polite and courteous at all times. Oh, and one other thing don’t forget to smile!  Check out our latest customer service jobs.