In Nigeria, customer service has emerged as a highly desirable career path, with businesses striving to employ skilled representatives capable of nurturing strong client relationships. The ability to effectively maintain the bridge between customers and the company has become a key priority for organizations across various industries.
As simple as it may appear, a customer service profession necessitates the acquisition of other required abilities and characteristics. As a result, when answering customer service job interview questions, you must exhibit these skills.
Since you’ll be attending a customer service interview, it is important that you know the frequently asked customer service interview questions and answers you can give.
A customer service personnel’s job involves courting customers. Can you handle people of different characters, beliefs and moral values? How patient can you be? Would you satisfy a rude customer? Well, you have to give the right answers to these questions.
20 Best Skills For Customer Service Job
- Teamwork
- Active Listening
- Self Control
- Patience
- Positive Language
- Persuasive Speaking
- Leadership
- Effective Listening
- Interpersonal Communication
- Time management
- Emotional Intelligence
- Respect
- Knowledge
- Adaptability
- Detail-oriented
- Innovative
- Critical Thinking
- Conflict resolution
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Customer Service Job Responsibilities
Some of the responsibilities of a customer service job are;
- To ensure that customers are satisfied and supported.
- To give solutions to customer’s complaints.
- Maintain a positive and professional attitude toward customers.
- To manage the requirements of customers and to keep a welcoming attitude.
- To keep comments and information of customers.
- Being time-conscious and responding promptly to customer’s inquiries.
- Having Knowledge of the company’s products and services in other to give the right feedback
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Tips For Answering Frequently Asked Customer Service Job Interview Questions
- Before the interview, make sure you are familiar with the company’s structure, products, and services they provide.
- During the interview have a positive response to questions
- Be ready to talk about your relevant experiences
- Try not to Panic
- Grab opportunities to sell and express yourself
- Share relevant experience and demonstrate the skills of a customer service personnel in your answers.
To improve your impression of the interviewer. You should ask a couple of questions of the interviewer. Here are some interview questions for jobs involving customer service that you can use:
Common Customer Service Job Interview Questions and Answers
Here are common questions interviewers are likely to ask you in your customer service job interview;
1. What Is Customer Service?
This is usually the first question the interviewer likes to ask. They want to know the job descriptions you are applying for. Interviewers prefer to hear your perspective and mindset regarding the position. You are expected to give the right answer. What’s the right answer?
Answer: “Mainly, customer service is turning a dissatisfied or unhappy customer into a satisfied or happy customer. It is the act of providing services to a customer before, during and after a purchase”.
2. How Would You Handle An Angry Customer?
An angry customer is a “handful”. Not everyone can stay calm in certain situations. But as a customer service person, you are expected to be calm, helpful and sympathetic to customers at all times. Therefore, let the interviewer know that you can handle an upset customer calmly and effectively. Look at this answer;
Answer: “A quick apology to an angry customer is usually more effective than controversy. Therefore, I would start by apologizing to the customer. Although the customer might be at fault, it doesn’t matter. Then, I’ll look into the situation and see how best it can be handled. if the company have specific guidelines to solve the problem, I would follow them. After solving the problem I’ll give the customer safety precautions so it won’t repeat”.
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3. What Is Your Preferred Method Of Communication?
“There are several ways of communication in customer service. Some of these ways include; On-call, Email, Chats (Social Media), Person-to-Person, and other channels. The interviewer wants to know how you would conduct either means of communication. First, focus on the specific customer service job you’ve applied for. If it’s Email support don’t say you prefer to communicate on calls”.
Answer: “I can communicate with people in any way. However, I feel communicating in person-to-person will be most effective because there will be no missing details and I’ll get more needed information compared to other means of communication. However, I am very versatile and will do well in other methods of communication”.
4. What Is Your Career Goal?
Your personal career goal should align with the role of customer service personnel. If it’s not, then try linking up. The interviewer expects to understand why you chose the position. Also, it will show the interviewer that you are a driven candidate and have a sense of where you would like to be in the next few years.
Answer: “I want to build my career path by solving problems. Being a problem solver will create a sense of value for me, and people around me will find me helpful. This position as a customer service representative in your company will help me exercise and grow my career goal.”
5. What Would You Do When You Can’t Help A Customer?
There’s a possibility that a situation where you can’t help a customer might happen. Probably, the customer’s complaint might be above what you can handle. The interviewer wants to know that you understand this and you can ask for assistance when you need it.
Answer: “If I am unable to assist the customer, I’ll first make sure that the customer is at ease and comfortable. Then, I’ll go to an older staff and explain the situation, if he or she can’t still solve the problem. I would go to the manager and explain the customer’s complaint. If it’s permitted, I could introduce the customer to the manager to ensure that the customer doesn’t feel abandoned”.
6. How Would Your Ex-Coworkers Describe You?
This question will tell the interviewer or hiring manager the kind of relationship you had with your ex-coworkers and people in your working environment. The interviewer wants to know how well you interact and people’s perceptions about you. So, answer this question well.
Answer: “In my previous job, my co-workers teased me a lot. They gave me a nickname smiley. According to them, it’s because I have a welcoming smile and I tend to smile a lot. Also, for me, it is one of the strategies in relating well to customers and getting more information from them that will help me solve their problems”.
7. How Would You Handle A Wrong Customer?
“Customers are always right” that the regular saying. However the actual meaning is no matter how wrong a customer is, you should not condemn or blame them. More so, in handling a wrong customer you must handle the situation delicately. The interviewer wants to see that you can tactfully address the problem/issue.
Answer: “My perception about wrong customers is that most times they believe they are right when they are wrong. So, when you try to let them know, it often leads to a disagreement. Therefore, instead of blaming them at the initial. I will first give a solution to the problem or issue. It will make the customer satisfied and happy. Then I can further explain the cause of the problem and give the customer some precautions so it doesn’t happen again”.
Customer Service-Related Questions
Here are other likely questions that can also be asked during a customer service interview. It is listed for you to brace yourself for the coming interview. (Do you need help answering or preparing effectively for your upcoming customer service interview? Kindly contact our team of professional interview coaches now to get started!)
Customer Service Management Interview Questions
- How do you stay up to date on current industry developments and customer expectations?
- Tell me about the customer service policy you designed and implemented.
- How would your employees describe you as their manager?
- How do you keep your team members motivated to complete their jobs while they are all working remotely?
- How do you monitor the performance of your team members?
- What solutions have you developed as a result of ongoing client issues?
Customer Service Technology Interview Questions
- What technology have you integrated to provide the best customer experience?
- What tools do you prefer for interacting with customers? Why?
- What is your preferred method of communicating with your customers?
- What tools should be employed in modern customer service departments?
Call Center Interview Questions
- What are the main responsibilities of a call centre agent?
- Which type of call centre software are you familiar with?
- How do you handle it when clients use aggressive language over the phone?
- What is your experience working in a virtual call centre?
- How do you handle unfavourable consumer feedback?
Top 10 Customer Service Job Interview Questions You Can Ask Interviewers
Because an interview is a two-way conversation, you should prepare likely questions for the interviewer to ask during the interview. To assist you obtain the greatest results, here are ten (10) questions you may ask your interviewer that will demonstrate that you have researched the job role and company and are eager to work. Let’s get started.
- What’s the company’s current challenge with customers?
- What are some of the qualities you think I would need to work in this company?
- Is there any challenge facing the customer service representatives currently?
- What does a typical day or week look like in this role? …
- What are the most immediate projects that need to be addressed?
- Can you show me examples of projects I’d be working on?
- What are the skills and experiences you’re looking for in an ideal candidate?
- What sort of budget would I be working with?
- Is this a new role or will I be taking over for an employee who’s leaving?
- How does this position contribute to the company overall?
Conclusion
As much as you are preparing for your interview regarding the questions to ask and answer, also know that how you dress for the interview, your body language and self-confidence are also paramount. Therefore, learning How To Make A Good Lasting Impression In An Interview will come in handy for you. Don’t forget, if you still need further professional advice on how to stand out during and after an interview that will increase your chances of getting hired, you can contact us right away. Good luck!
