Best Customer Service Interview Questions
If you’re a business owner, you know that providing great customer service is vital to the success of your company. After all, happy customers are more likely to come back and do business with you again.
But what does it take to provide excellent customer service? It starts with having the right team in place. And part of building the right team means hiring employees who have the customer service skills and personality traits that you’re looking for.
One way to gauge if a job candidate has what it takes to provide great customer service is to ask them specific interview questions about their customer service experience and beliefs.
Top Customer Service Interview Questions to Ask
The below given customer service interview questions will help you to assess a candidate’s skills and traits during an interview.
1. Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond for a customer?
Asking a customer service interview question like this will give you insight into a candidate’s work ethic and their willingness to go the extra mile for customers.
2. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer?
This customer service interview question will help you to gauge a candidate’s ability to handle difficult situations. It’s important to find out how they stay calm under pressure and if they’re able to diffusing tense situations.
3. What do you believe is the most important quality for a customer service representative?
When asking this customer service interview question, you’re looking to see if the candidate values qualities that are important to you and your company. For example, if you place a high value on empathy, you would want to hear a candidate say that they believe empathy is an important quality for a customer service representative to have.
4. What do you think is the best way to deal with a angry customer?
This question will help you to assess a candidate’s ability to handle difficult customer service situations. It will also give you insight into their problem-solving skills.
5. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a customer complaint?
Asking a question like this will help you to gauge a candidate’s ability to handle difficult customer service situations. It will also give you insight into their problem-solving skills.
6. Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond for a customer?
This question will give you insight into a candidate’s work ethic and their willingness to go the extra mile for customers.
7. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer service situation?
When asking this customer service interview question, you’re looking to see how the candidate handled a difficult situation. This will give you insight into their problem-solving skills as well as their ability to stay calm under pressure.
8. Could you give me an example of a time when you provided excellent customer service?
This question will help you to assess a candidate’s customer service skills. It’s important to find out if they’re able to go above and beyond for customers and if they have a track record of providing excellent customer service.
9. Can you think of a time when you had to diffused a tense customer service situation?
This question will help you to assess a candidate’s ability to handle difficult customer service situations. It’s important to find out if they’re able to diffusing tense situations and if they have a calm demeanor.
10. Can you describe a time when you went above and beyond for a customer?
When asking this customer service interview question, you’re looking to see if the candidate is willing to go the extra mile for customers. This will give you insight into their work ethic and their commitment to providing great customer service.
11. What recent customer service training have you received?
Asking a question like this will help you to assess a candidate’s commitment to professional development and their desire to stay up-to-date on the latest customer service trends.
How to Conduct a Customer Service Interview?
To ensure that you ask the best customer service interview questions, there are a few things you should keep in mind. You are looking for a customer service representative that has the skills and qualities that are important to you and your company. Asking questions that are specific to your company’s values will help you to find the right candidate.
It’s also important to ask questions that are relevant to the role of customer service representative. Asking general questions about customer service won’t give you the specific information you’re looking for. Instead, focus on questions that will help you to assess a candidate’s customer service skills, ability to handle difficult situations, and commitment to providing excellent customer service.
Below are Some of the Tips to Conduct a Customer Service Interview:
1. Encourage the candidate to provide specific examples:
When asking customer service interview questions, you want the candidate to provide specific examples of their work experience. This will give you a better understanding of their customer service skills and abilities.
2. Ask follow-up questions:
Asking follow-up questions is a great way to get more information from a candidate. If the candidate provides a general answer, you can ask them to provide more details. This will help you to get a better understanding of their customer service skills and experience.
3. Avoid yes or no questions:
When asking customer service interview questions, you want to avoid yes or no questions. These types of questions won’t give you the information you’re looking for. Instead, focus on questions that will encourage the candidate to provide more details about their customer service skills and experience.
4. Be clear about the role of customer service representative:
Before you start the interview, be sure to explain the role of customer service representative to the candidate. This will help them to understand what you’re looking for in a candidate and what the job entails.
5. Ask about the candidate’s experience dealing with difficult customer service situations:
Customer service can be challenging, so you’ll want to find out if the candidate has experience dealing with difficult situations. This will give you insight into their ability to handle challenging customer service scenarios.
6. Find out if the candidate is up-to-date on customer service trends:
The world of customer service is always changing, so it’s important to find out if the candidate is up-to-date on the latest trends. This will help you to assess their commitment to professional development and their desire to stay up-to-date on the latest customer service trends.
7. Ask about the candidate’s availability:
Customer service representatives need to be available to work a variety of shifts, so it’s important to find out if the candidate is available to work the hours you need them to. This will help you to assess their availability and commitment to providing excellent customer service.
8. Ask about the candidate’s communication skills:
Communication is an important part of customer service, so you’ll want to find out if the candidate has excellent communication skills. This will help you to assess their ability to communicate with customers and resolve customer service issues.
9. Ask about the candidate’s problem-solving skills:
Customer service representatives need to be able to solve customer service issues quickly and efficiently. This will help you to assess the candidate’s problem-solving skills and their ability to handle challenging customer service scenarios.
10. Ask about the candidate’s commitment to providing excellent customer service:
Providing excellent customer service is essential for any customer service representative. This will help you to assess the candidate’s commitment to providing excellent customer service and their ability to meet customer expectations.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to conduct a customer service interview that will help you to assess a candidate’s customer service skills and experience. By asking the right questions, you’ll be able to find the best customer service representative for your business.