Describe A Time You Had To Complete A Task No One Trained You To Do How Did You Handle It
This question assesses how flexible you are and you adapt to challenges. Use your answer to show employers you take advantage of learning opportunities and are willing to face challenges at work. Think of a task you completed successfully with little to no experience when answering.
Example:”When I was a barista, our manager wanted us to start creating latte art on all of our hot drinks. No one at the cafe had experience with latte art, so I took initiative and learned how to do it by watching videos and practising at home. The next day, I showed everyone how to create simple latte art.”
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Get Real Answers From References
References can be a valuable component of the interview process if handled correctly. Granted, it can be a challenge to have a forthright conversation with a person who has been hand-picked to deliver a glowing review, but the right attitude will go far.
Help Scout alum Ivana Flodr has honed her technique down to a particularly revealing pair of questions. First, she asks a reference to rate a candidate from 1-10 in terms of living up to their potential. Most people will respond warmly , but her follow-up coaches more candor into the dialogue: How could they get to a 10?
The question often lowers peoples guards and gets them talking about both a candidates shortcomings and their ability to improve. Youll get honest feedback about a persons trajectory and their commitment to self-improvement information thats hard to glean from anywhere else.
Its also important to ask for specific anecdotes and to frame questions so they cant be answered with a pat yes or no. For example, Whats a time that this person resolved an intra-team conflict? will get you a lot further than, Do they work well with others?
How To Prepare For Behavioral Interview Questions
Preparing for behavioral interview questions might seem challenging, but its far simpler when you realize that the biggest step is to have a few stories ready. In most cases, you want to begin working out what to share by reviewing the job description.
In the end, developing fantastic answers for STAR method interview questions starts with relevancy.
Another important tip is to make sure each of your stories has a formal conclusion. After giving them the results, tell the hiring manager something about what you learned from the experience or how it continues to shape you as a professional. That gives your answer a bit of something extra.
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Tell Me About A Time You Went Above And Beyond For A Customer
Employers ask this question to find someone with excellent customer service skills. Having employees who are passionate about their work and are willing to go above and beyond for customers can help the company increase its profits. Mention a specific time you helped a customer in a way that was outside of your job scope.
Example:”When I was a cook at a fast-food restaurant, a customer came in with severe food allergies. She couldn’t eat gluten, dairy, or meat. We had nothing on our normal menu that suited her dietary needs, so I talked to her to see if there was a special meal we could create. After giving her a few options, she picked one that suited her needs and tastes. It took me a few extra minutes to talk to her and prepare her meal, but she was so happy and she left the restaurant a positive review.”
Related:Interview Question: “What Does Great Customer Service Mean to You?”
Prepare Answers To Interview Questions You Can Expect
We highly advise you to prepare for the most commonly asked interview questions. Based on the research you do on the company and job description, you can figure out which skills and requirements are most important for the position. Once youve done this, you can make an educated guess on which types of questions you can expect.
Besides preparing for general interview questions focus on preparing at least a couple of behavioral interview questions. Its certain that you will get asked these questions during your job interview. Interviewers are interested in how you handled situations in the past because its the best indicator they have to predict your future job performance. Based on your answers, they can assess whether or not youre the right person for the job.
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Free: Behavioral Interview Questions Pdf Checklist
Ok the next thing you should do is download our handy “Behavioral Interview Questions ChecklistPDF“.
In it you’ll get 25 common behavioral questions along with tips on how to answer them and the traps you need to avoid….
All in a beautifully designed pdf Jeff spent hours working on. —- He made me put that in
Describe A Time When You Had To Deal With An Upset Customer How Did You Handle It
Whether youre looking for a retail job, a sales position, a tech support role, or anything in those veins, theres a chance youll have to deal with an upset customer at some point. Hiring managers ask this question to see how youve navigated this type of challenge in the past, allowing them to determine if you have a reasonable strategy.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
At my current job, a customer contacted us saying they were displeased with their most recent order. Along with complaining about the product, they began yelling threats about what they would do if they werent issued a refund and given a new item immediately.
I didnt take the tone personally, as I was certain it was out of frustration. I pulled up the customers file to learn more about the order, as well as review their history with the company. At that time, I discovered that they had been placing regular orders for some time, and this appeared to be the first time they called about an issue.
I apologized for the inconvenience and began asking clarifying questions to ensure I fully understood the nature of the issue. As I spoke, I focused on keeping my tone calm and professional.
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Have Backbone Disagree & Commit:
Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.
Practice questions:
Leaders are expected to have strong opinions and be able to stand up for what they believe in. There are times when it is necessary to set aside personal beliefs in order to move forward as a team.
As you review leadership principles, think about how having to make decisions affects the macro outlook of a company like Amazon.
+ Amazon Behavioral Interview Questions To Practice
Below, you’ll find the short explanation of each leadership principle given by Amazon on their careers page. These principles will be present throughout the entire hiring process.
.Read each explanation thoroughly, as you’ll pick up clues as to how your answers to behavioral questions will be scored. When you’re ready, watch the expert mock interviews linked and then try your hand at a few sample behavioral interview questions compiled from past interviews
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Consult With An Exponent Coach
for Product Management, Software Engineering, Data Science, Product Marketing Management, and many more Interview Prep Courses. Here at Exponent, we understand that it may be both extremely exciting and nerve-wracking when you have an Amazon behavioral interview just on the horizon. That’s why we put together some.
Alongside our courses, we also offer industry-leading interviewing coaching to help you
- Get an insiders look from someone whos been interviewed, got the offer, and worked at the companies youre applying at.
- Receive an objective evaluation of where you stand as a job candidate.
- Obtain personalized feedback and coaching to help improve and get more job offers.
to request a coaching session today. Vichitra Kidambi Abhishek Joshi,A few of our coaches have even worked at Amazon, so you can trust that they know exactly what you need to do to prepare. If you’re interested, be sure to check out the profiles of former Amazon interviewers Sai Boddupalli, and
Insist On The Highest Standards
Leaders have relentlessly high standards many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and drive their teams to deliver high quality products, services, and processes. Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent down the line and that problems are fixed so they stay fixed.
Practice questions on the highest standards:
Amazon expects their employees to always be striving to reach higher standards. They want to see employees who have pushed themselves to meet difficult goals and who will continue to do so in the future.
This is one of the things that makes Amazon such a great place to work. It is a company that is always looking to challenge its employees and help them grow. Employees at Amazon always feel like they are learning and growing, which helps to keep them motivated and engaged.
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Tips For Making The Most Of Your Support Interviews
When interviewing potential support hires, you always run the risk of repeating the same questions, receiving the same answers, having the same small talk, and then promptly forgetting all the important details.
The antidote? Think creatively, establish a system, and then stick to it. You wont be left groping for questions, your interactions will be more memorable, and youll be able to standardize the circumstances under which you assess candidates.
A strategic approach makes for less fuss, more focus, and leads to the best person possible joining your customer service team. Below, Cassie Marketos provides some useful tips for conducting better interviews.
What Is Your Biggest Achievement
If at all possible, consider a work-related topic. There will, hopefully, be a number of achievements in your career that you are most proud of.
- Were they focused on business, people, or processes?
- How have you improved, saved, or developed as a result of your involvement?
- What were the causes and effects?
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Additional Customer Service Representative Interview Questions
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Have you ever overrode company policy in favor of good customer service? Can you explain the situation?
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How would you handle an angry customer?
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Can you tell me about a time you went above and beyond what was expected to please a customer?
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How do you feel about the statement that the customer is always right?
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Can you tell us about a policy you didnt agree with at your last job?
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If a customer called and said there was a defect in a product they ordered, how would you handle it?
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Can you tell me about a time when you made a good impression on a customer? How did you approach the situation?
Give Me An Example Of A Time You Faced A Conflict While Working On A Team How Did You Handle That
Ah, the conflict question. Its as common as it is dreaded. Interviewers ask because they want to know how youll handle the inevitable: disagreements in the workplace. But you might be nervous because its hard to look good in a conflict even when youre not in the wrong. The key to getting through this one is to focus less on the problem and more on the process of finding the solution.
For example, you might say:
Funnily enough, last year I was part of a committee that put together a training on conflict intervention in the workplace and the amount of pushback we got for requiring attendance really put our training to the test. There was one senior staff member in particular who seemed adamant. It took some careful listening to understand he felt like it wasnt the best use of his time given the workload he was juggling. I made sure to acknowledge his concern. And then rather than pointing out that he himself had voted for the entire staff to undergo this training, I focused on his direct objection and explained how the training was meant to improve not just the culture of the company, but also the efficiency at which we operatedand that the goal was for the training to make everyones workload feel lighter. He did eventually attend and was there when I talked to the whole staff about identifying the root issue of a conflict and addressing that directly without bringing in other issues, which is how I aim to handle any disagreement in the workplace.
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Are Right A Lot
Leaders are right a lot. They have strong judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs.
Practice questions on being right, a lot.
Amazon is known for its customer-centric culture, and part of that is due to the company’s focus on speed and agility. Amazon expects its employees to be able to make decisions quickly and efficiently, without getting bogged down in details or second-guessing themselves.
This can be a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity to show that you’re capable of taking risks and thinking on your feet.
What Are Behavioral Interview Questions
Before we look at some behavioral interview questions and answers, lets talk about what these types of questions are and why they come up.
In the simplest sense, a behavioral interview question gauges how you think and act in various situations. Many questions of this kind focus on scenarios, requiring you to outline what you did under specific circumstances.
Theres a good reason why hiring managers turn to these questions during an interview. Unlike traditional interview questions which mainly assess whether you have particular technical capabilities these give the hiring managers overviews of capabilities that are harder to ask about directly.
Usually, your answer helps the hiring manager assess your mindset and soft skills. Plus, theyll learn more about the hard skills you use to handle challenges or address problems of a particular nature.
In some cases, hiring managers ask behavioral interview questions because they think past performance is a predictor of future success. However, whether thats true isnt actually clear.
One report indicated that prior work experience essentially, past behavior didnt guarantee a solid performance at a new company, even if the new hire had related experience. But a different study showed that behavioral interviewing was 55 percent predictive of future behavior at work, while traditional interviews were a mere 10 percent predictive.
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How To Prep For Behavioral Interview Questions
When being interviewed for a job, youll likely be asked a combination of question types, including traditional, situational, and behavioral. Out of all of these, behavioral questions have become one of the most popular types of interview questions used, so its wise to hone in on how to best answer such behavioral based questions for an upcoming job interview.
But no worries. We have you covered by sharing what the goal of a behavioral interview is with examples of possible interview questions you might be asked outlined below.
Customer Service Representative Interview Questions
Question: Can you describe what you did in your previous customer service roles?
Explanation: This is a general or opening question which the interviewer will ask to get you talking, learn a little bit about your background, and collect some information they can use for subsequent questions.
Example: As noted in my resume, I have quite a bit of experience in the customer service field. Ive worked for organizations similar to yours, providing customer service, answering clients’ questions, and resolving product issues. In these roles, Ive dealt with as many as 20 customers per hour and always received a high rating from my supervisors. I enjoy this work and look forward to continuing it with your organization.
Question: Can you define what good customer service means to you?
Explanation: This is another general question in which the interviewer is trying to determine your perspective on customer service and see if it aligns with their company. An easy way to prepare for this type of question is to carefully study the job posting prior to the interview. Employers will tell you exactly what they are looking for and how they define excellent customer service.
Question: Can you describe an experience when you turned an unhappy customer into a satisfied customer.
Question: Describe the importance of being able to collaborate with other customer service representatives and teams across a company.
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If Youre Looking For Behaviors That Revolve Around Prioritysetting
Tell Me About A Time When Your Integrity As A Qa Was Put To The Test
Situation: Since I was the only QA in our account, my friends in the office knew that I was definitely the one rating their calls. One day, one of them indirectly told me that it would be nice if I could pick the calls where they highly scored, not the ones where they failed so they would get their performance bonus. The suggestion was very subtle but it was definitely there.
Task:For me, it was just out of the question. Ive always been operating on the principle that, instead of giving someone a fish, you should teach him how to fish.
Action: It was a tough and awkward situation to be in but I did tell them firmly that it would be unfair for everyone else. I also added that if they need help, they could ask me anything.Eventually, I ended up discussing the mistakes they made during their calls and what they could do to score higher next time.
Result: Since then, they never again broached the subject of manipulating their scores. If they did, then I dont think Id be able to keep them as friends anyway.
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