This interview guide for Customer Support roles will help you to quickly identify which candidates should be on your shortlist. By asking these Customer Support interview questions and assessing the answers against the indicators provided, which will help you determine better which are the high performing candidates.
To be effective, however, these Customer Support interview questions need to be utilised early in the recruitment process to ensure only high performing candidates make it onto your shortlist and attend the final face to face interviews.
Using Video Interviewing as your screening tool can ensure this. It allows you to make sure all candidates are asked the same key interview questions. Video Interviewing allows you to identify high performing candidates earlier in the recruitment process. This means you can be confident that all the candidates you meet face to face have the skills required to be successful in the role.
This guide was prepared by our Head of Assessment Design, Claire Crisp (BSc, MSc, C.Psychol).
Responsibilities
- Resolves customer complaints and queries
- Identifies and responds to customers’ needs
- Maintains accurate records of dealings with customers
- Works as part of a team to ensure customer satisfaction
- Meets personal / team call handling and satisfaction targets
Key Competencies Required
Primary
- Customer Focus
- Resilience
Secondary
- Quality and delivery focus
- Drive and Motivation
- Collaboration
- Adaptability
Interview Questions
Below are two Customer Support interview questions which will help you identify and eliminate those candidates who do not possess the customer focus and resilience required to be successful in a Customer Support role. To support these Customer Support interview questions, we’ve prepared a rating system to help you evaluate a candidates’ answer.
- To assess Customer Focus– “Give me an example of a time when you delivered excellent customer service. What specifically did you do?”
- To assess Resilience– “Tell me about a time when you received feedback from a customer that they were not happy with your level of service. How did this make you feel and what did you do in response?”
How to assess: Customer Focus
A suitable candidate will build strong relationships with customers and look to understand and meet their needs. They will look to constantly improve the customer experience and proactively address concerns.
| Positive Behaviours | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Negative Behaviours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questions customers to understand what they need | Assumes understanding of customers’ needs | |||||
| Resolves customer problems swiftly | Allows customer problems to go unresolved | |||||
| Checks in regularly with customers to ensure they are satisfied | Assumes customers are satisfied; takes a passive approach | |||||
| Anticipates and looks to exceed customer expectations | Waits for customers to tell them what they want; meets the minimum expectations | |||||
| Asks customers for and responds to feedback | Does not ask for or address feedback |
How to assess: Resilience
A suitable candidate will work effectively under pressure or when faced with setbacks. They will accept and learn from criticism and have an optimistic outlook.
| Positive Behaviours | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Negative Behaviours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reacts positively to criticism | Reacts in a hostile or defensive way to criticism | |||||
| Asks questions to ensure feedback / criticism is fully understood | Shies away from uncomfortable situations; avoids asking questions to understand feedback | |||||
| Displays empathy to customers; listens attentively to what they are saying | Displays indifference to customers; does not listen to their viewpoint | |||||
| Acts calmly when under pressure | Shows frustration or anxiety when under pressure | |||||
| Responds to criticism by taking action and seeking to address identified issues | Responds to criticism by withdrawing; fails to take action to address issues | |||||
| Remains optimistic when faced with criticism; believes they can find a resolution | Becomes pessimistic when faced with criticism; believes there is no way to turn things round |
