About
Customer service roles are heavily focused around the satisfaction and well-being of a client. As such, recruiters are looking for candidates to display the skill set required in order to thrive in this type of role.
The types of skills that employers are looking for, in customer service based roles, include:
Strong communication skills – fluid communication within a customer service role is key in ensuring you manage client expectations and understand their needs.
Problem solving (and analysis) – resolving client problems is one of the key responsibilities of customer service. As such it is vital that you are able to understand client issues and find a solution.
Adaptability – due to the fast-paced nature of a customer sales environment, it is important that you are able to adapt to change.
Stress tolerance – handling disappointment customers can be a challenging and sometimes uncomfortable position to be in. It is important that the candidate can cope well under stressful situations and remain calm when faced with pressure in the workplace.
Psychometric assessments are a common part of the recruitment process for customer service based roles. This is because they can determine how an individual will handle work-based scenarios. For example, situational judgement tests will reveal an individual’s ability to make appropriate decisions when handling a difficult and unhappy client. Our practice Situational Judgement and Personality tests are a great way of getting familiar with the types of assessments you may come across as part of the recruitment process. By practising in advance, you should be able to improve your score by applying the feedback given each time you take an assessment.
You may also be asked to complete a role-play, which will simulate a situation or event that could happen whilst in a customer service role. It is common for employers to present candidates with an angry customer who is complaining about poor service or product. You will be expected to resolve the matter by demonstrating strong communication and problem solving skills. You will be examined on the way in which you respond to the situation, and the course of action you take in order to rectify the matter. We would strongly recommend that you review the competencies required for the role, prior to the assessment, so that you understand that types of behaviours you will be expected to demonstrate.
Competency-based Interviews
Employers are very keen to know how much customer experience you have had previously. As such, they will often complete what is called a “Competency-based Interview”. The type of questions used, are designed to extract specific examples of where you can demonstrate your delivery of the skills required for the role. Below we have provided a handful of sample questions so that you can familiarise yourself with them:
Tell us about a time where you had to handle a difficult customer. What did you do to eliminate the clients concerns? What was the overall outcome? What would you differently if you had your time again?
Tell us about a time where you disagreed with someone at work. What were your biggest obstacles? What approach did you make to resolve the matter? What was the overall outcome?
Tell us about a time where you were responsible for improving customer service. What was your solution? What actions did you take to implement it? What was the outcome?
Take a look at our range of online practice resources to help you sail through the recruitment process!
