1) What do you know about the Call Center When you receive a call from a bank can convince

n convince the interviewer by bringing

Industry?
The call center is a service desk, where
the customer associate handles a large
volume of calls to render services to the
client.
2)What are the types of the call center?
What is the difference between them?
The types of a call center are
 Inbound Call Center
 Outbound Call Center
Inbound Call Center: In an inbound call
center, customer associate will receive
the calls regarding the customer’s
queries or demands. For example,
Customer is calling a Telecom Company
to know the current tariff on internet
service they provide.
Outbound Call Center:  In an outbound
offering a personal loan. to their attention the talent you got and
3) What is a call center job according to depict how perfect you are for that job.
you? Also, you can mention some innovative
This question is asked by the
ideas or concept that can help increase
interviewer to know your awareness of
organization profitability and credibility.
the job profile. So based on your
You can answer this question by saying
answer, they will decide what role or
that my past experience, my education,
position they will assign to you. For
and my personality actually fits the job. I
instance, if you say that call center is
am a hard-working guy and a quick
about dealing with customer problems,
learner.  Also, I like the concept or idea
they will put assign you customer
that the company is working on, and
associate Role. On the contrary, if you
that is what exactly I was looking for.
answer that a call center is a new
5) What do you understand by the term
business zone, where youngsters are
“Customer Satisfaction”?
employed in numbers and get an
Any business depends upon the quality
opportunity to develop their career,
of the service offered to the customer. 
they might put you in an HR
To do so, you need to understand the
department.
customer’s need and problems. You

call center, customer associate will
make calls to their customer, regarding
business or sales related. Example:
4) Why should we hire you for our
company?
This question is an opportunity for you
to showcase your talent and skill.  You
have to think from their point of view
and try to meet their demands and
requirements. This is what “Customer
Satisfaction” is.
6) What are the key attributes of a
customer service representative?
The key features for customer service
executive are-
 Professionalism
 Politeness
 Friendly
 Courteous
 Helpful
7) How can you enjoy working in a call
center?
As I am an extrovert person and I like to
interact with people, call center job is
perfect for me. I like to resolve
customer’s queries and face the
challenges positively.  Also, the pace of
work in the call center and team
members friendliness always motivates
me to work for call centers.
8) What are your strengths?
This is the common question you might
face in an interview.  So, before the
interview, do your homework and jot
down your strengths like subject
knowledge, computer skills,
communication, etc.  Also, how you can
relate your strength to your current job.
For example, you should have a good
hold on some language like English, or
you have some good marketing skill or
have the ability to convince others as a
good call center employee.
9) What will you do if the customer abuses
you on the phone?
The first thing that I will do is to stay
calm and listen to the customer’s
problem and try to figure out what
made him/her annoyed. The next thing I
will do is ask politely to the customer to
calm down. Then I will assure him/her
to solve their problem. The last thing
that I will do is to identify the root-cause
that creates problem to the customer,
fix it, and ensure it never happens
again. Also, learning from the mistake
can be used to improve the company
process and policy.
10) What are the key features you think
that customer associate should possess to
become perfect customer associate?
Good listening skill, problem-solving,
concentration, and patience are some
key features that make a perfect
customer associate.
11) How you handle work-pressure?
To handle a pressure situation, I always
try to keep the focus on work and avoid
frustration.
12) What is your experience of working in a
call center?
If you are fresher and you don’t have
years of experience, then you can
mention something that can relate you
with a call center.  Example, I have
worked in desktop support, or I am
holding a certificate for mass
communication, etc. If you are
experienced, narrate the same.
13) Mention the types of customer service demand for night shifts as their working  Listen to the customer patiently
field hours might be our sleeping hours. So  Try to help the customer with the
 By phone
based on your preference, you can reply best possible solution
 Public relationship
to this question.  Cross check with the customer if
 Face to face
he/she is satisfied with the solution
17) How you rate yourself on
14) What is your typing skill?
communication skills?  Make sure whether the customer
This question means how many words
Call centers always look for an need any further assistance
you can type in a minute. If you know
employee with excellent communication 20) Do you enjoy working in a team?
the number, you can mention it but if
skills, and you can rate yourself near 8-9 Any work in an organization requires
you don’t know then just tell that you
out of 10. teamwork. So, the answer to this
are good at typing skills.
question should always be positive.
18) What is the key to success in a call
15) Can you handle multiple calls at the
center? 21) What is a virtual call center?
same time?
A call center is all about providing The virtual call center provides a
If you have an experience of handling
quality service to the customer. If you technology or software service, through
multiple calls, then narrate the same. In
are good at handling customer well and which the customer associate or agent
case you don’t have experience mention
offering a good service, then you can be can connect to their customer from any
that once training is provided, I could
successful in the call center. location. This technology involves the
handle multiple calls with ease.
host server and the equipment to run
19) While talking to a customer, what are
16) Are you comfortable with night shifts? the call center. This service is rendered
the procedures you follow?
This is a question often asked for call
 Greet Customer on a monthly or annual subscription.
center jobs. Many multi-national
 Introduce yourself to customer Agents can connect to the host server
companies outsource their work to
 Ask the customer how you can be and can get access to the customer
other countries. Such companies
helpful to him/her
data. The benefit of a virtual call center
is that you can work from home.
22) Do you like multi-tasking or you prefer
to tackle one problem at a time?
Depending on the situation, I could do
multi-tasking or could tackle one
problem at a time. But multi-tasking
always has the upper hand because it
increases your efficiency at the call
center.
23) What if the customer is not happy with
your answer or solution?
If the customer is not happy with the
answer or solution, then I will ask the
customer to hold the line and pass on
the call to a manager or a team leader.
24) What will be your approach to improve
customer service?
For improved customer service, my
approach would be to take feedback
from the customer and ask them how
we can improve in solving their problem
and render them a good service.
25) What will you do in a situation where  View a customer’s complaint as
system shuts down and you still handling an opportunity to gain the
customer on the phone?
customer’s respect
In the middle of handling phone, if the
 Resolve complaints patiently
system crashes, then I will ask the
27) How to deal with the difficult customer?
customer to hold for some time till  I get
To deal with a demanding customer,
power back up and if not then try to
you need to do the following things
resolve his/her problem with my
 Listen to customer actively
knowledge. The best thing in such a
 Rephrase their concerns
situation is to ask the customer to call
 Present a viable solution
back or note his contact details so you
 Take action and follow up
can call once the system is back.
 Fix the problem at hand
26) What are the key attributes of a call
immediately
center executive?
 Use the feedback
The key attributes of a call center
 Reduce the unpleasant situation
executive are
by doing proper research and
 Friendly attitude
preparation
 Ask the right questions 28) How do you measure good customer
 Accurate answers to the service?
customer query Customer service can be measured on
 Professional phone relationship the following basis,
 Be the face of the organization
 Number of repeat customers
  Number and type of customer
complaints received
 Number of referrals given by
current customers
 Sales figure if service is product
based
 Customer satisfaction surveys
 Benchmarking service with
competitors
 The rate at which number of
customers enrolled in your service
 Number of returns
29) How can you turn down a request from
a valued client?
To turn down a request from a valued
client, you have to
 Remain polite and well
mannered
 Adhere to company’s policies
 Explain the situation or reason
for denial
 Try to remain reliable to
customer
30) How would you handle negative 32) What steps will you take to deal with an
feedback from angry clients? unsatisfied customer?
To handle negative feedback from angry  Apologize and offer a better
clients, option
 Act quickly and resolve the
 Customer representative should
customer complaint
be able to manage customer without
 Take responsibility for what
being dominated
made a customer unhappy
 He should not be overwhelmed
 Compensate customer with a
by a disapproving customer
better deal or free service
 Try to listen and understand
33) How can you create new opportunities
customer issue before going after
for customers proactive engagement?
suggestions or solution
 Use internet service to contact a
31) How one can improve customer
customer on social media
interactions?
 Use mobile often to reach
To improve customer interaction,
maximum customers by sending
 Admit your mistakes even before
personalized context-relevant offers
your customer does and apologize
or services
 Take follow up if a problem is
 Customer Interactions must be
solved
relevant to customers interest to
 Practice active listening, so your
gain their trust and encourage them
customer feel heard
 Analyze the customer data and
 Try to identify a common interest
behavior using a business
or liking with the customer
 intelligence tool to understand its
expectation for the service you offer
 Use cloud platform to keep your
service updated with the latest
technology and with minimum
expenses
34) What are the important things you need
to take care of implementing a CRM
solution to your business?
Before implementing a CRM solution to
your business, you need to take care of
the following things
 Admit your mistakes even before
your customer does and apologize
 Take follow up if a problem is
solved
 Practice active listening, so your
customer feels heard
 Try to identify a common interest
or liking with the customer
32) What steps will you take to deal with an
unsatisfied customer?
 Apologize and offer a better
option
 Act quickly and resolve the
customer complaint
 Take responsibility for what
made a customer unhappy
 Compensate customer with a
better deal or free service
33) How can you create new opportunities
for customers proactive engagement?
 Use internet service to contact a
customer on social media
 Use mobile often to reach
maximum customers by sending
personalized context-relevant offers
or services
 Customer Interactions must be
relevant to customers interest to
gain their trust and encourage them
 Analyze the customer data and
behavior using a business
intelligence tool to understand its
expectation for the service you offer
 Use cloud platform to keep your
service updated with the latest
technology and with minimum
expenses
34) What are the important things you need
to take care of implementing a CRM
solution to your business?
Before implementing a CRM solution to
your business, you need to take care of
the following things
 CRM strategy: CRM only works
when there is a clear picture of why
the organization is doing it and how
it helps to improve customer service
 Choose the right CRM partner: A
best CRM solutions are flexible and
have a full integration capability with
any other systems in your business
 Identify the highest
priority: Implement a CRM solution
for the highest priority and return
area first
35) How can you get responsive customer  Get valuable insight on why your  Consider negative feedback
feedback? customer departed from you equivalent to the positive feedback it
To get responsive customer feedback,
 Which competitor is being is equally important

 Offer feedback options on every selected to replace your company  Select the survey method that

page of your site service? can yield real information in real

 Present visitors with easy  What was the expectation of your time

feedback form by giving them a former clients?  Target putting questions that are

selective option  Help to understand weakness relevant to service

 Give visitors easy-to-use rating and gaps within the product line or 38) Name useful online tools that can be

services. used for better customer service

systems
37)  Name the factors you need to take into For better customer service tools that
 Give option for a newsletter to
consideration before conducting a survey are used
skip or to register
for customer service satisfaction
 Deliver feedback to the  Freshdesk
Before conducting a survey for
responsible person directly via email  Zendesk
customer service satisfaction,
notification  Assistly

 Avoid multiple choice of answers  First, consider the objective of  Zoho support

instead encourage customer for the survey  Kayako

descriptive feedback  Make your survey accessible  UserVoice

36) How the analysis of departed customer online  Conversocial
helps your organization?  Keep open-ended questions and  Get Satisfaction etc.
Departed customer analysis can help keep survey narrative 39) What is the key aspect that helps
your organization in the following ways: improve customer service?
The key aspect of improving customer
service,
 Data analysis: Analyze the
preferences of customers based on
the data collections
 Automation of business process: To
improve customer satisfaction and
to speed up the business process
implement the automation of the
business process
 Self-service optimization: Explore
new ways for customer interaction
with your business
 Workforce effectiveness: Integrate
new tools and technology to improve
customer service
40) How can you improve customer service
without spending any money?
I have retrieved several support emails
that we received from our clients and
figured out that several questions were
asked repetitively. I searched online
forums and knowledge base to find out
the solution for these questions. I made 42) What factors do you need to take care
a document of the solution, which is of while creating a customer newsletter?
While creating a customer newsletter,
now accessible to the customer. It was
you need to include the following –
cost effective and helped reduce
common repetitive questions from the  General information about your
client. company
 Purpose of the newsletter-
41) How can you build customer loyalty?
To build customer loyalty, you need to Promotions, events, upcoming sales,
and new services/ products
 Track customer retention by
 Any photos related to the content
surveying your customers
 Any discount or coupons that
 Analyze the data to see how
may be included in your offer
many customers are new and how
43) How to deal with abusive/slang using
many are returning for your service
customer?
 Focus on converting new To deal with abusive customers,
customers into returning customers
 Give a positive response: Assure
as a plan of your customer retention
the customer that you are there to
plan
help him and tell them that you
 Encourage employees to build
require specific information from
connections with customers
them to carry forward
 Solicit feedback from the
 Personalize the conversation:
customer, so they feel that their
Personalize with the conversation
opinions matter
and call the customer by name and
refer to their company by the name
 Declare your intent and boundaries:
Let your customer know that you can
solve the problem, and their
demands are reasonable. You
should not allow the customer to
continue if they are too much
aggressive; it’s time to use other
strategies
 Transfer the call: The best way is
to switch on the call to the most
experienced personnel or
supervisor. Sooner you transfer the
call, the customer will calm down –
it’s natural psychology.
 Discontinue the conversation: Warn
customer if he continues with
abusive slang, you will end the
conversation. If the customer is still
abusive even after speaking to them
politely, it’s better to discontinue the
conversation by telling them to
contact the customer service
complaint department for further
discussion.
44) How can you resolve the problem to
customer’s Satisfaction?
To resolve the problem to customer’s
Satisfaction, you need to follow the
following techniques.
 Talk to the customer: Standard
emails or letters might work in some
cases, but often you can achieve
more quickly with a phone call. It will
make feel customer more personal
and understand their complaint
 Figure out the problem and
requirement: Listen carefully to your
customers need carefully and ask
them what they want
 Ask about wider issues: Ask open-
ended questions like – is he happy
with your service or product? What
other feedback does he want to
give?
 Offer something back: If a
customer has a genuine issue with
the service/product, and there is a
chance of losing him/her, it’s better
to give him some
offer/discount/coupons, etc. to
encourage him/her to stick to your
service.
 Confirm your solution: In order to
avoid dispute after coming up with a
solution on the phone, it’s better to
take follow up by email or letter
 Regular follow up: This is where
most people miss… get a member of
your staff to check that all is well. It
will help to minimize the common
problem faced by customers.
45) How do you deal with the question you
don’t know the answer that customer
asked?
If you don’t know the answer to the
questions
  Never say, “I don’t know.” Instead,
say, ” Hold on while I look for the
information.”
 Tell the customer it’s technical
information and requires a
specialist. I’ll get back to you shortly
with some possible solution
You can also tell customer following –
 It’s a timely question and
requires some time to gather XYZ
information
 As per the latest information
what we suggest to you.
 I can answer that in part, but like
to consider it further and get back to
you.
Do anything else that seems proactive
while putting them on hold or passing a
note to colleagues. You can also keep
them engaged by asking questions
46) What would you do if the customer says
that it took you long to resolve an issue?
If a customer says that it took you long
to resolve an issue,
 First, ensure to the customer,
that you are not far from him, and
was busy with his task all the time
 You have to give him an
expression that he or she is the only
customer you are worried for
 If required give him the
explanation of the whole operational
path and the areas where the task
can get slower
47) How to deal with the customer having a
language barrier?
To deal with a customer having a
language barrier,
 Install translation aids on
customer service workstations
 Offer chat, email or customer
support options in their native
language if possible, on top of the
phone calls
 Hire additional personnel with
the language skills needed to work
with this customer segment
 Enroll language barrier
procedures that can be used when
handling foreign customer calls
48) How to deal with unreasonable
customer demands?
To deal with unreasonable customer
demands,
 To avoid conflict with your
potential customer, you can always
offer him a reasonable option
 Pre-qualify your customer, before
allocating anything to your customer
make sure you understand well your
customer’s demand
 Say-no without hesitation if the
demand is illegitimate
  Keep your patience while dealing  Turn to collection service at last:

with such unreasonable customer Turning down to an attorney or

demands collection agency should be your last

49) How to deal with customers who deny
paying for service/product?
 Work with the customer not against
him: Try to figure out the exact
reason why he is not willing to pay
without getting angry on him. Be
friendly and try to come up with
possible options and plans that
resort. Also, remember that a
collector takes a hefty portion of any
recovery while legal steps will
include the cost of hiring an attorney
and other hidden charges.
50) Our call center is involved in activities
that bend many laws; would you still work
with us? Pay is huge

might resolve the situation Personal ethics and integrity are

 Communicate often in writing and indispensable to me while selecting my

document everything: Always start place to work. I will have to decline

with a non-threatening written regretfully.

message asking for the prompt

resolution by a specific date

 Don’t get personal or angry: Try to

listen to customer with empathy it

might be possible that your

customer is in real financial crisis, so

instead of losing your nerves try to

handle a situation with empathy 1. Tell Me Something About Yourself

Most applicants answer by giving out
their address, age, birthplace and other
personal information. These aren’t what
the interviewer wants to hear.
The interviewer wants to know whether
you’re fit for the job.
Therefore, talk about the experiences
and skills you have that relate to
working in a call center.
If you were employed, talk about what
you learned from your previous job
experiences.
You might ask, what if your previous job
experience wasn’t related to call center?
Simple. Highlight the skills you learned
from your previous job and relate it to
the skills required in a call center. Find
the connection.
2. Tell me something about yourself be giving my very best. Certainly, I will
that is not written in your resume not have problem with my attendance
and will be performing well.
The interviewer simply wants to know
the person behind the formal attire. Secondly, I am a person with a good
He’s facing a stranger with just a piece work principle. I give my best effort to
of paper in hand to tell them who that achieve quality result.
stranger is. The paper isn’t enough. He
Lastly, I am fit for this job because I
needs to know more about you.
have the basic skills needed to perform
Something about yourself that makes
Customer Service tasks or
you memorable.
responsibilities
 Hobbies and interest.
4. Why do you want to work in a call
 Skills
center?
 Experiences
Sample:
 Dreams and goals
 Anything positive about yourself “I want to work in a call center because
of two reasons:
3. Why should we hire you?
First, because Call Center provides
Sample:
tremendous career growth
"You should hire me for the following
opportunities. Here you can climb the
reasons,
ladder of success for it provides training
Firstly, I know that if I’ll have the and avenue for growth to employees.
opportunity to work for this company I’ll
Second, because Call Center provides
avenue to master communication skills
and to develop skill-set further. One of
my goals is to develop my English
communication skills to the fullest
potential and I can’t see any better way
to reach this goal than to work in a call
center."
5. What is your idea of a BPO or call
center?
Note: Being inexperienced in the call
center industry is not an excuse. If you
say you have no idea what is a contact
center, call center and BPO, then you’re
giving the interviewer a good reason not
to like you.
I suggest that you begin with this
statement:
As what I’ve researched online…”
“Before I decided to apply, I
researched…”
“According to a friend who is a call
center agent…”
Why? Because you want to emphasize
that you took the time to research the
job description and isn’t just applying to
get any job.
Interviewers want to hear that you’re
applying because you specifically want
to be a call center agent. Extra point for
you.
Sample:
“As what I’ve researched online, a call
center is where call center agents either
make or receive phone calls to answer
customer’s questions about products
and services or to sell something and
conducts surveys.”
“Before I decided to apply, I researched
the employees’ job description in a
contact center and I found out that a
contact center is where you handle calls,
emails and chats to answer customer’s
questions or resolve customer
concerns"
6. Where do you see yourself five
years from now?
If you have plans leaving the company
soon, or even in the next 5 years, don’t
tell the interviewer that. The company
wants employees who stay for as long
as possible. So give them that.
Sample:
“If I’m lucky to be a part of [company
name], five years from now, I’d like to
see myself promoted to a higher
position, probably become a team
leader to ensure the quality of work
from my team. I find that I get along
with any types of personalities so I’m
definitely looking forward for a position
where I constantly interact with people.
I also do great with tasks that require
me to sit alone in a cubicle. So basically,
I could accept just about any position.
The only thing for sure is I want to
advance my career here at [company
name], and not just in any other
company. Your company is definitely my
first choice.”
7. SITUATIONAL QUESTIONS
It’s the “what would you do?”/ “what did
you do?” question. You’re given a certain
situation, then the interviewer asks you
what did you do or would you do if you
are in that situation.
It could be something you did in the
past. Or something that could happen
in the workplace- the “what if?”
questions.
Example:
What would you do if you have a rude
boss or colleague who’s affecting
your productivity at work?”
Step 1: Professionalism If we can’t work things out, then I will
bring it up to another higher person
Ask yourself: What would a professional
who could take care of the situation. If
employee do in this situation? Of
I’m having issues with him/ her, chances
course, he’d talk to the boss/colleague
are, I’m not the only one. There could be
instead of punching him in the face or
others who felt the same but just didn’t
grabbing her hair.
have the courage to speak up.”
Step 2: Use the format
- What is the result?
-What’s the situation?
This way, everyone in the office could
In this question, the situation has been
harmoniously work together instead of
given: a rude boss or colleague.
emotionally taxing themselves on
- What is your solution? unnecessary issues.”
“I would personally talk to him/ her and 9. Knowledge about the Job
try to work out our misunderstandings. Questions:
I’d say, ‘Hey, I’d like to talk to you about
☆What is customer service?
yesterday. When you said “I’m dumb”
Here is a selection of sample answers
because I wasn’t able to calm the
you can use to respond to questions
customer down, I was honestly hurt. I’d
about customer service. Be sure to
like to explain and make you
tailor your own answer to fit your
understand what really happened…
experience, and the company you are
interviewing with:
Sample 1:
•There are many components to
customer service, and you need all of
them to truly satisfy customers.
Customer service involves being a kind,
courteous, and professional face for the
company. It also involves listening
carefully to customer wants and
concerns. Beyond listening, customer
service is doing everything in one’s
power to efficiently and accurately serve
each customer. Finally, customer service
is clearly explaining solutions to clients.
All of these components of customer
service lead to happy and loyal
customers, which I know is the ultimate
goal of your company.
Sample 2:
•Customer service is listening to
customers and helping to resolve their
issues so that they remain happy and
loyal. Listening is such a critical, and
sometimes overlooked, part of
customer service. Having worked in a
call center for five years, I have plenty of
experience listening carefully to the
needs of my customers before
efficiently working to solve their
problems and explain the solutions.
Most customers already begin feel
taken care of once you listen carefully to
their concerns. Asking clarifying
questions, repeating their concerns, and
simply quietly listening are helpful ways
to demonstrate that you are listening
and that you care about their problems.
☆What is good customer service?
Note: To give you idea so that you can
make your own answer check passages
below:
•Good customer service means helping
customers efficiently, in a friendly
manner. It’s essential to be able to
handle issues for customers and do
your best to ensure they are satisfied.
Providing good service is one of the
most important things that can set your
business apart from the others of its
kind.
•Good customer service involves giving
customers a good first impression of
the business, with a friendly greeting
and helpful attitude, as well as a good
lasting impression. Determining the
customer's needs and solving problems
quickly will lead to satisfied or happy
customers.
Other Questions commonly asked
during interview:
 What are your strengths and
weakness?
 What are your short and long
term goal?
 What motivates you to work?
 What can you contribute to
this company?
  What are the characteristics or
skills that you have that make
you a perfect fit for this job?
Do you have any questions?
1. What is the company's vision?
2. How do you instill the company's
vision to every employee? Making sure
that they too work with a vision.
3. How's the company's turnover?
4. What are the 5 common reasons why
employees leave the company?
5. What are your personal principles
and how are you applying them in your
day to day life, either at work or on
personal level.
Tell me about YOURSELF?
Here are 7 good answers to this
interview question:
1. Don't talk about your personal life.
Instead talk about your qualifications,
experiences, and why this job role is for conversation and leaves a good
you. impression.
2. Tell them a story, not your life story Don't just be yourself, but be your best
but your professional story including self. Be authentic and lead with your
your work history clearly and concisely. best foot forward.
3. Focus on your achievements. These • Tell me about yourself, including your
could be quantifiable accomplishments hobbies
like saving time or money in a previous
• Why do want to work in a call center
role.
industry?
4. Reveal what you know about the role.
• What is an excellent customer service
Talk them through what they require
• How would you handle a situation
and what you bring to the table.
wherein you were blamed for
5. Reveal any additional skills you have
something you didn't do?
and what additional problems you could
• How would you handle a customer
solve for the company.
who have talked already to 6 agents and
6. Everything you answer, keep asking
still his/her problem hasn't been
yourself, what's in it for them! This
resolved yet
alone will put you in a better mindset to
• Where do you see yourself 5 years
answer.
from now?
7. Ask them questions after you answer.
It puts you in control of the
• Can you give a difficult situation and
how would you simplify the process to
solve it
What are your weaknesses?
Well, you know, I'm more of an introvert
and sometimes I notice that I am shy to
share my ideas when there's a room of
people.
How is your experience?
I am sure my experience in life is
different from yours. I hope we can
teach each other one thing or another.
1. Tell me about yourself.
This is one of the first questions you are
likely to be asked. Be prepared to talk
about yourself, and why you're an
excellent fit for the job. Try to answer
questions about yourself without giving
out too much, or too little, personal
information. You can start by sharing
some of your personal interests and
experiences that don't relate directly to Bonus points if you’re able to identify
work, such as a favorite hobby or a brief how the position you’re applying for
account of where you grew up, your aligns with how you envision your
education, and what motivates you. You future.
can even share some fun facts and
No matter how you choose to respond,
showcase your personality to make the
write out your answer in advance and
interview a little more interesting.
then read it aloud to ensure it sounds
If it feels daunting to generate this natural. Try to keep it short and sweet,
information from scratch, you can rely as you don’t want to come across as the
on a simple formula to construct your type of person who endlessly drones on
answer. The ‘present-past-future’ about themselves.
formula is a way to share key
2. Why should we hire you?
background points while ending on a
Are you the best candidate for the job?
high note. Begin with a brief overview of
Be prepared to say why you're the
where you are now (which could include
applicant who should be hired. This is
your current job along with a reference
not the time to be modest (although
to a personal hobby or passion),
neither should you be conceited). Make
reference how you got to where you are
your response a confident, concise,
(here you could mention education, or
focused sales pitch that explains what
an important experience such as a past
you have to offer the employer, and
job, internship or volunteer experience)
why you should get the job. This is
and then finish by touching on a goal
another good time to review the
for the future.
qualifications and the requirements in demonstrates this, ideally drawing on weakness and taken steps to improve

the job listing, so you can craft a an anecdote from your professional yourself.

response that aligns with what the experience.

5. Why are you leaving or why have
interviewer is looking for.
4. What is your greatest weakness? you left your job?

3. What is your greatest strength?

Another typical question interviewers When asked about why you are moving

This is one of the questions that will ask is about your weaknesses. Do on from your current position, stick with

employers almost always ask. When you your best to frame your answers the facts, be direct, and focus your

are asked about your greatest around positive aspects of your skills interview answer on the future,

strengths, it's important to discuss the and abilities as an employee, turning especially if your leaving wasn't under

attributes that will qualify you for the seeming “weaknesses” into strengths. the best of circumstances. Always try to

specific job and set you apart from the For example, you might say something put a positive slant on your response;

other candidates. Take the time before like, “I’ve always struggled with it’s better to give the impression that

the job interview to make matches perfectionism – I truly want to do the you’re more motivated by the possibility

between your qualifications and the job correctly the first time, but this of new opportunities than by trying to

requirements as stated in the job sometimes means that I devote more escape a bad situation. In addition, it’s

announcement. This way, you will have time to a project than is necessary. I’ve important to avoid bashing your current

examples ready at hand to demonstrate learned to balance this drive with the organization, colleagues or supervisor.

your suitability for the job. equally important responsibility of

An employer is not likely to want to
meeting deadlines.”
It can be helpful to remember the tip bring on someone who talks negatively

“show, don't tell.” For example, rather You can also share examples of skills about a company.

than stating that you are an excellent you have improved, providing specific
6. What are your salary expectations?
problem solver, instead tell a story that instances of how you have recognized a
What are you looking for in terms of
salary? It seems like a simple question,
but your answer can knock you out of
the contest for the job if you overprice
yourself. If you underprice yourself, you
may get shortchanged with a lower
offer. Review the best way to answer
questions about salary so you get the
fair pay that you deserve.
7. Why do you want this job?
This question gives you an opportunity
to show the interviewer what you know
about the job and the company, so take
the time before the interview to
thoroughly research the company and
its products or services, company
culture, and mission. Be specific about
what makes you a good fit for this role,
and mention aspects of the company
and position that appeal to you the
most.
8. How do you handle stress and
pressure?
What do you do when things don’t go
smoothly at work? How do you deal
with difficult situations? What do you do
when something goes wrong? The best
way to respond to this question is to
give an example of how you have
successfully handled stress in a
previous job.
Avoid claiming that you never, or rarely,
experience stress. Not only is this
difficult to believe, but it could also lead
the interviewer to conclude that you’ve
only worked in low-pressure
environments and therefore aren’t
equipped to handle a difficult situation.
Rather, formulate your answer in a way
that acknowledges workplace stress and
explains how you’ve overcome it, or
even used it to your advantage.
9. Describe a difficult work situation
or project and how you overcame it.
The interviewer wants to know what you
do when you face a difficult decision. As
with the question about stress, be
prepared to share an example of what
you did in a tough situation. It’s
important to share details around this
example in order to make the story
believable and engaging. That being
said, avoid talking negatively, or
extensively, about other people. This
can detract from what the interviewer
really wants to know about, which is
how you can successfully perform in a
challenging situation.
10. What are your goals for the future?
This question is designed to find out if
you’re going to stick around or move on
as soon as you find a better
opportunity. Keep your answer focused
on the job and the company you’re
interviewing with, and reiterate to the
interviewer that the position aligns with
your long-term goals.
Let’s be honest: working as a Customer
Service representative can be a real
challenge, especially if you are just
starting your first job in this area. But
what can you do to make it less
stressful? Here are our 10 Call Center
tips for beginners:
1- Take notes
One of the most important call center
tips is to always takes notes while on a
call. This is a great exercise for
becoming an active listener, as it helps
you focus on the conversation as you
make sure that you are not missing out
on anything that the other side is
saying. It also helps you collect all the
details and ensure that you are not
forgetting anything. Just remember to
not write down sensitive information or
cardholder data on a piece of paper,
which can be a dangerous practice
according to the industry payment
standard PCI-DSS.
If your company has a call recording
service integrated into their Call Center
infrastructure, notes might not be
necessary as all your calls will be
recorded, stored, and accessible for
reproduction at any time. However, if
you aren’t recording calls yet, you might
want to check our cloud-based call
recording solution Recordia.
2- Confidence
As you’ve probably heard it many times,
confidence is key – and this applies to
practically everything. Try to sound
confident and relaxed, and don’t let the
other side know that you are a
beginner, as they might start to doubt
your abilities to solve their issue – even
if you are perfectly capable.
3- It’s OK to not know something
Many customer representatives are
afraid to confess when an issue is out of
their control, and will try to give
inefficient answers just for the sake of
giving an answer. Whether you are a
beginner or not, it is OK to encounter a
problem or a question that you are not
capable of responding.
Try to be resolutive, but don’t panic if
something is out of your control –
instead, let the customer know that you
will try to find the best solution for his
issue, and you will call him back as soon
as possible.
4- Analyze
Just like anything else, customer
support takes practice, and you will get
better as you deal with hundreds of
different people and experiences. These
experiences are an excellent source of
information as they help you improve
your skills and provide better service.
Especially if you have all these
conversations recorded and stored
securely for reproduction.
One of the most effective call center tips
is to use these recordings to analyze
your skills and identify weaknesses –
you never know how good or bad you’re
performing until you see yourself from
an outside perspective.
5- Address your customer by name
Addressing your customers by their
name is a great way to provide better
experience and make them feel
understood. To do it properly, listen to
your customer as he will let you know
how he likes to be addressed.
For example, if the customer presents
herself as “This is Jane Smith”, you can
either politely ask her “May I call you Getting transferred might be a
Jane?”, or directly call her Ms. Smith. frustrating experience for customers, as
it sometimes looks that employees are
6- Be patient
shifting them from one department to
Among the most important call center
another because they prefer passing
tips for beginners is to be patient.
the responsibility to someone else.
Instead of hurrying up to give an answer
To transfer the call adequately, one of
as soon as the customer finishes his
our top call center tips is to follow these
first sentence, try to be an active
steps: first, explain the reason behind
listener. Do not start explaining yourself
the transfer and to whom you are
before making sure that the customer is
passing on the customer. Second, ask
done describing his issue, as it will look
them if they don’t mind being
unprofessional and he might get even
transferred. Third, ensure that the
more frustrated.
person who should pick up the phone is
During the call, remain patient, listen
available, and explain them the nature
actively, and ask questions until the
of the call along with the name of the
issue is fully described before
person on the other side.
responding. If you don’t hear all the
By following these steps, you will not
necessary details, you might not be able
only show that you are a real
to provide the most adequate solution
professional, but the user will also feel
for you customer’s problem.
less frustrated when dealing with
7- Transferring the call
customer service.
8– Exchange experiences with maintaining composure reflects

colleagues confidence and reassures the user that

you are capable of finding a solution.

Exchanging your customer experience

with your colleagues is a great way to 10- Organization

discuss different perspectives and see if

Customer service requires a lot of
you could have resolved an issue in a
organization, and agents need to be
more efficient way – especially if you are
well-prepared in order to deliver quality
a beginner.
service in the least amount possible.

Even if you aren’t a beginner, getting to Take your time to explore all the tools,

know your product takes time, and platforms, and systems that your

colleagues that are more experienced company has set up, and practice

than you can give you great advice. In different situations to learn how to

addition, customer representatives switch easily between databases. You

experience conversations with need to be able to navigate quickly

customers differently, and everyone can between different windows in a CRM

learn a lot from each other. database, so make sure to organize

your resources in the most efficient way

9- Positive attitude
possible.
Keeping a positive attitude is extremely

important for a successfully resolved

problem and a satisfied customer. At

times, it can be truly challenging, but