“The first step in exceeding your customer’s expectations is to know those expectations.” ~Roy H. Williams
If you have worked in customer service, you have had to deal with an unsatisfied customer. Many of them are very annoying. But there is a truth to customer service – if the customer is upset, there is something you could have done better, and that’s why it’s the company’s responsibility to try to make sure every customer is as happy as possible at all times.
Behavioral Interview Question: Can you give me a specific example of a time when you were able to turn an unhappy, dissatisfied customer into a satisfied customer.
With any question about your ability to give excellent customer service, you should do your best to avoid any stories that have you as the villain. In other words, if you’re the one that upset the customer, try to leave it out unless you take full ownership of the problem. If it’s such a good story that you have to tell it, but you’re the one that upset the customer, then make sure you talk about the steps you took since to make sure nothing like that happens again.
Also, really make sure that the story you tell displays some type of skill, whether it’s your ability to go above and beyond, identify with the customers problem, or show your ability to be personable. Some type of skill that makes you different from generic customer service should be displayed.
Sample Answer:
“I am sure I have many. One customer in particular came in very unhappy and began shouting. She claimed that the cashier was very careless when she placed a glass jar of pickles in her bag, and when she went to the car, the pickle jar cracked and spilled everywhere causing her whole car to smell like vinegar.
I have no idea how the pickle jar got opened and if the cashier was in fact careless, but of course it doesn’t matter. I got a whole team to come and out clean her car. We gave her a free jar of unopened pickles. While the team was cleaning, I also treated her to a fresh muffin and chatted to help take her mind off it and calm her emotions. After they were done I told her to wait one moment, and I ran across the street and picked up an air freshener with ‘new car smell.’ With a few jokes in there for good measure, she was feeling much better and I saw her in the store again the next day.”
Any highly satisfied customer will become a loyal customer, bringing people to your business for years to come. You have the responsibility to prove that you can provide excellent customer satisfaction at all times and this type of answer helps show that.
