Page 101 - Boost Your Hiring

The Manager’s Hiring IQ Test 87

INTERVIEWER’S QUESTION
40. You say you have good customer service skills. Tell me
about a time when your customer service skills helped you
in a difficult situation.
Which response actually answers the question? Which answer
should you be wary of? Are there any red flags?
(A) “I’ve always been a person who believed in good customer
service whatever the company or industry, so when I had the
chance to get a certification in customer relationship manage-
ment, I took advantage of the opportunity. I have an ability to
work with people and the training certification I went through
in CRM only increased my knowledge and ability. Anyone
who works with me would tell you that I can smooth out the
most difficult situations and have the customers calling to
thank me for working with them. I truly think that good cus-
tomer service is the name of the game. That goes for internal
as well as external customers.”
(B) “I resolved a customer problem that involved one of our sales
reps and another company. I worked as a liaison between our
rep and the corporate office. The rep was very upset that we
were not standing behind our warranty on a product he sold to
the company. The first thing I did was pull the appropriate pa-
perwork, and then I made a recommendation to our corporate
office based on my findings. I laid out the facts, and we had a
negotiation. In the end everything turned out well for the rep
and the customer. The rep couldn’t thank me enough. He told
me that I had saved the account.”
(C) “In my nine years working with a variety of customers I have
had many compliments on my customer service skills. Some-
times I work directly with the customer, sometimes I work
with the salespeople, and sometimes I work as a connection be-
tween the sales people and the customer. Because I am a person
who is very thorough, I can track several cases at the same
time. I make sure that each person feels as though someone is
on top of the situation and working on his or her behalf.”

I think the strongest answer is ______.