INTERVIEW

What did you not like about your last role (this one is tricky because it mirrors the PS role). What made you leave your previous job?What circumstances led you to apply for this position? What would you miss most/least about your current job?

Although I really am enjoying my time in Inventory Control, the main reason why I am leaving my role is that it is a temporary position and I am ready to soldify my presence within the company through a more permanent position. Ive worked at Christies for a full year so I know for certain that where I want to be, and I am dedicated to company values. Overall, it is a fulfilling and enjoyable place to work. I feel as though I am fully proficient in my current role as an inventory controller, so I am ready to expand and grow within the company.

Your skills and experience may be reasonable fit for the needs of this job. That is also true of numerous other candidates. What else can you tell us about yourself—work related or not—that might put your candidacy over the top, if we are talking to other candidates with similar skillsets?

Besides the fact that the role I'm currently in has trained me for the technical skills as well as the client service skills required as a Post sale coordinator, I will make a great team member. I enjoy collaborating with others, and I bring positive energy to the office every day. Also, I am grateful to be working at such a great company and have respect for the company values.

Tell me about a time you had a difficult situation and how you handled it?

Habib Lebto ——— I arranged collection of an creamic tea pot. The client came in person to collect only to discover that the lid of the pot was not included. The item was consigned 15 years ago and the lid was no where to be found. The client was upset about how long this collection had been taking and that part of it was missing. I spoke with my superiors to get advice on a proper service recovery plan, including compensation for a fair amount. The client tried to get more money, but I was able to negotiate with him to accept the original amount in exchange for a plan to personally deliver the item to the client so that they did not have to go out of there way once more. In the end the client was pleased with my effort to make up for the situation and his anger subsided when I showed him I was empathic and equally invested in the outcome of the situation.

Tell us about a time you were most creative.

I find my creativity comes through when it comes to process improvement plans, I am always thinking about how things can be more streamlined and efficient for ex, currently, we send letters and emails to clients for 6 months before marking a client as untraceable, we were trying to figure out a way to prove that 6 months of letters is actually overkill because if the client responds, they will respond early on. I thought of a way to have proof of this, by using the data that we already have on hand, which is the last date a letter was sent, cross referenced with the collection date to prove the if a client is going to collect, a high percentage is after the 2nd letter, so 6 is really unnecessary. Its small, but I felt creative in that moment recently and I enjoy critical thinking and problem solving,

My weaknesses -

I tend to put too much thought into what I do, Ultimately It helps me avoid me mistakes in the long run but I am I actively work on becoming more efficient in the tasks I take on. I noticed that my boss completes things at a much more rapid pace than I do, and I admire that and would like to become a more efficient worker.

Tell us how your experience and training have prepared you for this position.

JDE, COS, client service, operations - warehouse operations, transfers of property, warehouse locations, constantly in communication with the art handlers to manage property in the warehouses We work with post sale very very frequently - we facilitate sales tax payments and act as a middle person between the client and post sale for sales post 180 days. sales tax scenarios and regulations shipping quotes and the questions that need to be answered when it comes to arranging shipping to residential areas

Tell us about a situation when you were unable to help a customer with their problem - what was the issue and how did you handle it?

Kaiser -

Tell us about your experience managing a project start to finish and the outcome.

My senior colleague sam has been working in CFASS for some months now and while she's away, I have been managing her tasks in her absence. I consider this a project because it is more of a leadership position, Im allocating clients to the rest of the team, Im running location reports before all of the current sales to send to client services and to gallery operations, additionally, Im teaching my other colleague how to do these tasks as well. This requires time management to complete these tasks on top of my original work. Communication with many departments,

Describe a project where you had to collaborate with individuals on your own team and with those outside your department and how you interacted with and balanced the interests of the different individuals to complete the project.

Private Viewings!! - On occasion, I worked between the specialist departments and the operations staff to set up private viewings for clients to see upcoming lots before the sale. This requires - the timely booking of viewing spaces, - communicating with the art handlers and warehouse supervisors to arranging the rapid movement and setup of the lots. - communicating with sale coordinators to understand clients needs for the viewings - arrange with security and the lighting teams to insure the proper setup of the lot viewing - communicate with the IC team to see what rooms they had booked already Thats collaboration between 5 departments at a very rapid pace because usually we would receive last minute requests to set this up. This relies on clear communication, and attention to detail on pressure.

Tell me about a mistake you made and how you over came it? (purpose: honest, you take responsibility and blame for your actions, you actively work to get better to avoid that in the future).

Situation: During the first few months of my current job, I accidentally told a client that they did not owe sales tax on their property. Once the client arrived to collect I discovered that they in fact did owe and we were unable to release the property. Action: Initially I brought the situation to my manager to see if there was any way to resolve the situation, I reached out the client to explain that it was my mistake and to let them know that I sincerely apologize for my misunderstanding. They received my apology well and we were able to reschedule the collection. Result: That moment alerted me to be more knowledgeable and aware of sales tax so that it is a more intuitive concept. It inspired me to take time to study the tax rules, resale regulations, and import duties on my own as well as gather information from other sales tax professionals in Christies. Now I feel much more confident in my understanding. Additionally, because of this mistake it is now engrained in my work habits to double and triple check that that the information I am giving the client is correct.

Tell us about a time when you had to balance multiple priorities. Please give an example that demonstrated how you navigated completing work priorities to attain the best result. Describe a work scenario in which you were faced with competing priorities. How did you juggle them all and still meet everyone's expectations.

The whole team was working on some last minute tasks in arranging a huge third-party collection that was taking place that day. It just so happened that the phone started ringing off the hook and multiple clients were calling for me at the same time about their property. So I enlisted in the help of the other inventory controllers. I asked that they answer the phone on behalf of me and do what they can to assist while I wrapped up my task. Knowing that the team and the third-party auction house were counting on us doing our individual parts to get this collection ready by the deadline,I considered that to be the most urgent priority. I made sure that clients requests were not time sensitive things that I could come back to as soon as I was done with the task at hand. - Do the most important task first, take good notes about what you need to come back to later, have a clear communication of the deadlines for your tasks, and I'm always ready to ask for help.

How would a friend describe you?

honest and straighforward, I think effective communication is based on speaking about things clearly and in a way that's easy to understand to avoid miscommunication and so that no-one has to decipher the point you are trying to get across. Clear communication is especially helpful with clients as well as my coworkers. positive person. When things go wrong, it is not the end of the world, rather I find a way to get around the obstacle or solve the problem without getting emotional about it. In my current position, I deal with new problems every day, and rarely is one collection seamless. When you're upset by an issue, is makes is significantly harder to think clearly and solve it. So Ive learned to assess problems with a positive mindset and a clear mind. determined and energetic. When I set my mind to a goal or a project, I will not waste any time dedicating myself to it. For example, when there is an idea for process improvement within our department, I immediately get to planning next steps and organizing a plan.