Cust Serv Interview Questions & Answers

***IF UNSURE HOW TO ANSWER***

"I've never personally been in this type of situation before, but if i was then i would..." "Could i please have a moment to think on this question?"

***MY questions to ask interviewer***

"Yes, I have a few questions about this role and the company!" The first thing I'd love to know is what a typical day looks like. Also, what do you enjoy about working here? What are some of the qualities you think make a customer service rep standout here? What are the biggest challenges you face? What are some of the unique challenges that your customer service reps face at this company? What do you like about working for this company? Whats the environment like here? What are the advancement and cross training opportunities here?

Share a time you dealt with a difficult customer.

A customer called in complaining that our entire office is corrupt and that i have no idea what i'm doing. I listened to him so that he could share his frustration. I spoke to him with empathy, showing that i understood his frustration and that i would help him. I also told him that i would follow up to ensure he does not have the same issue again. The customer left the call satisified and apologized for being rude.

Share a time when you helped an upset customer.

A customer had called in screaming because their pay account was accidentally suspended. I was tasked with solving this challenge to turn a negative experience into a positive customer experience. I just listened to him and told him that i understood his frustration. I let him know that i would look into it immediately to correct the issue and help him receive his pay. The customer was calm by the end of the call because he knew I understood the severity of the problem and that I was actively working to get his pay account restored.

Tell me about a time you faced a challenge at work.

About one year ago when working as an HR specialist for the Navy, my superiors recognized my work ethic and slowly began increasing my duties. I've always been strong-willed at work, feeling confident that I can do everything myself. It took some self-reflection, but I realized I had too much work and needed help, which was difficult for me to admit. I voiced my concerns to my supervisor, and she hired two new assistants, which helped to reduce my stress and resulted in my increased productivity. I can now admit when I need help and understand the advantages of having a larger team.

How do you keep cool in a STRESSful situation?

Being prepared helps me to stay calm in stressful situations. When i worked in an office with high call volumes, I got a phone call from an angry customer. It was difficult for me to understand his issue because his sentences were mashed together in anger. I started piecing together what the problem was and why he was upset. I told him that I understood his problem and emphasized with his frustrations. He calmed down and told me fully about his situation. I knew our abilities and services thoroughly and managed to fix his issue in under 5 minutes. The whole interaction lasted 20 minutes, but i stayed diplomatic and acknowledged the customer. When i showed him that i valued what he was saying, it de-escalated the heat and got him to be on my side so that we could solve the issue together. ***STRESS*** I actually tend to work better under a manageable amount of pressure. im a goal oriented person so when i face deadlines i make sure to prioritize my tasks from most important to least. this ensures i complete all my tasks, while the pressure of a deadline pushes me to do my best work.

Have your emotions ever gotten in the way of your productivity?

Everyone is emotional to a certain degree, and i would consider myself to be kind hearted and open. i fully understand that a career working with health insurance can be emotional at times. if hired at UHG, i would be an employee thatd focus on the positives. If i were working with a member that had services denied, id keep a positive attitude while explaining their policy. this mindset has consistently allowed me to continue with a productive shift no matter the emotions that come my way and id be able to bring this same level headedness to work at UHG.

Why is good customer service so important?

Good customer service is important to any business because it is the brand of that business. If a company has a good reputation, then more customers will use or buy that product or service. If the service is poor, customers will leave or not buy that product.

How would you handle a situation where you had a work deadline but a colleague needed your help?

Great question, well I'd be sure to maintain a positive outlook on the situation and also utilize my organizational skills to develop a plan of action. I understand the importance of adhering to deadlines, but I also would not hesitate to assist a colleague that is in need of help. If my colleagues situation is a non-emergency, then I'd be sure to meet my deadline first and help my colleague immediately after.

Tell me a time a customer said no, but you persuaded them to say yes.

I DONT KNOW!!! Wing something man, Idk

When working on multiple projects, how you prioritize?

I always have a to-do list in work. I assign low, mid, or high priority to each task on the list,, not to the entire project. And then I work accordingly-taking care of the tasks with highest priority first, regardless of the project they belong to. Of course, when I got a call from a manager, or a specific deadline was set for me to deliver some report, or some analysis, I prioritized it to other tasks to ensure I'd meet the deadline. In my opinion, the most important thing is to have a meaningful system in your work, something you can rely on when you aren't sure what to do next. That's what I always try to do. For example, when the office was quiet, usually in the early morning, i would work on projects that required a great deal of thinking or creativity. My larger, more important tasks. Then in busier parts of the day, usually mid-day, when the office was buzzing with people, i would spend time responding to emails, all internal communication, and the lighter administrative tasks.

Tell me a time you received constructive criticism.

I can recall a time in my previous position when I was asked to create a PowerPoint presentation for an upcoming meeting. After my supervisor reviewed my presentation, she stated that some of the slides were not constructed in an easily read format, so she suggested I change the formatting. She had different design concepts in mind than I did. However, she had years of experience in presenting data, whereas I did not, so I listened to her ideas and incorporated them. In the end, I thought they looked very professional. And in subsequent presentations, I had included those concepts.

What do you do when you dont know the answer to a customers question?

I do everything i can for that situation to not happen. However, when im presented with a question i dont know the answer to, i try to research it first by browsing around all available resources. If i still cant find the answer, I consult my colleagues and supervisor. For example, in my recent customer service job I got a question i hadnt heard before and didnt know the answer to. I went through our companies knowledge base, researched the question, and went through our how-to guides and instructions. I still couldnt find anything but didnt want to let the customer down so I kept the conversation on while trying to find a solution to their issue. Once i realized i couldnt do it alone, I asked for more help from my senior colleague. They had encountered the question before and helped me talk the customer through the process to solve their problem. The customer was satisfied, i was grateful, and my coworked said hes always happy to help. I learned its OK to not know the answer. I just have to do my best to help the customer solve their issue by the end of our interaction.

Where have you enjoyed working most, why?

I enjoyed working in the Navy because I worked with a variety of people, helping customers with various issues. I liked the team environment and the positive feedback from my superiors. Every day, there were new challenges to solve, which gave me many opportunities to learn and grow.

What do you know about this company?

I know that the company is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and founded in January of 1977. UHG offers health insurance, dental, vision, individual&family ACA marketplace plans. I know that UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New York has announced a $750,000 investment this year to support a grant program in collaboration with the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS). I know that united health group was recently ranked #1 in the "health care: insurance and managed care" sector by Fortune for the 13th consecutive year.

Why are you interested in this position?

I recently separated from the Navy and felt UHG would be a wonderful place to start. I love working with people and making an impact. Customer service within your company would be the perfect fit for me.

Give me an example of a time you made a mistake at work.

I try to be careful in my work and limit the mistakes I make. However, one previous mistake I made in my last role was to not set clear expectations with one of our important customers. The customer called and asked for a timeframe for the completion of their project. I was eager to impress them and gave an optimistic timeframe, but we failed to deliver. My supervisor told me later that this customer left and sought services elsewhere after being disappointed in the missed deadline, so I consider this a serious mistake, and it's something I regret. I used the experience to improve my abilities, though. I have a better understanding of time management and project timelines, but more importantly, I know how to set expectations for a project to give myself a few extra days so that we can deliver early, or on time, even if we hit a few roadblocks.

Why did you leave your last job?

I was working full-time as an active duty member of the US Navy, however I've now completed my contract and received an honorable discharge. Im ready for a challenging full-time job within a reputable organization, like UHG.

Describe experience working remotely.

I've worked remotely numerous times in the last 3 years. I find myself to be highly productive when working at home in my own space- and a distraction free environment. Overall, my experience working remotely has been great besides the unavoidable technical issues that can arise. Although, t's always been super easy to reach tech support, and have the issue resolved in a timely manner to continue work.

What are your salary expectations?

Im glad you brought this up. I was going to ask what the salary range was going to be for this position at a later time. Im very interested in hearing what you have in mind.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years, i hope to have taken on additional responsibilities and made a meaningful impact in my field. i am dedicated to personal and professional growth, and hope to have found a role that allows me to continue learning, develop my skills, and make a positive contribution to my organization.

When have you shown great integrity on the job?

In my previous role, I had to collaborate cross functionally with different departments in order to meet the needs of our customers. During one of our breaks, I had a coworker who posted specific information about a patients medical situation on social media and how she had helped him. This was against our companies policies, but also could be a HIPAA breach. I notified my manager right away. My coworker wasn't happy with me, but i had to take action and do the right thing in this situation because our organizations reputation was on the line. The post was immediately deleted by the employee.

What do you see yourself doing in the first 30 days of this job?

In the first 30 days i would successfully complete the training for this position, understand the goals and expectations of the company, build relationships and establish communication channels with those i will be collaborating with, and identifying areas when i can make a meaningful contribution.

If selected, describe your strategy for the first 90 days?

In the first 90 days of this job, i would aim to understand the goals and expectations of the company, establish communication channels with those i will be collaborating with, and then execute on my objectives.

5 CORE VALUES (UHG)

Integrity Compassion Relationships Innovation Performance

Describe your experience working in a culturally diverse environment.

It gives me an immense pleasure to work with people from different geopolitical boundaries. in my most recent job in the Navy, i worked with team members spread across three different countries. i got an opportunity to learn about diff perspectives on problems and was also introduced to various traditions.

Share a time when you were flexible at work.

It was the holiday season and call/email volumes were really high in the office. I volunteered to work on our off days and use my work laptop at home to remain available for customers. I ended up working 4 extra shifts, which really helped keep service levels acceptable. Service levels remained in the acceptable range, despite having less staff and higher call volumes.

What motivates you?

Ive always been driven by self motivation. I have the understanding that it's up to me to get the results i desire, which has pushed me to do the best i can in all my roles, and has driven me to succeed. I love the feeling that I get from helping others. I get a great deal of satisfaction when an angry customer becomes a loyal customer by the end of an interaction. I like to be a part of a team that puts the customer first and helps to ensure they are happy and choose to stay with us.

What would you do if a customer said you were taking too long to handle an issue?

Often, i try to avoid that feedback by giving customers an up-front estimate of how long a task will take, and why it might take some time. However, thats not always possible. If i received this feedback, id start by acknowledging it without getting defensive. Id say something like "I apologize that this issue is taking longer than anticipated to resolve". Then, id look for practical solutions. For example, id call the customer back, provide an update via email, or do something that will free up the persons time. Thatd help the customer end the interaction satisfied.

What does great customer service look like to you?

Patient and probing as to what the challenge is and providing solutions on how to solve the challenge. As well as someone who listens from a place of empathy, and speaks in a friendly, respectful manner.

If we asked your previous supervisors what your STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES were, what would they say?

STRENGTHS: Id say my greatest strengths are consistency and my listening skills. Consistency because i show up every single day and do great work, which has allowed me to perform at a high level. My listening skills are a strength because it allows me to uncover the unmet needs of the customer and it makes them feel heard, which builds relationships as well as builds their trust in me. WEAKNESS:

***TO CONCLUDE INTERVIEW***

Thanks for taking the time to interview me today. im very excited about this opportunity and im confident i will be a great asset to the team. Is there anything that i didnt cover or need to clarify that would prevent me from moving forward?

Tell us about yourself (walk me through your resume)

Well, in 2017 I began working in the Navy as a construction contractor where I utilized strong communication skills to collaborate with my teammates and ensure occupational health and safety within our organization. Then in 2019, still in the Navy, I started my position as an HR specialist where I was responsible for thorough resolution of customer questions and concerns. In this role, i implemented and trained my colleagues on process improvement efforts and developed an organizational culture that fostered teamwork. My dedication to our customers increased our overall satisfaction rates from 62% to 95%. I held, and exceeded, in this position for 4 years.

Why do you want to work for this company?

What attracted me to this company is its innovation of products and services, its strong reputation in the industry, and its commitment to making a positive impact in the world. Another factor is being able to work with a talented and dedicated team to grow my skills and career.

Describe a Time When You Put Your Needs Aside to Help a Co-Worker.

When a new specialist had joined our team at my last job, I could tell that she was having some problems. My supervisor was busy handling a major project at that time, so she was unable to give our new team member all the training she needed. A lot of paperwork was piling up and was not getting filed quickly, so whenever I had some downtime, I offered to help my new co-worker out a bit. I showed her some techniques so she could file papers relatively quickly while not allowing her other responsibilities fall aside. We even got lunch together several times during her first few weeks so that I could go over some other basic tips. After a month working there, she was flying through her tasks, and a few months after that, she received recognition for all the good work she had done.

How do you handle conflict with a coworker?

When handling conflict with a coworker, i try to understand their perspective and maintain a positive and professional attitude. I believe that by approaching the situation with empathy, effective communication, and a focus on the task at hand, we can work together to overcome any obstacles and achieve a successful outcome.

Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it?

Yes, I've made mistakes. I try to limit my mistakes by being careful and double-checking my work, though, and by planning ahead. When I do make a mistake, I own up to it, calculate how to best fix the error, and if I need to communicate with my supervisor or other team members, I'm open to doing that as well to discuss mistakes. I think making mistakes happens eventually if you work long enough, but I try to minimize their occurrence and be upfront and accountable if an actual mistake does happen.

Why should we hire you?

You should hire me because i have relevant experience and skills that would add value to your team. I am coachable and willing to go above and beyond to accomplish goals set by the company. I am confident i will excel in this role. For example,