Trader Joe's Interview

Tell me about a time you worked with a team, how was it?

-I have always known I enjoy working with others in my career and educational experiences -I have previous work experience as an assistant for a production designer for entertainment sets and was exposed to working in a team in a fast paced environment -I really enjoy working with others and find working on a team to be a really rewarding experience -When working on sets, whether it is a long shoot or a short one you really bond with the other members of your crew -I also really thrive working on a team in a fast paced environment, getting to know everyone's personalities and being able to efficiently work through any busy moments that come our way

Why Trader Joe's?

-I have always thought Trader Joe's was a fun and unique environment and seems like a cool place to work -The store signs, the trader joe's shirts, and the products really make it stand out -I also have two friends that have worked for different trader joe's locations and they expressed to me how positive of an experience it was for them

Tell me about a time you received great customer service.

-I recently went to one of my favorite ramen restaurants and felt like our waiter provided us with really great customer service -he was super friendly, gave us great recommendations, and made sure we felt satisfied by our meal -I really felt like he took a lot of care to make sure we had a good experience which is something I really want to demonstrate in my own customer service skills if given the opportunity to work here

What are you wanting to get out of your team at Trader Joe's?

-I would really love to get a sense of community from my team at Trader Joe's -I really thrive working with others, being helpful, and being a member of a team and I feel like I would be able to get that from working here -I really value teamwork as well and when given the opportunity to work somewhere that also values that makes me even more excited to fully throw myself into that

How would you handle a difficult customer situation?

-In the past I have handled difficult customer situations with grace because at the end of the day the customer deserves to get the best experience they can out of their visit -when I was a server I had a customer that kept sending drink orders back saying that they weren't made to his liking -in the situation he was a little bit rude about the way he asked for another beverage but rather than react I accommodated his requests and went above and beyond to make sure any new drink that was brought to him was perfectly to his liking -I can confidently say I handle difficult customer situations with care, making sure they leave feeling satisfied

What are your favorite Trader Joe's products?

-My longtime favorite Trader Joe's product are the chili and lime rolled corn tortilla chips -one of my other favorites are the chocolate chip banana muffins -I do miss the truffle ketchup, it was a seasonal item during the summer I believe but it was a game changer

What should your team/coworkers expect of you?

-My team can count on me to be detail-oriented, hardworking, helpful, and friendly -I am always willing to assist others with a more difficult task or take over a task for them -They can also expect me to get started on other tasks that need to be done without being asked in order to help the team and store as a whole

After reading the job description, what sounds the most exciting of the duties?

-One of the duties I am most excited about is learning about existing and new products and being able to share that information with customers -in my personal life I am someone that relishes in giving suggestions to people and to be able to learn about the products and to share that knowledge with customers really excites me -I am really friendly and so being able to interact with customers in this type of unique way really interests me -I also really enjoy organizing, so the duties of stocking shelves and assisting customers by bagging their items is something I feel like I would excel at -I am very detail-oriented and know I would be good at being able to organize shelves and efficiently bag groceries

Tell me about a time you received critical feedback from a supervisor.

-There was a time when I was on set where I was unfamiliar with set etiquette on how to talk on walkies and my supervisor was trying to relay certain information to me that I was having trouble understanding and replying to -a little bit later in the day my supervisor pulled my aside and helped me work through the issues I was running into, telling me to be unafraid to ask for help if I was confused about anything in the future -I think that was something I struggled with at first was trying to figure out when is a good time to ask for clarification -however, that experience led me to become confident to speak up when I need assistance or clarification -this is also why I really value teamwork because I know I can rely on them if I need help and would assist them if they ever need it either

Tell me about a time you had conflict with a coworker.

-There was a time when I worked on a set with a coworker that had a different set of skills and different preference on how to get things done -the way we liked to communicate in a professional setting also differed -I was able to work through this challenging dynamic by setting some time aside to sit down together and talk through the ways we could come together and utilize our differing skills in order to be a stronger team

Questions for me to ask them

-What does a typical shift for a crew member entail? -What has been your favorite part about working for Trader Joe's? -How many crew members and mates are on this team?

Tell me about a time you received praise for great customer service.

-When I was a server there was a time that one of my regulars came into the restaurant for their anniversary and I made sure to go above and beyond for them on their special night -gave them a great wine recommendation for their meal and then asked the kitchen to make their dessert a little extra special by writing happy anniversary in chocolate sauce -when their meal was over they thanked me for making their anniversary so special -even my manager recognized their reaction and what I did to make their night special and commended me