How to Answer: At ADP, we take great pride in our customer service reputation. How would you deal with a customer dispute?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an ADP job interview.
24. At ADP, we take great pride in our customer service reputation. How would you deal with a customer dispute?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
ADP is a well-known name, meaning it's vital they maintain a strong reputation in such a competitive market. To land the position with ADP, you must show the interviewer that you are more than 'just an employee.' The interviewer wants to hear how you will help ADP to carry the customer service torch.
Written by Elisabeth Walter
How to Answer
Especially for applicants seeking a client-facing role, it's critical to have the ability to deal with conflict effectively and nurture long-term client relationships. That being said, customers don't always make it easy on you! Emphasize your customer service skills and the process you would take to turn a dissatisfied customer into a satisfied one. You might even give an example of a time you successfully resolved a customer dispute.
Written by Rachel Hills on November 13th, 2022
1st Entry Level Example
"I would stop what I was doing and give them my full attention. I would try to de-escalate first by listening to what they say without interrupting. I would remain calm, and as long as I did not feel that my safety was threatened, I would try to resolve the matter by speaking to them with kindness and compassion. I would apologize for the problem and assure them I will assist them with resolving it. If a situation continued to escalate or it was a problem I could not fix, I would immediately ask my manager for assistance."
Written by Jaymie Payne on November 13th, 2022
1st Answer Example
"I have several years of experience in customer service and have taken many calls from upset customers, and I feel that conflict resolution is something I excel at. I typically let the customer speak first and actively listen to them without interrupting. To be sure I understand the problem or situation; I repeat back what I heard the problem to be so that I can effectively assist the customer. I empathize and let them know I care about their concern and hear their frustration, and I reassure them that I will do all I can to help them find a resolution. I'm very level-headed, and I do not let emotions get the best of me in these situations. If I cannot assist the customer at my level, I escalate it to the appropriate person who can help them."
Written by Jaymie Payne on November 13th, 2022
2nd Answer Example
"I have great dispute resolution skills. If I come across a dissatisfied client, I always start by simply listening. Sometimes they need to vent. I empathize by letting them know I hear what they are saying and understand. If there is anything I can do to resolve it, I act on it. Otherwise, I ask them how I can help them and do my best to meet whatever needs I can."
Written by Jaymie Payne on November 13th, 2022
About the Author
When I started my career in business management, branding, and marketing, I mistakenly assumed hard work and integrity alone would get me noticed. Back then, I assumed the harder I worked, the faster I’d rise through the ranks. Yet, even in a meritocracy, this is rarely the case.
The goals of my peers competed with mine, and too often, they were better at getting noticed for their accomplishments. And, some of them were all too happy to watch me working harder, as they worked smarter, rising through the ranks faster than me. At one point, a boss of mine labeled me a stealth worker. They said they had no idea I was the one performing all that great work. If only I’d drawn more attention to what I was doing, maybe I would have gotten rewarded for it. So I learned most of my leadership skills the hard way, and the journey was long.
As a leader, my favorite part of the job came to be coaching others. I took pride in sharing the secrets to my eventual success, and offering my outside-of-the-box view of the role. Where other leaders were only in it for themselves, I was genuinely in it for the company and the team. So I taught those I mentored not only what they needed to do, and how to do the job right, but why each step was important. I spelled out how everything fit into the big picture and shared every trick of the trade that no one shared with me. Every single individual I mentored advanced far ahead of their peers, surpassing those who were only in it for themselves.
Another favorite part of the job was recruiting and building the perfect teams. For me, conducting an interview was an art form. I later volunteered my services at career fairs and trade schools, offering advice, from crafting the perfect CV and resume, to delivering a perfect interview, to negotiating a decent raise. Now I am a full-time writer, and left my management career behind me. Yet, I still love coaching others to succeed, and I love writing for mockquestions.com for this very reason.
Here’s what I said to a friend of mine whom I mentored a long time ago: “Every single thing you do, at every stage, can alter the perception others have of your professional worth. My goal is to make you look like an asset worth fighting for.”
Learn more about Kevin Downey