How to Answer: Tell us about a time you experienced difficulty communicating with a customer.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an American Express job interview.
13. Tell us about a time you experienced difficulty communicating with a customer.
Focus Your Answer On
Investing time with those customers who take more effort to get on the same page makes for a more engaged customer experience. Being able to non-defensively communicate with a wide range of personalities exhibits strong interpersonal skills. So not only will the assessment vendor's algorithm will be evaluating your non-verbal cues, but they'll be assessing your verbal cues as well to evaluate how skilled and effective a communicator you are while delivering your answer.
Written by Kevin Downey on August 30th, 2022
What You Need to Know
Before the interview, practice your answers in front of the computer with your camera on while also recording your voice. Keep an ear out for any stutters, awkward pauses, or speech crutches, such as 'like,' 'you know,' 'uh,' 'um,' etc. Smile and pretend you are talking to a person. Research the body language of a confident and relaxed person in a seated position. Raise your arms, stretch your back, stand tall and make yourself as big as possible. Pump yourself up with physical exercise to manifest confidence. Reflects on the positive takeaways from the example you intend to share, and focus on those moments. Go in feeling good about your accomplishments and be hopeful for what comes next in your career.
Written by Kevin Downey on August 30th, 2022
Answer Example
"I was once on the phone with an unhappy customer. As soon as I took the call, they were quite aggressive. I realized they weren't adept at non-defensive communication. So I took notes, distilling facts from their emotional output. Once I had a clear and objective lens of what the situation was, I could aptly and calmly mirror their grievance back to them in a more impartial way. Once they affirmed my understanding of their situation was correct, I was able to empathize and calm them. From there, I maintained a calm and steady patient approach, and the call ended amenably. I think it's the same when communicating with anyone. Everyone wants to feel heard, everyone wants to be treated with respect, and everyone seeks validation. So whenever I'm communicating with our customers, I engage, actively listen, mirror back to them what I feel they're communicating, and validate their needs based on their perception and their reality. I'll present the situation back to them with the external components that may have been outside of their perspective. I'll share with them my knowledge, the avenues I can explore to help them, and do my best to keep the communication as amenable and as transparent as possible. Show them that you're putting thought into it, exploring all options before reaching an outcome. In the end, by using whatever resources you have, you have to determine how much that customer's loyalty is worth and do all you can to deliver the best customer service experience you can to earn their brand loyalty."
Written by Kevin Downey on August 30th, 2022