American Express Mock Interview
Master 35 American Express interview questions covering service excellence, financial products, and customer relationship building.
Question 17 of 35
Tell me about a time when you received excellent customer service.
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Elisabeth Walter is an experienced Recruiting Consultant and Enrollment Advisor.
This question falls under the umbrella of the golden rule, "Treat others the way you want to be treated." Providing an example of what you consider excellent customer service will offer insights as to the type of excellent customer service you expect yourself to deliver.
Elisabeth Walter is an experienced Recruiting Consultant and Enrollment Advisor.
"I was at the bank recently, and the line was incredibly long. Customers were beginning to get impatient. Right before the bank teller helped me they had assisted several unhappy customers who were all in a hurry. The teller was extremely kind, patient and even asked me about my day. I was impressed that they maintained such a great attitude!"
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
After so many hours on hold with the cell phone company and no resolution, it can be challenging to think of an example of excellent customer service. However, with all of the services you use and the shopping you do, the opportunities are plentiful! Excellent customer service means merely keeping a positive attitude and taking care of your customer's needs by going a little bit above and beyond expectations. Define what customer service means to you and think of some examples before your interview.
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
More often than not, people evaluate exemplary customer service to being heard, being validated, and being treated fairly. The idea of what is fair may vary from person to person. But understanding this gives a deeper insight into the adage 'The customer is always right.' This term isn't meant to be taken literally. It more so conveys that good customer service is understanding, relating with, and delivering on expectations. Meeting those expectations equates to good customer service.
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
"I had to make a call to (XYZ) Inc. I knew what I was in for; long wait times, and having to explain my situation several times to different representatives. I wanted to receive excellent customer service, so to receive that, I had to be the perfect customer. I started by asking each one of them how their day was and thanking them for taking my call. I've worked in a call center, so I explained my work experience and showed them an appreciation for their hard work. I then explained my situation and expressed my hope that they'd be able to help me. Anytime I approach these situations like that, I receive great customer service."
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Anonymous Answer
A few days back I was charged 43 at the local grocery store. The actual amount was only 8.25. since I had the bill, I went back to that store and showed them the bill and the actual bank transaction on my phone. They took 2-3 mins to check their system and immediately issued a refund and apologized for their system fault. Initially, I was amazed but this incident, but the way the store manager handled this issue was amazing. Now they have replaced that self-checkout system with a completely new machine.
Chad's Feedback
Nice! It sounds like the company was quick to realize its error and resolve the situation. Consider concluding your response by indicating this is the type of excellent customer service you would strive to provide as a member of the American Express team.
Anonymous Answer
I recently had an excellent experience with my insurance company for customer service. I had a billing issue to be solved and called the customer service number. It went to the general service line and the women who served me not only provided the correct number to the right department but also helped me transfer. After being picked up by the right department, she briefly introduced my situation and asked her colleague to assist me. Then after one hour, she even called me back to see if my issue has been resolved and if there is anything she could help. I was impressed by her nice and caring attitude.
Stephanie's Feedback
This sounds like a wonderful, memorable customer service experience! I suggest rounding out your response by adding a sentence that highlights what you learned from this customer service experience and how that might translate into a future job. For example, "This experience created a lasting impression in my mind, and I hope to achieve this level of customer service for my customers at American Express."
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