Tell me about a time when your problem-solving and troubleshooting skills helped you solve a significant issue in the workplace.
"Just yesterday, I worked with a transport customer who was unhappy with a significant delay in their shipment. They explain they felt misled and taken for granted. Now, normally I would transfer such complaints to the correct customer service line, but rather than passing them off, I decided to listen and bridge the gap between this customer and the correct department. So, by listening and empathizing with them, making them feel heard, and having a conversation, I helped them feel better about their choice to trust us, and we objectified the situation, committing to finding a resolution. Through patient communication, I was able to de-escalate and triage with our other teams. I looked at it as helping out my team in another department, and doing the right thing by our customer, who held on as a returning customer."
Rail work is known to present high-pressure, time-sensitive situations, such as technical issues, delays, or unforeseen events. Therefore, your interviewer wants to learn how you approach such situations which require you to think quickly on your feet, or which require a degree of calculated risk. They are also curious about your decision-making and how decisive you are in high-pressure or high-stakes situations. How you answer stands to reveal whether you are resourceful, capable of outside-of-the-box thinking, respectful of the chain of command, and supportive of the objectives of your teams.
In a video on BNSF's website, their HR managers express their expectations of their recruits. "What do I look for in a candidate? Passion, curiosity, and authenticity. We love working with people who are passionate about their work and the problems they solve. We look for constant learners who ask a lot of questions and learn beyond what's expected. We hire people who are genuine, and truly themselves in every situation."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
Just recently, I had to solve an issue at work for one of our high-dollar clients. The client wanted to cancel their services due to ongoing issues with the reliability of their internet. I was able to pinpoint the issue thanks to my technical background and upgrade the customer as well.
Marcie's Feedback
Nice! The example you have given shows the interviewer that you are capable of solving problems and troubleshooting. Can you provide more details about how you identified the problem and solved it? The more details you can provide, the more meaningful and memorable your answer will be to the interviewer. Great job!
