Portland General Electric Mock Interview
Practice 30 Portland General Electric interview questions covering safety culture, grid modernization, and renewable energy transition.
Question 11 of 30
Sometimes our customers do not understand their bill and they will reach us with questions. Tell me about your communication skills and how you would respond to an irate customer.
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Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Keeping a customer calm when they do not understand their bill can be a challenging task. The interviewer wants to hear about a situation where you used your customer service skills to handle an irate customer. Highlight your ability to maintain a relaxed demeanor, and your ability to empathize with the customer, while coming to a smart solution that works for both parties.
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"I had a customer call last week because her bill was twice the amount of what she was expecting. She was distraught because her bill has always consistently been the same. I listened and let her know I understood where she was coming from, ensuring her I would move as quickly as I could to find a solution. Listening and empathizing helped her to calm down and ease the tension during the call. My manager agreed that we would, one time only, discount her bill by half. She was happy, and we kept a customer complaint from blowing out of proportion."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"Irate customers are usually just wishing to be heard. If I am to come across a customer who is unhappy, I would ask them to tell me more about what was bothering them. Once I have a clear understanding of the true problem, I can then ask the customer to tell me what a viable solution would be for them."
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Anonymous Answer
It's quite common to have someone who is upset about their bill. What I have learned from customer service is that it's best to make sure the customer feels heard and understood as to why they're upset. I will sympathize with my customer and make sure I quickly find the answer to the bill change and come up with a resolution.
Chad's Feedback
It sounds like you have an effective approach to handling unhappy customers, and ensuring a solution is reached using your customer service skills. If possible, cite a specific example from your career when this approach was effective and enabled you to arrive at a viable solution for both parties.
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