Qatar Airways Customer Service Agent Interview Questions & Answers
Below is a list of our Qatar Airways interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view six answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.
1. You would be expected to come to work each shift in uniform and neatly groomed, if hired at Qatar Airways. Would you have any issues in doing this?
How to Answer
Appearance to customers is extremely important at Qatar Airways and your interviewer will be looking to hear that you will take pride in your appearance by being neatly groomed and in uniform for work each day. Prior to your interview, try to research the particular image standards that the airline you are interviewing with has and be able to speak about the standards and your compliance during the interview.
Answer Example
"I would not have any issues with the dress policies that you have in place for your staff here at Qatar Airways. I really love the uniforms that are required for the job and would take a lot of pride in wearing it each day. I am aware of other accessory and grooming policies that your airline has. I also always keep my hair neatly styled and cut on a regular basis."
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2. At Qatar Airways, teamwork is the key to providing the best overall experience to our customers. How do you work as part of a larger team?
How to Answer
While it may be easy to assume that working as a Customer Service Agent at Qatar Airways is a solitary job working with customers, the truth is that you'll be working as part of a much larger team within the company towards one overall goal--to provide the best service possible to all customers. Your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are an agile team player who gets along well with others, is able to take direction, and is able to grab the bull by the horns and take the lead, when needed. In your answer to this question, don't hesitate to give examples of how you've worked as part of a larger team in the past to prove that you can be the ultimate team player at Qatar Airways.
Answer Example
"I really thrive working in a team-based environment, and that really drew me to seeking employment at Qatar Airways. If you were to talk to my references or any past colleagues and managers, they would tell you that I am reliable in doing what I say and saying what I mean at all times. They would tell you that I have excellent communication skills, the ability to problem solve as part of a larger team, and that I bring a positive attitude to work on a daily basis. From my own perspective, I have the ability to take direction from others and also to take the lead on things when I am the expert in any situation."
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3. If a customer approached you with a question or request that you weren't sure how to respond to, what would be the next steps you would take?
How to Answer
Looking to dive into your ability to problem solve with this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are quick and resourceful, while continuing to provide great service to the customers at Qatar Airways. Describe the upfront and honest approach you would take with the customer and set a timeline for finding them an answer. Then, explain the steps you would take to find the right person with the answer. The keys to displaying your ability to help customers in this situation are honesty, timeliness, and follow-up with the customer. Your ability to handle situations like this at Qatar Airways will instantly reflect your ability to provide excellent service, if hired for this role.
Answer Example
"In my current role handling incoming customer calls to our business, I am often asked questions that I don't know the answer to. In these situations, I let the customer know that I will get them in touch with the best person to answer their question and do so right away. I let them know that if they get a voicemail, they can leave a message and the call will be returned shortly. In these situations, it is important that I know our staff, their expertise, and their daily schedules to be able to get customers in touch with the right person. In this role working for a much larger airline, it will also be important that I know the staff well and the types of colleagues best suited to answer customer questions. I would let the customer know that I am unable to answer their question, but that I want to make sure it gets answered, and I'd work quickly to contact the right person for the answer."
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4. Our Customer Service Agents need to have the ability to say no to our customers at times. How would you approach a customer who is hoping for a ticket on an upcoming flight that is sold out?
How to Answer
The ability to say no to a customer in a professional and even educational manner is extremely important in this role at Qatar Airways, and your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are able to do just that. On top of letting the customer know that you can't meet their need with this particular request, it is more important that you use your ability to problem solve and provide the best service possible by taking the time to search for more options for the customer. As you answer, talk about how you would take a proactive approach to provide a winning situation for a customer at Qatar Airways.
Answer Example
"In this particular situation, I would be very upfront with the customer and let them know that their desired flight is sold out and would refer to any particular policies that the airline has about overbooking with the customer. To try and help them find a solution, I would work with them to find other available flights that would fit their schedule. I would look at alternate routing, if necessary, and once again work within policies on pricing for the customer."
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5. Talk about a time you had to deal with an unreasonable person in the workplace. How did you successfully handle that situation?
How to Answer
Travelers can often be very unreasonable to deal with for the staff at Qatar Airways, and your interviewer needs to hear that you have a calm, cool, and collected approach to handling unreasonable customers. Whether a customer is experiencing a major delay that requires a change of personal plans or a customer is traveling for a life altering reason, you need to approach them with empathy and professionalism no matter what that situation brings your way. The example you share can be from an experience with a colleague, manager, or customer, just make sure that you can explain your approach with the unreasonable customer by setting the stage for the situation and explaining how your actions provided a positive outcome.
Answer Example
"Having worked in the food industry at an early age in high school, I learned lessons pretty quickly on how to deal with unreasonable customers. One shift when I was working as the night lead, we had an angry customer come into the store after receiving his order. He was berating our cashier and, having heard this from the kitchen area, I immediately went out to try and calm the situation down. He demanded that he receive a full refund for his order because the meal he had ordered had ketchup on the sandwich, and he wasn't aware of that. I explained to him that while our drive through menu did explain all condiments on the sandwiches, I'd be happy to have another sandwich made for him at no extra cost. While he still mumbled a few extra words after that response, I know he got the point that he was acting very out of line towards our staff for his mistake, and he apologized to our cashier after receiving his new sandwich. In any situation like this, it is important to maintain a professional approach, even when someone else is out of line."
6. What appeals to you most about being our next Customer Service Agent at Qatar Airways?
How to Answer
With this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear about your personal motivation for working with Qatar Airways. To really sell them on your ability to join their team and make an immediate impact now and into the future, try to focus your answer on the customer service aspects of the job because it is the heart and soul of the role and should be the reason why you are applying for this position with Qatar Airways. As you have researched prior to your interview, try to work in your passion to deliver excellence in your work into your answer to prove to your interviewer that you are on board with the main mission at Qatar Airways.
Answer Example
"Throughout my career, I've been working my way towards a role that is customer facing and customer focused in every aspect of the job, and after carefully researching my next move, working for Qatar Airways is perfect for my skillset and career goals. In my job search, I was drawn to Qatar Airways because of the major accolades you have received in the industry and the focus on excellence in all that you do."
7. If hired at Qatar Airways, you would be required to pass background, medical, and employment verification checks. Would you have any issues being subjected to this?
How to Answer
Prior to applying to and interviewing for this role as an Airline Customer Service Agent at Qatar Airways, it is important to know that both the TSA and FAA have strict regulations for background checks for airline staff. They require commercial airlines to run criminal background checks on prospective employees, and there is a specific list of criminal activities that can automatically disqualify your candidacy for the job. They do require that an employment verification check does take place as well, where the airline will look into at least the last 10 years of your employment history. At this point in your interview, you need to be open and honest about any gaps in employment that you have and any blemishes that you have on your criminal record. Keep in mind, you should explain any gaps in employment with a legitimate reason, and you should address anything on your criminal record, even if it is something as small as a simple speeding violation in a vehicle.
Answer Example
"I have no issue being subjected to a criminal background check, medical check, and employment verification. My current employer is required to run a criminal background check on our staff every two years. As you can see from my resume, I have no gaps in employment over the last 15 years of my career since high school. I have a clean criminal record and take pride in that. If hired at Qatar Airways, you can rest easy knowing that I will be an honest and ethical employee."
8. Safety and security are extremely important at Qatar Airways. How can you help foster a culture of safety for our staff and customers?
How to Answer
To help keep passengers, flight crews, and all other airline staff at Qatar Airways safe and well, the airline industry has strict safety requirements that all employees need to adhere to. To add to that, specific airports also have many safety and security protocols that all passengers and staff must adhere to. By posing this question during your interview, your interviewer is looking to get a sense that you believe in safety first and will both obey all safety and security measures and promote them among your coworkers. As you answer this question, try to focus on a time when you needed to be focused on safety on the job and explain your overall mindset towards safety to ensure that your interviewer will walk away from your interview knowing that you are a safety-minded individual.
Answer Example
"I'm a very caring individual who wants people to be safe and happy at all times, so I put a lot of effort into ensuring that the workplace is as safe as it can be for all people who enter it. In my current job, I focus on safety by ensuring that lobby areas are clean and free of germs, and that there is no clutter in travel areas that would make for a tripping hazard. I understand that there are very strict safety and security measures in the airport setting and working with Qatar Airways. If hired to be your next Customer Service Agent, I would make it a priority to learn all safety and security measures in my first days on the job."
9. Our Customer Service Agents need to know and adhere to the FAA's regulations and policies on a daily basis. Have you worked in a job in the past where adherence to local, state, or federal laws was important?
How to Answer
The Federal Aviation Administration is the controlling force over the commercial airline industry and its policies and regulations impact the day-to-day jobs of every staff member of an airline, including at Qatar Airways. While your interviewer won't be looking for you to know the FAA regulations off the top of your head, they will be looking to hear that you have the ability to play by the rules, if you are hired as Qatar Airways' next Customer Service Agent. As you prepare for you interview, think back to a job you held where adherence to regulations was important in the work you performed, describe that experience to the interviewer, and explain the steps you took to ensure you were following all policies. If you don't have exact experience with more government set regulations, reassure your interviewer that you are a team player who follows the rules by talking about other roles where company rules dictated your work.
Answer Example
"During my time in the restaurant industry, we had to follow strict regulations in our work regarding food safety. In my job, that was ensuring that cooler temperatures were taken and recorded at set times each day, making sure all packaged food was labeled with an expiration date and all uneaten food was disposed of properly and timely. Very quickly after starting this job, the importance of following all of these regulations was instilled in me by my manager. If hired at Qatar Airways, I would make sure that I learn and adhere to all FAA regulations while on the job."
10. Talk about a job where you had to multitask your duties each day. What did you do to stay organized and on task throughout the day?
How to Answer
As a Customer Service Agent at Qatar Airways, no two work days are the same. Your ability to jump from duty to duty with ease will be essential for success in the role. One minute you can be working with customers on ticket transactions and the next minute you will be needed to contact customers who had a flight rescheduled, so your ability to stay organized is critical. Your interviewer will look to gain insight on your ability to multitask by having you share about a past job where you had to be an effective multi-tasker. As you prepare for your interview, think of a job you've held that allows you to clearly explain the multitude of tasks you had to handle and allows you the opportunity to explain the methods and tools you used to make sure each task got done in a prioritized fashion.
Answer Example
"Success in my last two jobs really showcased my ability to multitask and I think these experiences can really help benefit me if hired here at Qatar Airways. As a bartender in my younger years, multitasking was handling a room full of people, remembering their orders, and keeping the bar stocked in short order. This job really helped me think on my feet and build a great short term memory when handling many requests at the same time. My current role as a Customer Service Representative finds me working with customers on processing sales orders, checking shipping costs, and verifying current pricing on products. On top of each customer interaction being completely different, I'm also responsible for the tracking of daily sales reports and monthly reporting to our management. To stay on track, I keep a running to-do list and utilize my calendar to ensure I meet deadlines."
11. Talk about a time that you identified an area for improvement on the job in the past. How did you go about ensuring that changes were made, and why did you take this course of action?
How to Answer
By posing this question to you, your interviewer is looking to hear that you are a forward thinker who is always looking for ways to improve the overall customer experience as this would be very beneficial to the team at Qatar Airways. As you reflect back upon your career, try to think of a time when you can demonstrate your ability to identify a problem, hypothesize a solution, and then set the wheels in motion to make the change a reality. As you answer, make sure to talk about the resources you used to help make the change to prove your ability to seek out and make improvements, if hired for this job.
Answer Example
"In my current job, we were having an issue in regard to customer wait times on our phone system around five years ago due to a new product line we were selling that was generating a ton of traffic. As one of the front line staff who was talking with customers after really long waiting times, it didn't take long to realize that customers were very upset. I knew that there were great options out there for automated phone systems to route customers to the correct person, but our management had been hesitant in the past to utilize a system like that. I made the decision to monitor our customer wait times and track the number of complaints that we were getting for a week long period before approaching our management about the need for an upgraded phone system. After seeing the data, they were supportive of the idea, and I led a team of staff that demoed new systems in the coming months with great success."
12. If you were on the phone with a customer that was demanding that you match the ticket pricing of a competitor airline, how would you handle that situation?
How to Answer
To get a glimpse into how you think on your feet while also providing top notch service, your interviewer is posing this tricky scenario to you because it will be a situation that will come up at Qatar Airways. As you talk about maintaining your composure and talking to them in a friendly yet professional tone, make sure you talk about the need to refer to company policies regarding this situation. Airlines do have different policies when it comes to price matching and while it isn't important to know the policies Qatar Airways during your interview, it is important that you point out to your interviewer that you would be aware of the policy if you were hired as their next Customer Service Agent, and that you would clearly communicate that policy to the customer. If you have been in a similar type of customer service situation in the past, don't hesitate to talk about how you handled that situation, as well.
Answer Example
"If confronted with this situation on the job, I would be very cordial to the customer and explain the airline's policy on competitor price matching. If the policy allowed, I would let the customer know that I would be happy to oblige their request. If policy didn't allow this, I would explain this to the customer and let them know why we have the policy in place. This would also be a great time to point out the benefits of flying with Qatar Airways so the customer knows that they are getting the best bang for their buck."
13. Qatar Airways' staff are expected to withhold the highest standards of professionalism and excellence while on the job. What does being professional mean to you on the job?
How to Answer
If you have ever flown with Qatar Airways, you know that all staff of the organization look the part and walk the part of being a true professional on the job. With this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you'll bring a professional attitude and demeanor to the Customer Service Agent job, if you are selected for the role. As you respond to the question of what being a professional on the job means to you, it is important to understand that professionalism is defined as the level of excellence that is expected of a professional, and that this definition directly applies to this role in the way that you handle yourself and your service to others while on the job.
Answer Example
"I've always prided myself on being a true professional in any job that I've held during my career and would love to bring this attitude to Qatar Airways. For this job as a Customer Service Agent, that would mean coming to work each day well groomed and in uniform, well rested, and ready to go. From there, my professionalism would be on display in the way that I reflect the airline's core values of honesty, integrity, pride, and excellence in all that I do. If hired to join the Qatar Airways team, I would always take great pride in how I represented the airline."
14. Part of this role will entail escorting passengers to and from flights in a timely manner. What interpersonal skills do you have that will make you excel in this aspect of the job with Qatar Airways?
How to Answer
Because you will be working face to face in many ways with customers of Qatar Airways as a Customer Service Agent, your interviewer will definitely ask you some questions that will allow you to dig into your interpersonal and communication skills. As you answer any questions related to your interpersonal skills and working with customers, be sure to talk about your listening skills, verbal communication skills, positive attitude, and empathetic approach, as these are all of the necessary skills needed to provide the best service possible to customers when spending small amounts of time with them. Always remember that Qatar Airways is known for excellence in all that they do, so don't hesitate to convey how you can exude excellence in your interpersonal skills.
Answer Example
"When I would have time with a customer while escorting them, I would have a smile on my face and ask how their day is going and if I could do anything for them. I know it is important to try and relate to them in a very personable way to help make their day better. If I get a good vibe from them, I would continue to make conversation with them while also explaining anything I can about their upcoming departure. If I got the strong sense that they were in distress, I would switch into helper mode with them to try and put their mind at ease."
15. Do you have any cleaning and/or stocking experience during your career?
How to Answer
As passengers shuffle off of a flight that just landed and prior to the passengers boarding the plane for its next flight out, airline staff quickly work to prepare the plane. During this preparation, Customer Service Agents at Qatar Airways are asked to help restock the food, beverage, and other items on the plane, and also do some light cleaning in the cabin of the plane. While your interviewer knows that you can likely handle this piece of the job, they're looking to hear if you do have any experience handling these types of duties during your past work. Be honest about the experience you have that relate to these two items. If you don't have direct experience with either of these duties, let your interviewer know that you are ready and willing to handle these tasks, as they are an integral part of the job.
Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, I have very direct experience in the retail industry that would prove to be useful in the work with Qatar Airways. In this work, providing a clean atmosphere and well-stocked products is extremely important. As a cashier, I was responsible for making sure the shelves were fully stocked around my register during my shift, and I would do so at times when foot traffic at the registers was slow. At the end of each shift, I was required to sanitize and wipe down my register area and do any sweeping and mopping necessary. Without being prompted to, I also kept my register area clean throughout my shift to provide a safer area for my customers."
16. Our Customer Service Agents often have to handle unique requests from our customers with a smile on their face. Talk about a time you had to handle a unique request that fell outside of your typical job duties. Why did you oblige the request?
How to Answer
Because of the simple nature of the industry and the fact that Qatar Airways customers come from all walks of life, customers can have some very unique demands. Your job as a Customer Service Agent will be to help customers with anything you can, within reason. To get a feel for your willingness and ability to do this, your interviewer is looking to hear about a situation in which you have had to do this in the past. As you prepare for this question, think of a time that highlights a very unique situation with a customer that fell outside of your typical duties and allows you to talk about your reasoning for helping the customer in that way. In the end, your interviewer is looking to hear that you are flexible and willing to do what is necessary to put a smile on the customer's face.
Answer Example
"During my time in Customer Service for a large auto dealership, I did many things that were out of the scope of my job to help provide the best experience for customers. One day, we had a customer having repairs made to her vehicle and prior to coming in for repairs, she had dropped her dogs off at the groomer thinking she would only be with us for an hour or so. Knowing that her car would be in the shop for two to four hours, I worked with our Service Manager to get her into a loaner vehicle and to have him nullify the no pets clause to our loaner vehicle policy so she'd be able to leave our location to pick up her dogs. The customer was very happy with the service that I provided and if hired here at Qatar Airways, I'd be always looking to bring this same level of customized service to your customers."
17. You may be required to transport passengers via a shuttle van at Qatar Airways. Do you have a valid driver's license and a clean driving record?
How to Answer
If your interviewer asks you any questions during your interview about holding a valid driver's license and having a clean driving record, driving a Qatar Airways vehicle will likely be part of the job. When you applied for the job and read the job description, this likely would have been listed as a requirement. This question calls for a pretty simple and honest response, where you confirm your license status and also talk about your driving record in an open and honest manner.
Answer Example
"I do have a valid driver's license and have held mine without any restrictions since I was 18 years old. For the five years I've had my license, I have a perfectly clean driving record."
18. As our next Customer Service Agent at Qatar Airways, you will be expected to know many facets of our business. Have you ever held a role where knowing your business from back to front was necessary for your role?
How to Answer
Airline Customer Service Agents are often the face of Qatar Airways to customers. In this role, you will be expected to know all of the details in regards to flight scheduling, ticketing, baggage policies, and many other areas of the business, so you can explain details to customers in your interactions with them. To get at your ability to be as knowledgeable as possible in this role, your interviewer is asking this question to see if you've had to do this in any previous roles you've held. As you answer this question, talk about the position you've held that required a vast knowledge base about the organization you worked for, and explain why having that knowledge was critical to the role. Make sure you also reiterate to your interviewer that you are willing to learn and master every aspect necessary for this role with Qatar Airways.
Answer Example
"In my current role, I work with customers over the phone and with those who come into our location in person, and I'm most often the first face they see. This experience alone makes me highly qualified to join the team at Qatar Airways. To best help meet their needs, I know our entire product catalog off the top of my head and also know our entire sales and marketing teams to be able to direct customers to the right person, when necessary. When I was hired for my current job five years ago, I took it upon myself to familiarize myself and learn our products and staff in a short amount of time to be the expert representative of my organization and, if hired for this role, I would work hard from the start to gain this same level of expertise in this role."
19. Describe a time you had to explain something complex to a customer. How did you handle this conversation to ensure that the message was conveyed and understood by the customer?
How to Answer
Flying with Qatar Airways can be a first time experience for many customers, and you as the Customer Service Agent will be critical in conveying information to customers. This question allows your interviewer to gain insight into your communication skills and style by posing a very specific situation for you to walk through. With any type of behavioral interview question like this, make sure you describe in detail the situation and the action you took to provide great results. As you talk about your explanation to a colleague or a customer, try to highlight the means of communication you used and how you chose to approach that person.
Answer Example
"A couple of weeks ago, I was working with a customer on the financing options they would have if they made a purchase, and they didn't grasp the concepts of financing and different interest rates for the options we had for customers. To help her understand the concept, I took a pen and paper and worked out all of the math while kindly explaining how different interest rates and loan term lengths impacted her total money paid in the end. The customer was appreciative of me explaining this whole concept to her, and she ended up making a very large purchase the next day after considering her options. I've put a lot of thought into how I would handle similar situations in this role with Qatar Airways and I think it would come down to my ability to learn the services available at the airline and clearly conveying options to customers."
20. How would you describe your communication style?
How to Answer
While there are many directions you can take your answer to this question, it is important to know that your interviewer will not just be looking to hear how you communicate with others. They will also be looking to hear about your own personal self awareness and that you are familiar with your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to communication. Qatar Airways takes great pride in their excellence in service and you will be key in this as their next Customer Service Agent. Because you will be working face to face with both customers of the airline and staff as well, your interviewer wants to know that you are comfortable in your own shoes when it comes to communication on the job. Prior to your interview, make sure to do some self reflecting to be able to accurately describe your communication style, why it works for this kind of job, and highlight one area where you think this job will help you become a better overall communicator.
Answer Example
"I'm a person who tends to wear their heart on their sleeve and speak what's on my mind at all times, and I think this will be very beneficial to the team here at Qatar Airways. When it comes to relating to customers on the job, this causes me to be up front and honest in both positive and negative situations with customers, and I don't shy away from hard conversations, when needed. My colleagues have always appreciated my ability to speak my mind and not be withdrawn in the workplace. Over my career, I've learned how to not let my emotions get the best of me. In those moments, I've learned that I need to step back, take a deep breath, and assess the situation before I go any further."
21. Have you had any cash handling experience during your career at any point, as it would relate to customer transactions?
How to Answer
Part of your duties at Qatar Airways if you were hired as the next Customer Service Agent would be receiving payment from customers for flight tickets. Payment from customers definitely could be in person at the airport, so having experience here is a plus. If you have any sort of cashier or other cash handling experience, be sure to let your interviewer know what that job entailed in this regard. If you don't have direct experience, try to study the important aspects of cashier-type duties to be able to speak to your ability to handle this part of the job.
Answer Example
"As you can see from my application materials, I worked as a cashier for two years after completing my schooling. The cashier duties required a strict attention to detail when accepting cash transactions and counting change back to customers. I also was trained to follow guidelines when accepting written checks and testing large bills for counterfeiting. A lot of transactions were also handled by credit or debit cards and I had to help customers work the self-service pad for transactions. At the end of each shift, I was responsible for balancing the cash and checks in my till against the transaction registered. During my two years on this job, I never had an issue with an imbalance at the end of a shift. If hired at Qatar Airways, you can feel comfortable in my abilities to handle this part of the job with ease and accuracy."
22. If hired as our next Customer Service Agent at Qatar Airways, you would be expected to train diligently on our software programs during your orientation process so you can hit the ground running. How would you rate your ability to do this?
How to Answer
Because almost every aspect of working for Qatar Airways is housed within one of many different software systems, you will be expected to pick up and run with any program that you train on and will use on the job. As you look to rate your ability as excellent to your interviewer, prove it by talking about all of the different programs you have worked on during your career and the specific roles you performed. To really sell your ability to hit the ground running if hired for this position, talk to your interviewer about your plan to learn and master whatever programs are required for this role at Qatar Airways.
Answer Example
"I consider myself very computer literate because of both my work history and my own personal use of many different programs. I am proficient in the entire Microsoft Office suite and am a go-to for colleagues on anything in Excel and PowerPoint. I also have a lot of experience in different point-of-sale programs and the Sage CRM program. In my current role, I trained myself on the current point-of-sale program that I use and now train new staff on it, as well. If hired for this role, I would make mastering the systems I would be working in a top priority upon starting. I would soak in all in-person training and any online module training that I would be put through during my orientation. I would ask a lot of questions of my new colleagues to help me better understand how the program works from a big picture standpoint, as well."