Tell me about a time when you used good judgment and logic to solve a problem.
The interviewer wants to know about a situation where you used good judgment to solve a work problem. The goal of your response is to assure the interviewer that you approach issues with care and logic. The interviewer should envision you using good judgment in the workplace.
"(Situation) Just yesterday I had a customer who was upset because our sales associate would not refund a garment that the customer had already worn. She was outside of the 14 days return policy as well. (Task) I am the assistant manager, so I stepped in to alleviate the situation. (Action) By showing the customer that I could meet her in the middle, she was able to calm down and reason with me. (Result) I did not refund her the price of the garment; however, I offered her a 25 in-store credit. I know this will cost my company money, but, in the end, I had a happy customer."
"(Situation) In my current role, I face a multitude of scheduling problems every day. (Task) As an administrative assistant, I must use logic every day. (Action) For instance, I use logic to figure out how to arrange my executive's work and travel schedule through the path of least resistance. If a scheduling hiccup occurs, I will first call the most flexible appointments to reschedule and work my way down the list from there. (Result) By following this logic, I can solve many problems very quickly."
"(Situation) When I take on a new client, I always ask them what their most significant pain point is. (Task) Understanding the customers' issues and their logic is a considerable part of my creative process. (Action) Using the logic and the thought process of my customer, I can dive into an impactful marketing strategy. (Result) I have utilized this approach for many years. It's always resulted in a clear project vision from the start and a happy client in the end!"
"(Situation) With Company X, I had a customer who was unhappy with his purchase. (Task) Since the item in question cost over 20,000, I needed to involve my support team. (Action) Although my support team advised that I escalate the issue to our Director of Operations for resolution, I knew that I could lose this account over a one-time issue. I was not about to let that happen. (Action) By stepping in and mediating a resolution call, I was able to assure the client that we would work together to not only solve the issue but address the arbitration process in the future. (Result) I was able to turn a disgruntled customer who threatened to never purchase from us again into a top account for the company."
"(Situation) As a Manager in retail, decision-making often means weighing the potential of being blasted or praised on social media. (Task) One example that comes to mind was when I handled the termination of an employee. It was clear that this person was not going to work out, despite my best efforts at coaching and mentoring. (Action) Throughout three shifts, I worked with her, coached her, and gently allowed her to realize on her own that this position was a poor fit. By the end of the third shift of coaching out, she let me know that she was putting in her notice. (Result) By taking a different approach, we avoided the disgruntled exit of an employee. She now comes into the store as a friendly customer, so it did turn out well for all parties."
"(Situation) My fourth-grade class was recently working on a project for our family unit, and one of the students was quiet and unengaged. (Task) This student was usually a bubbly, active participant, which signaled to me that something was wrong. (Action) I found a moment when I could quietly speak with him. He didn't know what to put as his mom's picture since she passed away when he was a baby. I was brokenhearted for him, but we had a moment to talk about how we can be sad but still remember our loved ones and how they're always a part of our family. (Result) By being in tune with my class, I was able to tackle an issue that resulted in a happy, smiling student."
"(Situation) With Company X, we had a serious space issue in our warehouse. (Task) As the Warehouse Manager, it was up to me to find a creative and affordable solution. (Action) I rearranged our shipping lanes to allow for smaller customers to be contained in one area. Next, I arranged for large customers to have a dedicated shipping area. (Result) This change made locating shipments and loading trucks much easier. My team of operators was thrilled with the change."
Give a work-related story example that showcases your logic and reasoning abilities. Share a brief overview of the problem you faced, discuss the pros and cons of each decision you could have made, and tell the interviewer why the solution you chose was the best. Be sure to include details of the positive impact you generated for your employer by using strong judgment.
Behavioral-based interview questions that begin with 'Tell me about a time...' are best answered using the STAR method. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Organizing your response using this framework will ensure that you provide the interviewer with the right amount of information and detail to form a compelling answer.
Avoid giving a vague response like, 'I use good judgment and strong logic all the time! Rest assured, if you hire me, I will make decisions that are good for the company.' Although the interviewer will be happy to hear that you plan to make wise decisions, this type of response fails to give a measurable example of your logic in action.
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
I use good judgement to solve various problems every day. for example I was liaising with external first aid provider to organize the training across our various trades departments. I checked with all related academic leaders for the preferred date and total student numbers. I then check with first aid provider for the competitive group rate that I would be able to make some arrangement to make sure we fill the maximum class numbers with competitive rates which is cost saving for the department budget.
Rachelle's Feedback
You did a great job outlining the steps that you took, to solve a problem using logic. Nice answer!
Anonymous Answer
One time a patient came back to our pharmacy saying we shorted them 2 bottles of antiviral medication. Our count was correct however they insisted that they did not get the full quantity we claim we dispensed. Knowing that this medication costs thousands of dollars I was uneasy of losing money on our inventory. After reviewing their profile I noticed they are regular customers who always pick up on time. Lastly, I watched the camera footage which shows the cashier handing only one bottle so I decided to order and dispense the remaining two bottles.
Kevin's Feedback
This is a great example and answers the question well. I reworded your answer a bit for clarity and flow.
"A patient came back to us because she was short two bottles of antiviral medication. I went through and reviewed our count, which was correct, but the patient insisted she did not get her full order. Realizing the high cost of this medication, I didn't want to dispense more without doing my research. After reviewing the customer's profile, I realized she was a regular customer who always picked up her medication on time. This knowledge led me to review the camera footage, which showed the cashier giving her two bottles less than she needed. I was happy to have resolved the problem for the customer."
Anonymous Answer
In my college program, we had individual patients for our clinicals. We would use good judgment, analyze their labs, their vitals, their facial gestures, and their body language to determine what their health problem was.
Rachelle's Feedback
Very good example! I have reworded it slightly to make your response sound more personal versus group based.
"When I was in the nursing program, I was assigned an individual patient before going to the hospital for clinicals. During this time, I used good judgment and logic to analyze my patients' labs, vitals, facial gestures, and body language. This information helped me to determine the patients' problem, and why they were in the hospital."
Anonymous Answer
One time I bought stock from a competitor and sold it to a customer rather than allowing the customer to go to the competitor!
Rachelle's Feedback
Smart move! This answer shows your ability to think creatively, and outside the box.
Anonymous Answer
It was very basic judgment, a co-technician was testing a wcm module, It was not working, then they called engineers, still didn't work. I looked at the test scripts and changed the sim position, and then the modules passed. I think that is by far good judgment and logic I used to solve a problem.
Rachelle's Feedback
This is a very good example! It's great that you jumped in and did some troubleshooting.
"When a co-technician was testing a WCM module, and it was not working, they called the engineers to help. It still did not work. I looked at the test scrips and changed the SIM position, and the modules passed. I used good judgment and logic to solve that problem."
Anonymous Answer
I try to use good judgment and logic every day.
Mary's Feedback
Try providing a specific, recent example of judgement and/or problem solving. Be sure to include three key areas: Situation, Action, and Response.
Recently, when I was working at [Job/Title], I was [Situation]. I decided to [Actions- what you thought, how you prioritized, what actions you followed]. At the end [Result].
Anonymous Answer
I always consider the worst possibility except for my hope everything would be fine. Mainly when we deal with dangerous equipment such as boiling machine, I checked it habitually and thoroughly. It makes it easier to distinguish potential risk in the workplace. When I worked at a cafe, I observed the cake fridge regularly, but the temperature looked going up steadily. I suggested calling the mechanic, and he found out that the fan had broken.
Rachelle's Feedback
The first sentence is a bit confusing so I have tweaked the response just a bit. I also added in a bit about the consequences that could have occurred without your keen judgement. These are good examples, though!
"When dealing with dangerous equipment such as a boiling machine, which I check thoroughly and habitually, always considering what could go wrong. This mindset makes it easier to distinguish potential risk in the workplace, allowing me to make educated and logical decisions. When I worked at {cafe name}, I checked the cake fridge regularly and one day noticed the temperature going up steadily. I quickly called the mechanic, and he found a broken fan. Without my keen observation, we would have lost a lot of product and potential profit."
Anonymous Answer
One time a customer called me requesting the 200 refund for the glasses, according to the COB. She obtained from OON provider. What I did was to make sure she gets the credit offered after vaccines, wellbeing, and HRA were done. She had calmed down and accepted the offer.
Alexandra's Feedback
Good answer! I recommend expanding a little bit to let the interviewer know how specifically you used good judgement and logic.
One time, a customer called me requesting a 200 refund for glasses, according to the COB she obtained from her OON provider. I knew that this wasn't an ideal solution because ____. I figured since she was looking for a 200 refund that there must be something I could offer to help make her happy. I looked into what I could offer that would solve her problem and work for us as well. I made sure she received a credit that's offered after a patient has completed vaccines, a well-being check, and HRA requirements are met. She calmed down and gratefully accepted this offer.
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