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Account Representative Mock Interview

Question 17 of 28 for our Account Representative Mock Interview

Account Representative was updated by on March 17th, 2022. Learn more here.

Question 17 of 28

How would you handle an upset or irate customer?

The interviewer wants to know you can stay calm under pressure. They want to know you can utilize professionalism to relax a customer and find them the help they need.

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How to Answer: How would you handle an upset or irate customer?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Account Representative job interview.

  • 17. How would you handle an upset or irate customer?

      Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

      The interviewer wants to know you can stay calm under pressure. They want to know you can utilize professionalism to relax a customer and find them the help they need.

      Written by Emily McMannes on March 17th, 2022

      Focus Your Answer On

      Your professionalism and kindness. The interviewer wants to know you can avoid making the customer more upset and calm them enough to get help. This could be assuring the customer that you understand their concerns and acknowledging you will do everything you can to help them find a solution to their problem. Typically, you would be encountering a person either on the phone or in person and would likely have to refer them to an Account Manager, but you want to show the interviewer that you could keep the situation under control until you found the answer.

      Written by Emily McMannes on March 17th, 2022

      Stay Away From

      Saying you would just tell the customer to wait or put them on hold while you find a supervisor. You want to be very sensitive to their concerns, while conveying that although you cannot answer their concern personally, you will expediently find someone who can.

      Written by Emily McMannes on March 17th, 2022

      On the phone - if you need to refer to a manager Example

      "I would state that I am very sorry they are having trouble with XX situation. I would ask them if they could assist me by telling me their Account Manager's name so that I could locate that person as soon as possible. In the interim, I would tell them that I would only place them on a brief hold, and I would keep track of the time. If more than two minutes goes by, I would get back on the line to assure the customer I am still trying to locate their manager."

      Written by Emily McMannes on March 17th, 2022

      In person - if you need to refer to a manager Example

      "I would state that I am very sorry that they are having trouble with XX situation. I would ask them if they could assist me by telling me their Account Manager's name so that I could locate that person as soon as possible. Then I would offer them coffee or water and a comfortable place to wait while I located their manager to help them."

      Written by Emily McMannes on March 17th, 2022

      If you can help the customer yourself Example

      "I would tell them that I was so sorry to hear about their issue! I would ask them to please let me look up their account so that I could figure out a solution and proceed accordingly. If I could not help, I would assure the customer that I would find out the answer for them or find the appropriate person as quickly as I could."

      Written by Emily McMannes on March 17th, 2022