How to Answer: Talk about the last time you managed a conflict between two team members.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Customer Service Manager job interview.
29. Talk about the last time you managed a conflict between two team members.
How to Answer
This 'tell me about a time' question will require a specific answer from you, so be prepared to tell an engaging story! Focus on any internal conflict you have encountered on your team. Be sure to set the stage of your account, discuss the action you took, what you did to resolve the situation, and the overall outcome.
Written by Rachelle Enns on February 26th, 2021
Entry Level
"I believe that much conflict is due to a miscommunication of some sort. Not long ago, I broke up a heated argument between two team members over who should receive a full commission from a particular sale. Our organization does not have firm guides related to commission payments or splits, so I made a couple of suggestions, such as sharing the commission or even flipping a coin. In the end, the two decided to split the sale two ways, each earning 50% of the commission."
Written by Rachelle Enns on February 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"I recently had two team members fighting over their holiday time. In retail, we cannot allow a lot of overlap when taking vacation time during peak seasons. The newer employee requested the time off first, while the more seasoned employee felt she should be granted the time because of seniority. I agreed with neither of them and rather sent them on a mission. I told each person that I could grant their time off requests if they found someone to cover their shifts during their time away. In the end, they were each able to find a willing coworker to cover their shifts, and so I accepted their time off requests."
Written by Rachelle Enns on February 26th, 2021