In your opinion, what is more important for this job; technical knowledge or customer service skills?
This is a follow-up question to the one which asked you to define customer service. Interviewers will ask you follow-up questions throughout the interview if they need more details about a topic or want to explore it in more depth. Keeping your answers brief and to the point will encourage follow-up questions, which enable you to expand on the topic. Suppose the interviewer asks multiple follow-up questions about a single topic. In that case, this indicates that it is important to them, and you should spend extra time explaining your position or knowledge of the subject.
"In my opinion, having excellent customer service skills takes precedence over strong technical knowledge. I can always do research or find solutions to technical issues online or in service manuals. However, providing excellent customer service requires a good understanding of the user experience, patience, the ability to keep the users calm, and strong communication skills. These skills are developed over time and through direct experience doing this job."
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
Well, in my current position, technical skills have more weight since I am involved in level 1 and 2 support. Customer service skills are too important especially when it comes to level 1 quick support to end-users. But if it goes beyond that, technical skills are more important.
Marcie's Feedback
You've done a nice job of indicating that you believe both technical knowledge and customer service skills are important within this role. Why are technical skills ultimately more important, though? Make sure you explain why. Is it because without these skills you won't be able to provide customer service that resolves the customers' problems? Explaining this further will strengthen your answer.
Anonymous Answer
In any organization, the customer comes first and then your technical skills come into play. An organization can only be successful if it provides value to its customers. Therefore, keeping the customer calm, speaking to them respectfully and being patient goes a long way to customer satisfaction. Your technical skills are what happens behind the scene to find technical solutions.
Chad's Feedback
You are clear in your view that customer service is more important than technical knowledge, and you support your opinion with sound reasoning. Nice job! The interviewer may want to explore this topic in more depth, so be prepared for follow-up questions.
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