A co-worker is rude to customers, what would you do?

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The interviewer would like to know how you would react if you saw one of your teammates mistreating a customer. How you answer will tell the interviewer a lot about your personality, problem-solving skills, customer service skills, and ability to handle conflict in the workplace.

"There is no reason to be rude to a customer. If I saw a co-worker being rude, and if it was appropriate, I would jump and let my co-worker remove themselves from the situation. If the customer were upset, I would apologize on my co-workers' behalf and do everything in my power to repair the situation."

"If I saw a co-worker being rude to a customer, I would approach them and make up an excuse to take over the situation. For instance, I recently saw a teammate losing her patience with a customer. I told her that the manager needed her in the stock room, and then I took over the customer issue. This approach removed her from the situation without being confrontational in front of the customer. Later, we brainstormed ways that she could have handled the situation more professionally."

"I have terminated staff in the past for being rude to customers. This behavior is something that I do not tolerate. I believe there are many passionate and dedicated people out there with a true interest in being a positive representation of the company. There is no reason to keep negative people on the team."

Anonymous Answer

"There is no reason to be rude to a customer-I would approach them and make up an excuse to take over the situation-if the customer was upset, I would apologize and do everything in my power to rectify the situation-talk to the co-worker, to advice that maybe he/she should be more professional."

Rachelle's Feedback

Excellent approach! Your answer shows that you put a lot of emphasis on customer experience and hold your co-workers accountable at the same time. If you have ever encountered this situation, a brief story-based example would be a nice addition.

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Anonymous Answer

"If I saw a co-worker being rude, and if it was appropriate, I would jump and let my co-worker remove themselves from the situation. If the customer were upset, I would apologize on my co-workers' behalf and do everything in my power to repair the situation."

Jaymie's Feedback

Intervening and de-escalating is an excellent approach to share in your response. You also did the right thing by apologizing and trying to rectify the situation. If this is a pattern of behavior, let the interviewer know that you would report it to your manager.