Retail Mock Interview
Practice 30 Retail interview questions covering customer service, sales scenarios, and team dynamics.
Question 22 of 30
Describe for me a time when you failed at customer service.
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Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Most retail employees have had a situation in which a customer interaction did not go as planned. Try to think of a problem that isn't too severe or the consequences weren't vast. Outline the issue, describe the action that you took, and discuss what you learned.
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"At my last role, I was an usher at a local movie theatre, and a customer complained that the picture wasn't in the correct screen ratio for the previews. The movie had already started when they came to complain, so I apologized and rushed upstairs to the projector room to correct the issue. Later on, they complained to our corporate head office saying I should have done more. I agree; I should have stayed after the movie ended and apologized again to the patron. If they were still unhappy, I could have offered them free tickets to their next visit."
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Jaymie
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Anonymous Answer
I was showing a customer where a product was when another customer asked me a question. I assumed they were together so I answered the question incorrectly. She told me I didn't help her at the checkout counter. I apologized but she was still displeased about the situation. I try to be better now about helping multiple people at once.
Jaymie's Feedback
This is a good example to use! It shows that you strive to help all customers in a timely manner but realize that's not always doable. What impact did this have on the way you help customers? How did you change your approach to ensure this didn't happen again?
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