How to Answer: Describe a time when a customer wasn't happy. What did you do to fix it?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Sales Associate job interview.
26. Describe a time when a customer wasn't happy. What did you do to fix it?
How to Answer
The way you respond to this question will allow the interviewer to determine whether you will be a good representative of their company when serving their customers. The interviewer wants to know that you are ok with dealing with confrontation and that your customer service skills are up to par with what they are looking for. Show that you know how to effectively problem solve and use these skills to retain customers.
Think to a specific time when you dealt with an unhappy customer, yet you created a positive outcome. First, describe the scenario. Then, talk about the actions you took to fix the situation. If the outcome of the situation led to the customer becoming a returning customer, even better as this shows that you solved the initial situation, you created a relationship and built trust with the customer.
Written by Rachelle Enns on February 19th, 2021
Answer Example
"I recently worked with a customer who was incredibly upset when they believed that we overcharged their account. I took the extra time required to walk the customer through every line item until they fully understood each item. The call was about one hour total, but it was worth the time to smooth over an important customer-related situation. Rest assured, I take customer satisfaction seriously and never shy away from a chance to make a great impression on behalf of my employer."
Written by Rachelle Enns on February 19th, 2021