Give an example of a time when you have had to deal with an irate customer or co-worker. How did you handle the situation, and what did you learn from it?
Handling irate customers is not a simple matter. No matter how frustrated or angry you are, you will need to show professionalism when dealing with these customers. For all you know, the customer may be having a bad day or a difficult time in his life. In any case, an interviewer will want to know how you will deal with irate customers. Answering this interview question requires confidence and preparation.
"I would always calmly explain to them, in as simple language as possible, how the issue can be solved. To rectify the problem, I will need to evaluate their concerns and what went wrong. If the issue is beyond my control, I will not hesitate to ask those in authority to help the customer address the problem."
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
One time during high school, I was managing a toy store. A customer came in, cussing and angry. She wanted a refund on a toy, but she didn't have her receipt. I was calm and could tell she was frustrated. I told her I couldn't give her a refund, but I could offer her store credit. She ended up crying and leaving the store with a new toy without a thank you. I learned you need to stay professional no matter what, and sometimes people have bad days.
Rachelle's Feedback
It's great that you can separate yourself from getting sucked into the emotions of others, and that you remain professional. How do you think this approach will help you in your role as a veterinarian? It would be good to tie this concept in with your answer at the end.
Anonymous Answer
There is a client who always seems irritable and angry when he comes into the clinic. He is condescending and rude to everyone, including the doctors and assistants. When I first dealt with him, I was a new worker, and I made the mistake of trying to rationalize with him. I learned that if I listened to him, even if I disagreed with what he was saying, he was much kinder and would allow me to speak without continuing to get angry. I learned that he just wanted to be listened to.
Rachelle's Feedback
This person sounds like a challenge, indeed! It's great that you quickly learned how to best communicate with this client.
Anonymous Answer
I have umpired at multiple netball tournaments in the past. Sometimes players disagree with your decisions and sometimes become angered and argumentative. In these situations, I remain calm and professional and stick to the decision I made. I explain why I have made a certain decision so that an irate player can realize the call was fair, and then they calm down. I learned from these situations that the best way to diffuse a disagreement is by calmly explaining your reasons so you can reach an understanding with one another.
Rachelle's Feedback
This is a great start! When you are asked to recall a time when you encountered a particular situation, I recommend using the STAR framework. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. You can learn more in our guide here: https://www.mockquestions.com/articles/Master Behavioral-Based Interviews Using The Star Method/
If you'd like to re-visit your answer using this framework, I can return with more feedback.
Anonymous Answer
When working part-time at a pharmacy I have had to deal with customers that have been annoyed because we don't have their prescription in because the doctors have not sent it over yet or because the manufacturers can't supply it. In these situations, I try to remain calm and have a conversation with the customer about their medication. I will provide them with all the knowledge I can have such as when it is likely to be in. I will also give them opportunities to ask questions so they can get the knowledge they need. I have learned conversation skills through this and the ability to talk to a range of different people.
Amanda's Feedback
Handling an upset customer can be challenging. You can make this answer more impactful and memorable by sharing a specific example of a time when you turned an upset customer into a happy one by solving their problem. Make sure to share the positive outcome and the skills you used to resolve the issue such as displaying empathy, using active listening, asking probing questions in order to understand, and how you followed up to ensure the issue was fully resolved.
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