Learn what skills and qualities interviewers are looking for from a lead customer service representative, what questions you can expect, and how you should go about answering them.
Lead customer service representatives (CSRs) are the liaisons between customers and the rest of the company. They handle escalated customer complaints, provide support to other CSRs, and work to resolve customer issues. They also develop and manage customer service policies and procedures.
If you’re looking to move up in your customer service career, you’ll likely need to go through a job interview. One way to prepare for this important meeting is to learn how to answer customer service representative interview questions before talking with an interviewer.
Employers look for CSRs who are patient, articulate, and have a strong knowledge of the company’s products and services. You’ll also need strong problem-solving skills and the ability to stay calm under pressure. A customer service interview is your chance to show that you’ve polished these skills to a shine. To help you get ready, we’ve listed customer service questions and answers that will help you figure out what you want to say during an interview.
Employers ask this question to see if you have experience with their company. Before your interview, research the products or services that the employer offers and familiarize yourself with them. When answering this question, explain how you became familiar with the company’s offerings.
Example: “I am very familiar with your company because I’ve been a customer for five years. In my last role as a lead customer service representative, I helped customers find the right product for their needs. This helped me learn more about your company and its products.”
Employers ask this question to learn more about your communication skills. They want to know how you interact with customers and coworkers, as well as how you use technology to communicate. When answering this question, think of a time when you used your communication skills to solve a problem or help someone.
Example: “I have excellent listening skills, which helps me understand what my customers are saying. I also have strong verbal communication skills, so I can speak clearly on the phone and in person. These skills allow me to explain complex issues to customers and provide them with solutions. In my last role, these skills helped me resolve customer complaints quickly.”
Customer service representatives often have to deal with angry customers. Employers ask this question to make sure you know how to handle these situations and keep your team members safe. In your answer, explain that you would remain calm and try to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible. You can also mention that you would encourage the customer to speak to a manager if they are not satisfied with your response.
Example: “I’ve had to deal with angry customers before, but I always try my best to remain calm when they get upset. If they start yelling or raising their voice, I will calmly tell them that I understand why they’re upset and assure them that I am doing everything in my power to help them. I will then offer to transfer them to a manager if they want someone else to assist them.”
Customer service software is a common tool for businesses to use when managing their customer service teams. The interviewer may ask this question to learn about your experience with using these types of tools and how you might fit into the company’s current processes. If you have experience working with customer service software, describe what type of software it was and how you used it. If you don’t have direct experience with customer service software, consider describing other similar software that you’ve used in the past.
Example: “I’ve worked in customer service for five years now, and I’ve always used customer service software to help me manage my team and keep track of our customers’ needs. In my last role, we used a customer service software called HelpSpot where I could create tickets, assign them to specific team members and view reports on our performance.”
This question can help the interviewer understand how you approach customer service and what your experience level is. When answering this question, it can be helpful to provide an example that highlights your problem-solving skills and ability to find solutions for customers.
Example: “In my previous role as a lead customer service representative, I had a customer who was having trouble with their online shopping cart. The customer called in asking for assistance because they were unable to add items to their cart. After listening to the customer’s issue, I asked them if they could describe the error message they received when trying to add items to their cart. They told me that they got an error message saying ‘item not found.’
I then asked the customer if they tried searching for the item again. They said they did but still couldn’t find it. At this point, I knew there was something wrong with the website itself. I asked the customer if they would mind waiting while I contacted our IT department to see if they could fix the issue. The customer agreed, so I transferred them to another line and spoke with our IT team about the issue.
After speaking with the IT team, we determined that the issue was due to a server issue. We worked together to resolve the issue by resetting the servers. Once the servers were back up and running, the customer was able to add items to their cart without any issues.”
This question can help the interviewer determine how you handle situations where you don’t have all of the answers. It also helps them understand your customer service skills and whether or not you would be able to effectively communicate with customers. In your answer, try to show that you are willing to do research on a product for a customer if you don’t know the answer right away.
Example: “If I am unsure about an answer to a question a customer has, I will always tell them that I am looking into it and get back to them as soon as possible. If I need more time to look up information on the product, I will let them know that I will call them back within a certain amount of time. This shows the customer that I care about their questions and want to provide them with quality customer service.”
This question can help interviewers understand how you work with others and your ability to handle conflict. In your answer, try to show that you value teamwork and are willing to offer constructive criticism in a helpful way.
Example: “If I noticed a co-worker making a mistake that was negatively impacting a customer, I would first make sure the issue wasn’t something I could solve myself. If it was something I couldn’t fix, I would approach my colleague privately and explain what they did wrong without criticizing them or embarrassing them. Then, I would offer to help them learn how to do their job better.”
Customer service representatives often have to handle stressful situations with customers. Employers ask this question to make sure you can remain calm and collected when faced with a challenging situation. In your answer, try to explain how you stay calm in high-pressure situations. Try to also provide an example of a time where you had to remain calm under pressure.
Example: “I am very good at remaining calm during stressful situations. I think it’s important for customer service representatives to remain calm when speaking with upset customers. When I was working as a call center representative, I once received a call from a customer who was extremely upset about the product they ordered. I remained calm while listening to their concerns and explained our return policy to them. They were satisfied with my response and ended up returning the product.”
This question can help the interviewer understand your experience with customer service and billing. If you have previous experience working with billing issues, share a specific example of how you helped resolve it for a customer. If you don’t have any experience working with billing issues, you can talk about other types of customer service problems that required problem-solving skills to solve them.
Example: “In my last role as lead customer service representative, I had to work with customers who were having trouble paying their bills online. In this situation, I would first ask the customer if they had any questions or concerns about their bill. Then, I would explain our payment options in more detail so they could make an informed decision on which option was best for them.”
This question can help interviewers understand your commitment to the company and its products. They want to know that you’re always learning about new ways to serve customers, so they may ask this question to see if you have done any research on their brand recently. If you haven’t researched the company in a while, it’s important to explain why.
Example: “I try to stay up-to-date with my knowledge of our products and services because I believe it helps me better serve customers. Last month, I attended a webinar where one of our sales representatives discussed some of the newest features we offer. I took notes during the presentation and reviewed them later.”
The interviewer may ask you this question to gauge your interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with customers. In your answer, try to highlight how you would use your communication skills to help customers feel more comfortable reaching out to the company for assistance.
Example: “I believe that building a strong rapport with customers is one of the most important parts of my job. I always make sure to greet customers by name when they call in or reach out via email. This helps them feel like they’re talking to someone who cares about their experience with our company. I also find that it’s helpful to remember details about each customer so that I can personalize my interactions with them.”
This question can help interviewers understand how you handle customer service calls and the steps you take to ensure customers have a positive experience. You can answer this question by describing your process for handling new customer calls, including what information you gather from them and how you use that information to resolve their issues or concerns.
Example: “When I receive a call from a new customer, I first ask them for their name and contact information so I can record it in our system. Then, I ask them why they are calling us and if there is anything else they need. This helps me determine whether they’re having an issue with their order, want to make a return or just have questions about our products. After gathering this information, I look up their account to find any previous orders and review their recent purchases.”
Employers ask this question to learn more about your qualifications and how you can contribute to their company. When answering, it’s important to highlight a skill or trait that makes you unique from other candidates. You can also mention something that will help you succeed in the role.
Example: “I have experience working with customers who are upset or frustrated. I am able to use my communication skills to calm them down and resolve their issue. This is an important skill for customer service representatives because we need to make sure our customers leave happy. In addition, I am highly organized and detail-oriented which helps me stay on top of my work.”
This question can help the interviewer determine your experience level and how you might fit into their company. If they use a specific software, it’s important to mention that you’re familiar with it so you can hit the ground running when you start the job.
Example: “I’ve used Zendesk for my last two jobs, but I also have some experience with Freshdesk and Desk.com. I find Zendesk to be the most user-friendly of these three platforms, which is why I prefer it. However, I’m always willing to learn new systems if needed.”
This question can help the interviewer determine if you have the same qualities as their company’s customer service representatives. It can also show them how your personality might fit in with the rest of the team. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention a quality that is important to you and one that is important to the company.
Example: “I think the most important quality for a customer service representative to have is empathy. I believe that being empathetic allows us to better understand our customers’ needs and find solutions that work best for them. In my previous role, I was able to use my empathy skills to resolve many issues before they became larger problems.”
This question can help interviewers understand how you handle customer service issues and whether you have the ability to work independently. In your answer, try to show that you are willing to follow up with customers as often as necessary while also being able to complete tasks on your own.
Example: “I think it’s important for a representative to check in with a customer after they’ve received their product or service to ensure everything is going well. If I notice any problems during this initial call, I will make sure to contact them again within 24 hours to see if there is anything else we can do to resolve the issue. However, I am comfortable making multiple calls to a customer if needed.”
This question is designed to assess your customer service skills and how you would handle a challenging situation. Your answer should show the interviewer that you can empathize with customers, understand their concerns and provide solutions or alternatives to help them resolve their issues.
Example: “I have encountered this issue before in my previous role as lead customer service representative. I always try to listen carefully to what the customer has to say and ask questions to clarify any misunderstandings they may have about our products or services. Then, I explain the product’s features and benefits to them so they know exactly what to expect from it. If there are any alternative ways of using the product that they might find more suitable, I offer those suggestions as well.”