Question: Imagine this scenario: You are dealing with an angry customer. The customer demands to speak to your manager without specifying their issue or problem. What do you do?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

If an angry customer demanded to speak with your manager without specifying their problem, how would you handle it?

Follow-up questions:

Would you go straight to your manger or would you try to figure out the issue yourself?
How would you determine if the issue is large enough to be able to sort it out on your own versus bringing it to you manager?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Situational

Skills:

Basic – Active Listening,Basic – Speaking,Complex Problem Solving,Social – Negotiation,Social – Service Orientation (Customer Service/Focus)

Abilities:

Cognitive – Flexibility of Closure (Pattern Detection),Cognitive – Oral Comprehension,Cognitive – Oral Expression,Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition)

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Agreeableness,Practical Intelligence (Street Smarts)

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Communicating with Persons Outside Organization,Interacting with Others – Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (Conflict Management),Interacting with Others – Working Directly with the Public,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Interpersonal Relationships – Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People,Interpersonal Relationships – Face-to-Face Discussions,Interpersonal Relationships – Responsibility for Outcomes and Results of Others

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Handling Ambiguity,Initiative,Self Control,Stress Tolerance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking to assess the interviewee’s conflict management skills, and also whether they will take responsibility to protect the manager’s time and resolve the matter.

Red Flags to Watch For:

The interviewee bringing the issue up with the manager, just because the customer said so, without first trying to understand the issue or trying to sort it out themselves, is a red flag.

Sample Answer:

Firstly, I would talk to the customer first. Try to understand their problems and pain points, and learn how big an issue they are facing. If the problem is actually a small one, even if they are blowing it out of proportion, I will do my best to sort out the problem then and there. This way, the problem can be solved faster and with minimal disruption to my manager. If the problem is large and beyond the scope of what I can do, then I will bring it up with my manager while also trying to calm the customer down.

Question Source: Unknown