Question: Describe a time when you had to handle a customer who was being vague about their needs.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell me about a time you had to deal with a customer who was very vague.

Follow-up questions:

What steps did you take and what was the outcome?
How did you feel after the experience?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Knowledge:

Customer and Personal Service

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Complex Problem Solving,Social – Service Orientation (Customer Service/Focus),Social – Social Perceptiveness

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility),Cognitive – Inductive Reasoning

Other Factors:

Personality-Job Fit

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships,Interacting with Others – Working Directly with the Public

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Achievement/Effort (Action/Result Orientation),Adaptability/Flexibility,Analytical Thinking,Attention to Detail,Handling Ambiguity,Persistence/Perseverance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

The candidate’s interpersonal or people skills.
The candidate’s customer service skills.
The candidate’s patience and professionalism.

Red Flags to Watch For:

The candidate’s lack of interpersonal or people skills.
The candidate’s poor customer service skills.
The candidate’s unprofessionalism.

Sample Answer:

When customers are vague about their needs, I usually probe so I can help them well. The first step is to match the need(s) with what the company can offer. It always feels good when you’re able to help customers.

Question Source: https://www.jobbankusa.com/interview_questions_answers/