Question: How would you deal with an angry or irate customer in a retail shop setting?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Follow-up questions:

Why would you do that?
How would this action help the situation?
Do you think you will still be able to sell the customer on the shop products even though they are disgruntled?
In a situation like that, are what is your goal? To calm the customer down or to find the easiest way to remove them from the shop?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Knowledge/Skill Based,Situational

Knowledge:

Customer and Personal Service

Skills:

Basic – Active Listening,Basic – Speaking,Social – Coordination (Adjusting one’s own actions in relation to others),Social – Service Orientation (Customer Service/Focus)

Abilities:

Cognitive – Oral Comprehension,Cognitive – Oral Expression

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Neuroticism (Emotion Regulation)

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Assisting and Caring for Others,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

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

Interpersonal Relationships – Deal With External Customers,Interpersonal Relationships – Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People,Interpersonal Relationships – Face-to-Face Discussions

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Compassion/Concern for Others,Patience,Politeness,Self Control,Stress Tolerance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking to judge the interviewee’s customer service skills in an in-person retail setting.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the interviewee cannot effectively explain how they would deal with an irate customer or have the wrong intentions/motivations in dealing with the irate customer, it is a red flag.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: Original