How to answer scenario questions
I'm going to have a second interview about 4 cities away from where I live, my first interviewer told me that he will ask scenario questions such as "Describe a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer" and other sales oriented questions. I can answer them fine, but what are the employers looking for as an answer to these type of questions? I believe the employer is searching to find out how you are and then place your characteristics on a matrix of his own and see how much compatibility exists between what you have to offer and his own requirements. First and formost you have to answer these questions exactly how you feel and then take into consideration what he wants to hear from you. From personal experience, I can tell you I appreciate honesty, unique answers, wit and intellingence first that stereotypal answers. Section of post does not conform with Monster TOU Scenarios are often the guts of a behavioral interview, which many HR dolts don't know how to properly use. But it does not matter because ALL interview questions have the same purpose to help you communicate that 1) you can do it (have done it) 2) you will do it (skills transfer) and 3) how fit (you fit their culture). "Describe a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer" 1. You know how to do it. : Whenever I have a difficult customer I approach it by asking questions that try to identify his/her underlying interests and work to test alternative solutions with the client before blah, blah blah... 2. You have done it in the past & how it fits: While several examples come to mind, it seems that increasing market share customer by customer is important to your company (based on something you read on their website). One time when I was the working as the front desk manager at XYZ medical Clinic, I was asked to come and "calm down" an irrate patient. I blah...blah...blah... (what through the you said in your overview sentence). 3. That your done it in the past had positve results. Not only did this patient leave the clinic satisfied but two weeks later we had a new family of four start coming to the clinic and they attributed their switching to our clinic because of the way I had handled the angry client who happened to be the sister-in-law of the new family.
The simple answer is, tell them what they want to hear. If a customer comes in wanting to buy a green suit and you don't have one, you: 1) Tell them you don't have any, but the place across the street does. 2) Tell them how great they'd look in a blue suit (which you do have), 3) Turn on a green flood light and sell them a white suit. 1) is the wrong answer. 2) and 3) are both good answers. As I say in my book, all interview questions have a purpose. With scenarios, the purpose is very simple: To find out how an applicant will or would handle things. It provides insight as to how you might actually behave and handle yourself on the job if I hired you. The problem here is that you just don't know what they may ask, so you have to be prepared for many things. But most of them will center on things you might encounter in that job. Asking about how you would handle a difficult customer is already letting you know that there may be times when you'll have a difficult customer. The last thing an employer wants is someone who is lousy at customer service. We can all handle the nice customers, but not everyone is good with the not-so-nice. And any candidate can say he or she could handle both. But the scenario asks for details in terms of what you would actually do! It's not general, but more specific. By giving you a bunch of scenarios, an employer will have a better sense of how you might actually act on the job. That will help me avoid hiring somebody who I'm not quite sure what he or she will do. So your handling of those scenarios can definitely make or break you! | |
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