Tell me about a time when you had to handle a dissatisfied customer
Theme: Customer Satisfaction Role: Sales Coordinator Function: Sales
Interview Question for Sales Coordinator: See sample answers, motivations & red flags for this common interview question. About Sales Coordinator: Assists the sales team with administrative tasks and coordination. This role falls within the Sales function of a firm. See other interview questions & further information for this role here
Sample Answer
Example response for question delving into Customer Satisfaction with the key points that need to be covered in an effective response. Customize this to your own experience with concrete examples and evidence
- Situation: Provide a brief overview of the situation and the context in which the interaction with the dissatisfied customer occurred
- Customer Complaint: Explain the specific issue or complaint raised by the customer and how they expressed their dissatisfaction
- Active Listening: Describe how you actively listened to the customer's concerns and ensured they felt heard and understood
- Empathy & Understanding: Explain how you demonstrated empathy towards the customer's situation and showed understanding of their frustration
- Problem Solving: Outline the steps you took to address the customer's complaint and find a solution to their problem
- Communication & Explanation: Describe how you effectively communicated the resolution to the customer, ensuring they understood the steps being taken to resolve their issue
- Follow-up & Customer Satisfaction: Explain how you followed up with the customer after the resolution to ensure their satisfaction and address any remaining concerns
- Learning & Improvement: Discuss what you learned from this experience and how it helped you improve your customer service skills or prevent similar issues in the future
Underlying Motivations
What the Interviewer is trying to find out about you and your experiences through this question
- Customer service skills: Assessing my ability to handle difficult customers and resolve their issues effectively
- Problem-solving skills: Evaluating my approach to finding solutions and resolving conflicts
- Communication skills: Determining my ability to listen, empathize, and effectively communicate with dissatisfied customers
- Conflict management skills: Assessing my ability to remain calm, professional, and find mutually beneficial resolutions in challenging situations
Potential Minefields
How to avoid some common minefields when answering this question in order to not raise any red flags
- Blaming the customer: Avoid blaming the customer for their dissatisfaction. Instead, focus on understanding their concerns and finding a solution
- Lack of empathy: Avoid showing a lack of empathy towards the customer's situation. Demonstrate understanding and willingness to help
- Inability to resolve the issue: Avoid mentioning situations where you were unable to resolve the customer's issue. Instead, highlight instances where you successfully resolved the problem
- Lack of communication skills: Avoid demonstrating poor communication skills when dealing with the dissatisfied customer. Emphasize your ability to listen actively and effectively communicate solutions
- Lack of problem-solving skills: Avoid showcasing a lack of problem-solving skills when handling a dissatisfied customer. Instead, highlight your ability to analyze the situation, identify the root cause, and provide effective solutions
- Lack of patience: Avoid displaying impatience or frustration when dealing with a dissatisfied customer. Show your ability to remain calm, patient, and professional throughout the interaction