Telephone Interview.. (Strong Customer Service Experiences?)
Telephone Interview.. (Strong Customer Service Experiences?)
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PapaHett

Original Poster:

2,124 posts

202 months

Tuesday 13th October 2009
quotequote all
I applied to an o2 (Big Telephone Company) shop, which is their retail outlet. I had to fill in an application online, and now i've got a Telephone Interview tomorrow. If you're successful with that, they give you a physical interview..

I just got off the phone with o2, and the guy on the phone told me to have some 'strong customer service experiences'.. Now, i'm really not sure what would qualify as such..

I've worked at:
-A Paintballing Place as a Marshall; It was somewhat unofficial, and I forgot to put it into my application.. It was a few years ago..

-A local supermarket, basically stacking shelves. But I'd also have to help out customers with any queries they had, or if they needed something.

-My Mum's chemist, it was somewhat unofficial aswell, but I put it in my application.. I sometimes served customers at the till, but alot of it was stocking shelves, deliveries, pricing goods (Background work).

What would be strong customer service experiences; Instances where you've helped out a customer, dealt with a customer? or what.. From an employers point of view..


Also, what can I expect in a telephone interview? The guy on the phone said it would last 20 minutes..

ymwoods

2,194 posts

204 months

Tuesday 13th October 2009
quotequote all
play up any customer help you did.

So in the supermarket, whilst people were shopping you were the first point of customer contact for them. you reguarly helped people find things around the store and helped little old ladies with their shopping when they could not read the small print on their cans of pickle.

Obv don't come over that sarcastic but you get the idea. Just play it up. You were the most customer focused shelf stacker in the place!

In the chemist, you helped people find all kinds of different items but if asked about medicines you were not allowed to give any views or suggestions on them (i assume) so you refered them to the person that could. this shows you are customer focused but can still pass the buck to someone else if you have to rather than blindly doing things, shows common sense.

PapaHett

Original Poster:

2,124 posts

202 months

Tuesday 13th October 2009
quotequote all
ymwoods said:
play up any customer help you did.

So in the supermarket, whilst people were shopping you were the first point of customer contact for them. you reguarly helped people find things around the store and helped little old ladies with their shopping when they could not read the small print on their cans of pickle.

Obv don't come over that sarcastic but you get the idea. Just play it up. You were the most customer focused shelf stacker in the place!

In the chemist, you helped people find all kinds of different items but if asked about medicines you were not allowed to give any views or suggestions on them (i assume) so you refered them to the person that could. this shows you are customer focused but can still pass the buck to someone else if you have to rather than blindly doing things, shows common sense.
Also, in the chemist someone came in looking a refil for a razor.. The chemist couldn't get it, so I went around a number of different chemists to try and track it down.. Had to order a few off the internet in the end. I wonder if it would be worthwhile working that in somewhere?

Thanks! smile

Healey73

1,181 posts

311 months

Tuesday 13th October 2009
quotequote all
PapaHett said:
ymwoods said:
play up any customer help you did.

So in the supermarket, whilst people were shopping you were the first point of customer contact for them. you reguarly helped people find things around the store and helped little old ladies with their shopping when they could not read the small print on their cans of pickle.

Obv don't come over that sarcastic but you get the idea. Just play it up. You were the most customer focused shelf stacker in the place!

In the chemist, you helped people find all kinds of different items but if asked about medicines you were not allowed to give any views or suggestions on them (i assume) so you refered them to the person that could. this shows you are customer focused but can still pass the buck to someone else if you have to rather than blindly doing things, shows common sense.
Also, in the chemist someone came in looking a refil for a razor.. The chemist couldn't get it, so I went around a number of different chemists to try and track it down.. Had to order a few off the internet in the end. I wonder if it would be worthwhile working that in somewhere?

Thanks! smile
ymwoods is spot on, you could use your razor story although if it was me I would drop the 'going round to other chemists bit' and just go for sourcing them via the web rather than disapointing the customer. Good luck.

Edited by Healey73 on Tuesday 13th October 15:14


Edit for the spelling and grammer police and still not right wink

Edited by Healey73 on Tuesday 13th October 15:15

PapaHett

Original Poster:

2,124 posts

202 months

Tuesday 13th October 2009
quotequote all
Ah. Some great pointers there! smile It's making me slightly less nervous about taking the call.. haha

Any other help, tips, about what else the phone interview might entail/What they might be looking for?

I might have this thread open in front of me when I do it.. haha

ymwoods

2,194 posts

204 months

Tuesday 13th October 2009
quotequote all
try to be polite and very clear about what your saying and the way you say it. They will be looking for someone that can speak confidently and clearly so you need to come accross like this on the phone. The most important thing is try to not sound too nervous so before answering each question I ussually take a breath before I speak, slows me down (but not so much they think I am dippy) and helps me get my answers in order and thought out more than just going straight in with it.

PapaHett

Original Poster:

2,124 posts

202 months

Wednesday 14th October 2009
quotequote all
I got to the next stage of the interview! biggrin

I was fking stting myself, some of the questions I was asked, I couldn't really think of an answer for.. I ended up bluffing my way. He said I sounded very confident, and had a great customer service experience..

Good stuff! Cheers guys!

ymwoods

2,194 posts

204 months

Thursday 15th October 2009
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Well Done!

Healey73

1,181 posts

311 months

Thursday 15th October 2009
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Well done indeed. Fingers crossed for the next stage, you will have to let us know how you get on.