Why they ask it
In customer jobs, upset customers are part of the work. CareerOneStop's practice questions say to stress your empathy, calm, patience, courtesy and persistence.
Office jobs ask a version too, about a difficult stakeholder. That's anyone with a say in your work, such as a manager in another team.
How to answer: listen, explain, follow up
Use the STAR method, as England's National Careers Service sets it out. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result:
- Situation: where you were and what was going on, in a line or two.
- Task: what you had to do, or the problem to solve.
- Action: what you did, step by step. This is most of the answer, so say "I", not "we".
- Result: what changed, with a number if you can, and what you learned.
Aim for about 90 seconds out loud. Keep it short and to the point, and be ready for follow-up questions about it.
Actions that work well:
- Letting them finish, then repeating back what they need.
- Saying sorry for the problem, without blaming a colleague.
- Explaining clearly what you can do, and by when.
- Getting help when it's beyond what you can do.
- Following up to check it was fixed.
These match the UK Civil Service's idea of managing a quality service. Understand the customer's needs, explain clearly what can be done, and keep people up to date.
Victoria's Youth Central gives an example with the same shape. Stay calm, listen, try to solve it, and get a manager when you can't.
If the question says stakeholder
Use the same shape. Show how you found out what they needed, kept them informed, and handled a hard talk with care.
The Civil Service counts handling hard conversations with confidence and sensitivity as part of communicating well.
Common mistakes
- Making fun of the customer, or calling them names.
- Saying you gave in to every demand. Show good judgement too.
- Blaming your employer or a colleague.
- Sharing private details about the customer.
- Leaving out the result.
Make it fit the job ad
Match the setting: phone, counter, email or face to face. If the ad mentions "complaints", tell a complaint story.
If the job deals with other teams more than customers, choose a stakeholder story instead.
A full answer, as a made-up example
Here is a made-up answer from a hotel front desk. The guest is upset for a fair reason, and the answer stays kind to him.
Made-up example
Ahmed, a hotel receptionist applying for a guest services role
Question
Situation
Task
Action
- I let him finish without interrupting, then repeated back what he needed.
- I said sorry for the wait, without blaming the cleaning team.
- I offered our lounge, a room to change in, and a firm time: 2:30 pm.
- I asked the cleaning team to do his room first, and rang him when it was ready.
Result
Ahmed listens, gives a clear promise and keeps it. He never blames a colleague, and the result has numbers.
Questions
What if I've never worked with customers?
Use any time you helped someone who was upset, such as at school, in sport or as a volunteer.
Should I say I gave the customer a refund?
Only if you were allowed to. Show you followed the rules, and got approval when you needed it.
What if the customer was rude or abusive?
Say how you stayed calm and safe, and when you called a manager. You don't have to accept abuse.
Sources
Written by Seal the Offer from these pages, last checked on . Rules change, so check the employer's own page and the job ad before you apply.