Describe a time you had to change your approach to a customer

It's common, during an interview, to encounter questions like "How do you deal with difficult customers?", or "How would you handle an angry customer?". There are many types of interview questions, and this one is a behavioral question. These questions are designed to dig into how you've behaved and handled situations in the past using real-life scenarios and results, and because of their personal nature, can catch us off guard if we're not prepared for them. This guide will provide tips and techniques for answering "How would you deal with a difficult customer?", along with some example answers. 

Why employers ask how you deal with difficult customers

Customers get upset, and can become difficult, for a variety of reasons. While some of these reasons are justified, and others not as much, a potential employer wants to know that you can resolve a tense situation with a customer to everyone’s satisfaction. Interviewers ask “How would you deal with a difficult customer?“, to analyze a candidate’s problem-solving skills, quick decision-making strategies, and ability to remain collected under pressure. They’re also looking to hire someone who’s enthusiastic about the position despite the challenges that come with it.

How to answer "How would you deal with a difficult customer?"

In addition to assessing your problem-solving capabilities, an employer is asking this because they’re  looking for a candidate who possesses strong interpersonal skills. Because behavioral questions are complex, it’s important for you to give a well-crafted, thoughtful response. While you don’t want to give one that’s heavily scripted , writing your answer out ahead of time can help ensure you don’t leave anything out. Below are a few key points to include when describing how you’d deal with a difficult customer, to demonstrate a professional approach.

1. Listen carefully to the customer.  When a customer is upset, the first thing they want is an opportunity to air their grievances. An employer is looking to hear that you’ll take some time to hear them out, which involves listening patiently, and asking follow-up questions. Be sure to highlight the importance of body language, posture, and eye contact – for example, standing or sitting up straight with uncrossed arms will come across to a customer as welcoming and attentive.
2. Repeat what you’ve just heard. Summarizing and reiterating the customer’s main concerns will ensure they feel understood, maximize your understanding of their complaint, and provide them with some time to (hopefully) calm down a bit.
3. Actively sympathize / apologize. When a customer is done venting, they want to know that you were listening and understand their reasons for being upset. Include that you’d express sympathy for their less than satisfying experience, and offer a simple and direct apology. Whether or not a complaint is founded, the goal is to keep them as a customer and, often, a genuine apology is all that’s necessary.
4. Take responsibility to resolve the issue. Along the same line as expressing sympathy, asking what the customer would like to see as a resolution, and/or offering an alternative solution is an action worth mentioning when detailing your approach to a difficult customer. This demonstrates leadership skills, the ability to think creatively, and your prioritizing of company policies, and will stand out to your interviewer.
5. Remain calm and compassionate. One of the most important qualities an interviewer is looking for with regard to a difficult customer is a candidate’s ability to remain calm during tense interactions. Speaking in an even tone is an important strategy to mention, as it typically prevents a situation from escalating too far. Reminding yourself that the customer isn’t angry with you, but dissatisfied with product performance or a provided service, will help you avoid taking anything personally.

In addition to listing techniques you’d use when dealing with a difficult customer, support your claims with an anecdote. Sharing a detailed example of how you’ve employed the above strategies when handling real life customer conflict is an effective way to reinforce how you’d handle hypothetical situations in the future.  Follow the STAR method to successfully tell a conflict resolution success story.

1. Situation. Keep your explanation simple, but tell your story using enough context for the employer to get a clear picture.
2. Task. It’s important to describe your role / responsibility both on the job and in the situation.
3. Action. Describe how you implemented the strategies listed above, and any additional techniques of your own, to find a resolution.
4. Result. Make sure to mention the specific positive conclusion that was reached, and anything further that may have resulted such as a positive review, or referral, etc.

Remember to keep things positive. Even if the customer was in the wrong, the worst thing you can do is portray them in a negative light. Focusing on your compassion, composure, and desire to remediate the situation will denote professionalism and maturity. Practice delivering your answer and anecdote out loud a few times, keeping it all under two minutes.

Example answers: "How would you deal with a difficult customer?"

Example 1:  When I worked as location manager at a drive-thru coffee shop, a customer became angry because their drive-thru order was incomplete and she didn’t notice it until she’d already left the lot. She drove back, had to come inside to resolve the issue, and was understandably upset that it was making her late for work. She was referred to me by the associate who was working the register, and I immediately asked the customer to tell me what was going on. I quickly apologized for the mistake, asked one of my baristas to complete her order ahead of the line, and acknowledged that it was our fault. She was still upset and wanted to vent a bit more about similar issues she’d had at our shop location recently. I gave her my full attention, listened carefully, repeated her key complaints back to her, and promised her I would address the issue with my opening crew. Along with the completion of her order, I offered her some coupons for future visits. I gave her my business card, asked her to email me directly if she had any issues moving forward, and apologized again – specifically for getting to work late, which seemed to soften her demeanor more than anything. She left in a way better mood than she’d arrived in, and it was brought to my attention a couple days later that she’d left a very detailed, stellar review online. The turnaround was really rewarding.  This is a strong story because in it, the candidate employs all of the above techniques – patient listening, reiterating, and a genuine apology along with assumed responsibility – while maintaining a calm and compassionate demeanor. The solutions were simple, the STAR method was followed, the story was succinct, and the result was extremely positive. Example 2: I worked as as sales associate at an electronics store that sold and repaired both new and used electronics and appliances – mainly phones, computers, and audio equipment. New products came with manufacturer’s warranties, and we offered our own warranties for our refurbished stuff that were pretty comprehensive. A gentleman came in one day looking to have his computer keyboard repaired – his teenage daughter had knocked his coffee over onto it, and it wasn’t working. Since he’d purchased the computer used, an accident like this wasn’t covered by our warranty, which he misunderstood – expecting us to repair or replace it free of charge. I quickly apologized for the mishap, and tried to go over the details of the warranty with him, but he quickly became upset. I didn’t argue with him about the warranty, instead assuring him that we’d do all that we could to help him get it fixed. Company policy didn’t allow for free repairs not under warranty, and I wasn’t authorized to override protocol, so I sent a 50% off coupon code to his phone there in the store which he was able to use immediately toward the cost of the repair. This calmed him down significantly, and he seemed happy with the compromise. He came in with his wife a few weeks later, looking for some stereo equipment, and asked for me specifically – mentioning how helpful I’d been the last time. I felt great about the outcome – not only did he leave satisfied with how things turned out, but we were able to keep him as a customer.  This is a great example because it uses the STAR method to describe a scenario in which the customer was in the wrong and the rules couldn’t be bent, which can be very challenging. Despite these factors, the employee was able to prevent the situation from escalating, while standing firmly behind the store policies. The coupon code solution demonstrates quick problem solving skills which resulted in the customer leaving satisfied, even returning with a family member. When answering interview questions about how you handle difficult customers, remember to emphasize your ability to remain calm and collected under pressure, and the importance of keeping customer service a priority. Demonstrate that you can effectively diffuse a tense situation while portraying the company positively, and you’ll ace this question.

How do you answer how do you approach change?

How do you answer how would you approach a customer?