Tips on how HR conduct an interview for a customer service position

The importance of customer service is often overlooked by many companies. Many will proclaim that their customers are their number one priority, but few would actually "walk the talk" and deem servicing customers as a cost centre instead. In truth, your customers are the reason your company can continue to exist. Therefore, it only makes sense to provide good customer service to serve and retain your customers.

In order to fulfill such high service expectations, as a human resource (HR) personnel, you need to be able to hire the right people for your customer service department as more often than not, customer service is the only contact a customer may have with your company. These are the people who would represent your company brand and interact with your customers the most.

So how do you begin your search for the best talent and more importantly, how can HR conduct interviews specifically designed for a customer service position?

1. Study the resume

A customer service resume would usually not contain achievements that can be indicated by numbers. Instead, you can focus on what hidden values the candidates believe in according to the way they present their resume. For example, how do they describe the important aspects of their jobs? Are their priorities directed to only themselves, the company or towards their customers? This will give you an insight as to whether their priorities match your company's.

2. The phone interview

Unlike other positions, a customer service position can be tested the moment you pick up the phone and call the candidate to schedule for an interview. In fact, having that brief conversation over the phone can potentially reveal whether the candidate would be suitable for you to proceed with an in-person interview, saving you and the hiring manager plenty of time and effort. Listen carefully for a smiling voice, one who has empathy, inviting and possesses a concise manner of speech.

3. The in-person interview

The in-person interview begins immediately the moment the candidate enters your office. Get your receptionist to take notes on whether the candidate makes eye contact, smile or initiate any gestures to leave a good first impression. From there, observe their body language when they first meet you; how they greet you in person, how they are dressed, and most importantly, whether they actually arrived for the interview on time. Also, keep a watchful eye on slouching as it can indicate a lack of energy, which is an undesirable trait in customer service.

4. Hire the right attitude, train the skills needed

You don't always have to pick the ones with the best skills. An excellent customer service is all about having the right attitude and the right mindset. This would mean that your candidate should not only be ready to serve others but willing to go the extra mile to ensure that their customers are truly satisfied. Hire the ones who naturally possess such desired behaviours. Consider investing in training them in future, to give them the opportunity to sharpen their interpersonal and communication skills, to provide your customers with the highest level of professionalism.

5. Role-play your interview session

If you conduct a search on the Internet, you will find many examples of customer service job interviews questions that can help you hire the right talent. However, these template questions will not reveal how your candidates will behave when they are face-to-face with your customers. Instead, consider conducting role-playing scenarios during the interview session. Pretend that you are a rude customer demanding for refunds, or a client who is frustrated with a service disruption caused by a technical glitch. Through these role-play, you can get a glimpse of how they will handle such real-life situations/crisis.

Bottom line is, your customer service people are the frontline representatives of your brand and your company. As your business depends very much on your customers, do not simply fill a customer service position with merely any candidates you encounter. Rather, spend the extra time and effort to conduct a proper assessment, an effective interview session to actually find the right person for the job. Remember that the ones who can truly deliver outstanding services to your customers are also the ones who can bring long-term success to your business.

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