1st line support interview questions
Try to answer following questions yourself after going through all our answers.
1st line support jobs can be found on job sites online.
– What do you think are the main qualities/attributes required to be an
effective Customer Services Helpdesk person?
– Provide an example where you have had to deal with an awkward customer, what did you do, and what was the outcome?
– How do you keep track of matters requiring your attention/how do you stay organised?
– Can you provide an example of where you have had to use a structured approached to solving a customer’s problem?
– Can you give examples of SLA’s (service level agreements) you have worked to?
– What is the extent of your IT /technical skills?
View our latest IT jobs.
Difficult problems that you have had to overcome
How have you learnt new skills? (Courses at work/self funded/self study/off the internet)
Have you had to encounter difficult customers/situations? How did you deal with that?
What examples can you give regarding working to tight deadlines/under pressure/to high service levels?
What team environments have you worked in?
Have you dealt with customers/colleagues over the phone / by letter / by e-mail?
Were there set procedures you had to follow?
Have you been involved in team meetings or had any input to your working environment or processes?
Good luck with your interview and please post if you have any questions about your interview!
Tell me about yourself
Why should we hire you?
Why do you want this job?
What is your greatest strength?
What is your greatest weakness?
What are your salary expectations?
What motivates you?
Give some examples of teamwork
Describe a difficult work situation project and how you overcame it
Are you willing to travel?
What can you contribute to this company?
Excellent tips here. 1st Line support is known more as customer service rather than the other title. It’s definatly something to get into if you think you are good at dealing with customers over the telephone
This is one of the jobs where you need very good communication skills and customer service skills.
If they ask about a situation where you dealt with an awkward customer and then they ask the outcome, make sure you can give a scenario where the outcome was good for the customer. Don’t answer with "The problem was never really resolved", as this instantly makes you seem as if you’re incapable of effectively solving difficulties.
Good luck!
Hate interview questions without, at least, sample answers, they just waste my time and that’s just well like my opinion man
Hate interview questions without, at least, sample answers, they just waste my time and that’s just well like my opinion man
Hate interview questions without, at least, sample answers, they just waste my time and that’s just well like my opinion man
Research done by YouGov a few years ago shows that nearly half of all call centre staff (48%) are under 30 years old. It can be therefore assumed that the emphasis on the interview questions will not be based around previous experience, although it would obviously be an advantage.
During an interview for a job in which you will be working primarily over the phone, the way you communicate your answers will be just as important, if not more, as the answers you are giving. Be sure to speak methodically and clearly, everything you say to the interviewer must be instantly understandable. If you have a thick regional accent it would be prudent to ensure you are not using slang terms during the interview and to take a pause between and if needed during sentences to ensure your answers are communicated clearly.
You will be asked questions specific to the job such as I.T experience and qualifications, but also questions to prove that you have the ability to think out of the box. Dealing with problem/ aggressive customers is inevitable and a fairly common question could be to directly ask what your response would be. For example:
Interviewer: Whilst working for our Fraud department an irate and aggressive customer has phoned the hotline because he suspects he is a victim of credit card fraud. Once on the line with you, he begins shouting down the line and is getting frustrated. This is hindering your attempts to take down the required information. How would you help this customer?
It is important to remember that while it is important to give a satisfactory answer to this problem, your thinking and route to the solution is much more important to your prospective employer. An example answer is shown below.
Interviewee: Initially I would attempt to calm down the customer. By talking to him in a calm yet to the point way I would attempt to get the situation under control whilst reassuring the customer that I was there to help him or her. Showing some sympathy to their situation would hopefully help them feel like I was not just a robotic voice on the phone, but a constructive employee who genuinely wants to help.
It is this thinking through the problem that the interviewer wants to see applied. Think about your answer before hurtling into it and above all else ensure you speak clearly.