Working on how to answer tricky questions in a department store associate interview is probably what is going to save you from embarrassment when you are sitting across from an interviewer.
Even seemingly ordinary interview questions are sometimes not that straightforward after all.
The trick is to listen intently when being asked a question and gauge what the interviewer is trying to get you to say.
For appropriate answers to interview questions, refer below:
Department Store Associate Interview Questions and Answers
1. As a department store associate, which department does your specialty lie in?
Over the 2 years that I have worked as a department store associate, I have been rotated in produce, fashion, groceries, home accessories, and equipment. So my expertise is divided between all these. I consider myself to be a specialist in all these areas, owing to my ability to handle all associated work meticulously.
2. What does customer service mean to you?
Customer service means everything to me. A happy customer means return business and good marketing through word of mouth.
3. Tell us of a time when a satisfied customer praised you or your work.
I once provided one on one assistance to a new customer by helping her decide what to buy to furnish an entire house, from the home accessories department. After interviewing her to determine what she needed exactly, I was able to figure out her tastes and provided her with exactly what she wanted. Her bill was enormous, and she was soon considered the year’s best customer. She called my manager and sang high praises for me, resulting in the company offering me 15% of the profit that they had earned!
4. What is your experience in cross-selling?
I gauge the situation with each customer to whom I provide services, to see if he or she is open to the concept of buying something additional. If I see an opportunity, I do not let it go and suggest additional items that may be of use to the customer I am handling.
5. Apart from customer dealing, what have been your duties as a department store associate in the past?
I have been largely involved in providing assistance with visual merchandising efforts, stocking and inventory, cashiering, and managing store displays for different items.
6. If you see a security hazard or a crime in process of being committed, in another department of the store that you are working for, what would you do?
I would intervene right there and then. Even if nefarious activity is happening in another part of the store that I am working for, it is my responsibility to raise the alarm and make sure that it does not go any further!