The type of questions you will be asked in a Porter interview depends on the industry and the position that you are applying for.
For positions that have little or nothing to do with customer services, interview questions are aimed at job knowledge purely.
A position that requires an individual to know his job and can deal with customers effectively will need a little extra from the candidate applying for it.
This means that there will be much stress placed on a candidate’s attitude.
There are many facets that customer service encompasses and there is much more than people who are in constant contact with customers need to do.
For instance, if you are a porter (either in a hospital or a hotel), much stress will be placed on how well you deal with people. Would you lose your temper if you were not treated properly?
Will you be polite to the people you are helping out? How positive an image will you project?
All these are things that you will need to look out for.
Below are some sample questions (depending on the industry you are working in) for a porter’s position:
Hotel Porter Interview Questions and Answers
1. As a hotel porter, what has been your prime responsibilities in the past?
While working as a hotel porter, I performed a vast array of duties associated with guest services. From carrying and delivering guests’ luggage to the rooms assigned to them, to calling cabs for them, I have been responsible for all.
Additionally, I have been handling duties such as showing guests to their rooms, providing them with information on the facilities offered by the hotel, running errands for them, and providing directions within the facility, and for destinations around the city.
2. What specific skills do you possess that make you an excellent choice to hire as a hotel porter?
I have been trained to be guest-oriented. I make sure that I go the extra mile to provide exceptional guest services. In addition to this, I am a patient and polite individual who can profoundly handle guests’ complaints.
3. What is the one thing that you do not like about working as a hotel porter?
To be honest, I like everything about working as a hotel porter. One gets to meet different types of people, and the exposure is just high.
4. As far as guest satisfaction is concerned, where do you rate your services on a scale of 1 to 10, one being the lowest on the scale?
Considering that I have never had a guest complaint about me – in fact, I have received accolades from most – I would rate myself at a 9.
5. In all the years that you have spent working as a hotel porter, what has been the strangest request you have received? How did you deal with it?
Guests do have some strange requests at times, but by far, the strangest one that I have received is from a customer who wanted me to provide him with marijuana!
I was dumbstruck initially because he asked for it as if it was part of the menu! I politely explained that we don’t do this here and reported the incident to my supervisor so that he could keep a lookout for any unusual behavior from the guest.
6. How do you handle guests who have just arrived at the hotel?
I greet them, guide them through the check-in process, and escort them to their designated rooms. Once they are settled, I inquire into their needs for room service or errand running and take the necessary steps to ensure they get what they have asked for.
7. In five years from now, what do you see yourself doing?
I am aiming to gain more experience in housekeeping, and hope to head a housekeeping department in a hotel environment in the next few years.
8. Do you have any restrictions/limitations while working the night shift?
I don’t have any restrictions. Most of the shifts that I have worked have been during the late hours.
See also:
Hospital Porter Interview Questions and Answers
1. In your opinion, is the work of a hospital porter multifaceted?
I believe so, yes. There are so many different things that a hospital porter is expected to do, including transporting patients and equipment, delivering patients’ meals, and even providing emotional support to them.
2. How skilled are you in this work?
I believe that the past three years have trained me enough to be able to handle the work of a hospital porter profoundly. I possess the ability to work along with support workers by coordinating efforts with them, know the ins and outs of hospital functions, and I can safely say that I am emotionally resilient which makes the work easy to handle.
3. What is the most challenging part of working as a hospital porter?
I believe that working in a hospital is exceptionally challenging, regardless of which position you work. But as a hospital porter, the most challenging part is transporting patients in cases of emergencies.
4. Why did you take up this work as a career?
I have always been great in emergent situations, and have come to realize that I have a high affinity with patients. This realization (during a short stint as a hospital volunteer), made me realize how emotionally fulfilling this work is. There has been no turning back since then.
5. Tell us of one accomplishment that you have to your name.
When the major car crash happened on Route 66 in June 2016, I was the person behind saving five victims by quickly transporting them from the emergency room to 3 different operating rooms within 8 minutes, saving their lives.
6. What considerations do you take into account when transporting the patients?
The most important consideration is patient comfort. I ask questions to gauge patients’ pain levels and ensure that I do not roughly handle them.
7. What is specialist healthcare equipment you comfortable in handling?
I am adept at using medical beds, wheelchairs, and trolleys with care. I possess a medical pager (which I consider part of healthcare equipment) so that I can keep in constant contact with my supervisor.
8. Are you trained in handling emergency equipment or patient movement activities? What is your first thought during an emergency?
I am skilled in both these areas. During an emergency, my priority is patient mortality. Based on this, I make sure that I get things done fast and efficiently.