30 Deli Worker Interview Questions and Answers

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I am a passionate deli worker who began working 2 years ago. I like working in challenging environments and can effectively handle the intricacies.

2. What had been your duties as a deli worker?

I have performed many duties such as greeting customers and providing them with information on deli products. Also, I have been busy providing prompt services to customers looking to make purchases. Ensuring the cleanliness and maintenance of assigned deli areas has also been part of my work. Additionally, my work involves food preparation, including making sandwiches and salads.

3. What is the one skill that you depend on to get your work right?

I depend highly on my customer service abilities to get my work done perfectly.

4. How would you decide which product to suggest if a customer asked for a suggestion?

I would ask the customer to tell me about their preferences, and then I would suggest something accordingly.

5. How would you handle it if the deli was short-staffed?

I would make sure that I work extra hard so that understaffing does not convert into a crisis situation.

6. How do you handle angry customers?

I have only had one incident where I had to handle an angry customer. The customer was angry because another deli worker had given in a sandwich, the ingredients of which he was allergic to. He had mentioned as much to the deli worker, and it looked like quite a careless and dangerous oversight. I apologized on the other deli worker’s behalf, and managed to calm him down, by offering to give him 2 sandwiches on the house.

7. How do you manage slow days?

Slow days are usually managed by overseeing stock and performing stock rotation work.

8. Why do you feel that you are the best person to hire as a deli worker?

Apart from the fact that I have great experience in this regard, I am a skilled individual, the likes of which I am sure you will not find elsewhere. I work especially hard during crunch times and can learn new things easily. Also, you will not need to train me too much, as I will be an immediate asset to your organization.

9. What is the most difficult situation that you have had to face in the past?

The deli that I was working for was attacked by rodents overnight. Everything was ruined. The entire staff had to work day in and day out to clean the place, sanitize it, and replace everything in it. It was quite a difficult time for all of us.

10. How do you think your coworkers will describe you?

I am positive that my coworkers will tell you that I am an exceptionally easy individual to work with. I am also sure that they will be all praise about my skills as a deli worker, and the fact that I am honest with my work.

11. What is your greatest accomplishment?

I believe that my greatest accomplishment is to suggest a particular sandwich-type, which was solely responsible for increasing the deli’s sales by 25%.

12. What is your opinion on cleanliness?

I believe that cleanliness is primary to foodservice organizations. I take cleanliness and sanitization very seriously and make sure that I am in a constant state of cleaning and maintaining the areas that I am working in.

13. What is your greatest strength?

My greatest strength is my ability to suggest the right deli products to customers, as soon as I know their tastes.

14. What is your biggest weakness?

I am too thorough. If I have to work on something, I am constantly on it, not allowing myself time to rest.

15. What has been the most difficult thing that you have done while working as a deli worker?

My first commission as a deli worker was at a deli that had quite a hostile environment. No one wanted to help one another. Most other staff members would actually want to tear you down. Since it was my first job, I was quite disheartened initially. However, I managed to stand my ground and eventually made friends. But it was one of the most difficult times of my life.

16. How do you handle adversity at the workplace?

As I mentioned earlier, I always stand my ground. I don’t like fighting, but I don’t give up until I know that the other person has understood my stance. I stay as calm as possible and escalate the issue to a supervisor if I feel that I am unable to manage it without getting angry.

17. Have you ever worked anywhere else apart from a deli?

Before I started working in a deli, I held a summer job working as a crew member at a local McDonald’s.

18. Do you like working in a deli more, or a fast-food chain?

I believe that there is a lot more to learn in a deli environment. Fast food work can become monotonous at times. I like working in a busy deli for sure.

19. Has anyone ever gotten sick from a deli product that you sold?

There was a customer whose mother complained that her son ate a salad made by me and got food poisoning. She had the remainders of the salad to prove her point. The salad was sent to a lab for testing and tested negative for contaminants. It was an ice cream that the customer had eaten after eating my salad that made him sick. It was quite a close call.

20. Apart from frontend work, what other duties have you performed in a deli worker role?

I have been involved in handling a wide variety of behind the scenes work, including receiving and stocking food items, performing food rotation work, and ensuring that food is properly stored. Additionally, I have been managing display stocking tasks and ensuring that backend supplies are complete and fresh at all times.

21. Have you ever regretted your decision to work as a deli worker?

Never. I love my work immensely and enjoy it highly.

22. If you were asked to train newly hired deli workers, what would be your response?

I would love to be part of an induction team to train newly hired deli workers. In fact, I have done something similar in my present work as well.

23. Do you sometimes feel saturation working as a deli worker?

Not at all. There is so much to do that I am in a constant state of learning. So far, I do not feel stagnated or saturated.

24. Why do you want to work with our deli particularly?

Your deli is one of the best in the town, and I would love to be a working part of it. I feel that I can learn a lot, and also contribute to my past experiences, and acquired skills.

25. How would you react if you were reprimanded by a supervisor?

I would see why I am being reprimanded first. If my supervisor is correct in doing so, I will keep my head down and apologize, and ensure that whatever wrong that I did, is not repeated. If I feel that I am being targeted unfairly, I would politely explain why I feel so.

26. What is the most complex thing about working as a deli worker?

I believe that the most complex thing is to meet customers’ demands for large orders. There are times when one has to be on one’s toes constantly to ensure that huge orders are managed properly. A little problem can result in a huge loss.

27. Can you work on back to back shifts?

Yes, I can. I have worked on back to back shifts many times.

28. What would you change about the current deli display at your workplace?

I would change the size of the display. The display boxes are too small for deli products to be seen properly.

29. What are your five-year plans?

I intend to work as a deli supervisor in the near future.

30. Do you have any questions for me?

I am interested in knowing more about what makes you decide to handle deli displays a certain way. Also, I would like to know how you manage to stock, and vendor relations.