Questions at Foot Locker interviews

1. How would you handle a customer with difficult behavior? top question

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Look back on your experience. Have you dealt with a difficult or disruptive customer? Remember how you diffused the situation and how you turned things around.

   • Do you have certain principles, or methodology, to deal with difficult people?
   • Do you have strong people skills, are you good at conflict resolution?
   • Are you high on emotional intelligence? Can you give an example?

2. About The Company

   • What have you found about the company and its culture?
   • What have you learned about how the employees value each other?
   • How do they treat their customers?
   • Knowing their line of business or industry, what can be some examples of difficult customers?

   Do your research.

3. About The Fit

   When a question like this asked in an interview, it is an indication that you will probably encounter difficult customers, or other difficult stakeholders while working for this company.

   This would be an excellent opportunity to use the Present-Past-Present approach to respond to this question.

   Start with the Present. Speak about your “conflict resolution” skills and how you apply these today.

   Next go back to a Past situation - remember your Star Stories to relate a relevant situation that happened in a previous job where you resolved a problem for a difficult customer.

   Finally, come back to the Present, summarizing what you learned from past experiences and how you will apply them to the job you are interviewing for today.

   If you can give an example of how you handled a difficult person in the past in a situation similar to what this company may require from you, this will strongly increase your chances of showing yourself as a good fit.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 2.4x more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

2. Tell me about yourself

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   What is your current occupation? Define yourself professionally in one statement.

   Pick 3 key skills that make you great at your work (your Key Selling Points). How have you applied these skills?

   Try to give some numbers to support your statement.

2. About The Company

   Your first step is to Research the company to find out as much as you can about what they do and their approach to their business and their employees.

   Based on what you know about the company and the job description, why are you interested in the position you are applying for?

3. About The Fit

   Now is the right time to show the fit between your skills and the company's requirements. Your answer works best if you emphasize your relevance. How do you do this? You will have already researched the company, studied the job description to identify their needs and possible pain points and prepared the relevant Star Stories that show how you addressed similar issues in the past. Your next step is to develop your Present-Past-Present approach.

   Start with the Present. Focus on the skills and experience from your most recent positions. What has enabled you to get the job done successfully and how this relates to what the employer is looking to accomplish.

   Next go back to the Past. Here is where your Star story comes in. Explain how you were able to use your skills and experience to accomplish a task that relates to an area of concern for the employer.

   Finally come back to the Present – summarizing the lessons you learned and how they shaped your response and approach today.

   Remember, the whole conversation is about the present, not the past. Just one sentence can summarize why your approach works, and its applicability and relevance to this position.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 24% less frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

3. What is your greatest weakness?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   No one is perfect and your interviewer doesn't expect you to be perfect either.

   While it is good to be honest and open, it will not help you to put yourself down.

   What's important is to find a weakness that you have overcome. How you turned what might be considered a negative into a positive.

2. About The Company

   Research the company (website, social media, etc) to learn about the company culture.

   What personal and professional qualities do they value?

3. About The Fit

   This is the time to clearly state a true weakness that you have overcome.

   Be as specific as possible and stay away from vague cliches like “I work too hard.” It would be difficult for anyone to try and explain how they overcame a weakness like that

   Mr. Simon emphasizes the Present-Past-Present method of responding to behavioral questions. When you are asked about your greatest weakness, you should be able to successfully use this approach as well. Here is an example of how someone might answer this question.

   Present - "I have always had a fear of public speaking, and believe this may have held me back in my career, especially when having to make presentations to management."

   Past - "Last year I learned about Toastmasters International and decided to join this group to help me gain confidence in myself and improve my ability to present to others in just about any situation."

   Present - "By overcoming this weakness I believe that it has made me a much stronger candidate for this position, someone you can count on to make presentations to management, conduct training and communicate at a high level."

   It's important to show how well you've overcome a weakness by motivating yourself and learning a new skill to grow professionally.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 35% more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

4. Tell me about a time when you've resolved a problem for a frustrated customer

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Think of a time when, as a customer, you had a problem with a company.

   • How did you feel?
   • How did you want to be treated?
   • Was the situation resolved to your satisfaction? If so what was done to resolve it?
   • If not, what went wrong?

   Have you had experience in the past where you helped a frustrated customer? When you were on the serving side of the table, what did you do to make a real difference to the customer and their experience?

   When considering this question, focus on your principles and your approach. You know that when customers are made to feel neglected and unimportant, they tend to get frustrated. You want to demonstrate to the hiring manager that you have the capacity to understand the customer’s problems and issues and can come up with a solution that best addresses their concerns.

   Of course, this may not always be possible in your line of business or profession, but I guess you see what I mean - showing full attention greatly improves your chances of mitigating the situation.

2. About The Company

   Every company relies on customers.

   Research the company you are applying to and try to find out what their standards of customer relationship or service are, as well as try to find out some real cases where the customers complained about the company, and what the company did to mitigate the situations (a possible source might be Yelp! or another social media platform).

   Based on your research, how does the company treat customers? How do they resolve customer issues?

3. About The Fit

   How do you demonstrate to the interviewer that you can WOW the customer by making their situation better for them as well as helping the company maintain good customer relations? Mr. Simon recommends using the Present-Past-Present method.

   There are many ways to apply this approach. For example you can start with the Present emphasizing that your approach to good customer service always starts with your great listening skills that enable you to fully understand the customer’s situation.

   Next go back to the Past for an example of just how you were able to resolve a frustrating situation for a customer. Focus on a situation in which you listened to and understood the problem and were able to resolve it and prevent the loss of the customer’s business.

   Finally come back to the Present to discuss how your skills and experience in handling frustrated customers will be a real asset to the company going forward.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 2.1x more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   What challenges do you like overcoming? Where are you starting from and where might you be going?

   For example, let's say the position you are applying for is junior accountant. It includes a wide range of tasks such as basic bookkeeping, financial analysis, and reporting. If accounting is your chosen field, then you would most likely want to move in the direction of obtaining your CPA so that you might step up to more responsibility as an accounting manager or senior auditor within the next 5 years. Your responses should make sense in how you see yourself growing in your professional career.

   However, at this point, if you are happy just where you are and want to further your current skills, that is also fine as long as there is a growth path for you that can be imagined and described.

2. About The Company

   Research the company to learn what career opportunities may be available in the department you are applying to, and what the trends are in the company in general.

   • Is the business expanding, are they opening new locations, or starting new projects?
   • Or are they heavily automating and cutting staff?

   Let’s say you are applying for a UX designer position for a brand-new product.

   In the future, if the product becomes a success - which is what the company hopes for - the company will hire more designers and you may become a lead designer, or you may become a product manager.

   On a side note: If you train your mind to be open to opportunities you will be amazed at how much this world has to offer to you!

3. About The Fit

   And, of course, try to see where the perfect fit lies between your own potential and aspirations, and the company’s trends and hopes.

   However, beware of the risk of showing too much excitement for future opportunities compared to your attitude towards the current position.

   As we said earlier, you must show interest and enthusiasm for the position you are applying for. If the interviewer senses that you are more enthusiastic about future growth than about the current position, they may conclude that you are not the right person for the job at hand.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 31% less frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

6. Who has inspired you in your life, and why?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   The answer to this question is completely at your discretion.

   • Who encouraged you to become who you are today?
   • What qualities do they have that you admire most?
   • What are the common values between you and this person that you can use strategically in your career and life?
   • How did they help you to do proper introspection that influenced your life?

   Maybe it’s your parents, someone else from your family, a teacher or a mentor, a researcher, or a writer you admire. Maybe it’s a public figure that inspires you. Whoever this inspiring person is, remember that the interviewer is looking for a heartfelt response.

2. About The Company

   Read the job description carefully and research the company to learn as much as you can about the company’s culture.

   What qualities does the company value in their employees? See if you are able to match their values to those of the person that inspired you.

   You should not only identify the person who inspires you but, if possible, also tell why and how their influence may have relevance to the company you are interviewing with.

   Be extra cautious while naming anyone that might be controversial (for example a politician or a celebrity) as your inspirer. The interviewer might have preconceived thoughts or ideas about certain people that you might be unaware of. This might lead them to judge you unfarily about your choice.

3. About The Fit

   Be prepared to give examples of how the words, actions or teachings of your inspirer have helped to motivate you in achieving your goals.

   As always, prepare an answer which highlights qualities that would be highly valuable in the position you are seeking.

   Most employers look for characteristics such as adaptability, good interpersonal communication, leadership, creativity, innovativeness, honesty and dedication. Ask yourself, what ‘specific’ attributes have you learned from your motivator? Mention how learning such attributes helped you in your career.

   You should provide a specific example that shows the above-mentioned attribute of the inspirer.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 11.0x more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

7. What are your drivers? What motivates you?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   This question requires serious self-examination; you should be asking it yourself long before the interviewer does.

   Look back on everything you’ve done in your life, job, and career so far.

   • What was it about your best days that made them the best?
   • Can you take those feelings and apply them to specific moments from your life and past work experiences?
   • Are you ready for tough projects or for being asked to do something that isn’t quite on your job description, or for having to stay at work till late instead of another team member?
   • Will meeting deadlines, learning new things, finding a way to solve problems or overcoming a challenge inspire you and make you want even more?
   • What gives you a sense of accomplishment when you can look back on and say "I achieved that"?

   Look deep inside.

   Analyze your experience by types of tasks, by type of environment, type of feedback, level of responsibility and stakes? Do you prefer independence, or being part of a team?

   1. Task type: if you were given a whole day or even week at work to focus on just one of your tasks, without interruptions or multitasking, which one would that be? Why?
   2. Environment: do you feel motivated in a dynamic environment with lots of action, communications, deadlines? Or would you rather disconnect from the outside world and immerse into a single task, with your headphones on?
   3. Feedback: are you better motivated by positive feedback, or by healthy criticism? Or maybe by customers’ smiles and “Thank you” messages?
   4. Responsibility and stakes: are you motivated to do your best when you know that the stakes are high and your contribution will make a great impact on the bottom line? Or do you feel better in a more safe and relaxed environment when someone else is responsible for making big decisions?
   5. Financials: what is the salary range that makes you feel comfortable and respect yourself? Let’s be realistic, this is one (although definitely shouldn’t be the first) of the drivers.

   Be creative, this list is not exhaustive.

2. About The Company

   Take a long look at the job you’re applying for.

   • What kinds of tasks will you be responsible for?
   • What will the environment be?
   • What do you know about the possible kinds of feedback you will be receiving?
   • What is the level of stakes in this role?
   • What do you know about the salary they can possibly offer?

3. About The Fit

   How comfortable are you with the drivers the company can offer, comparing to those of your own? Pick those that have a match and give some examples.

   For instance, if you’re applying for a software engineer job, describe how you are motivated by solving complex technical challenges.

   If the job involves teamwork, give an example showing that you love collaborating and accomplishing big things as a part of a team.

   That is what drives you to do your best each day. You can say you enjoy meaningful work creating products that change people’s lives, if this is relevant to the company.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 4.3x more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

8. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   The answer to the question about animals at the interview is to check how well a person knows himself.

   • Do you understand your strengths and weaknesses?
   • Are you able to objectively look at yourself and see what you actually are?

   The answer must be true and based on reality.

   Before the interview, analyze your internal self and try to figure out all the possible qualities that you possess. If you focus well, you should be able to come up with at least 10 qualities.

   When you are in the interview you can name the animal, and give several of the qualities that you see in that animal that also describe you.

   The question is also a test of your sense of humor. You probably don’t want to choose a giraffe, kangaroo or rhinoceros as these animals might be hard to match to your personal qualities. Also, you really want to stay away from animals like snakes, hyenas, rats or spiders. These animals have negative, off-putting associations.

2. About The Company

   This question during the interview is a creative way of asking you about the kinds of qualities and skills you possess and how you perceive yourself to fit in the company with those qualities and skills.

3. About The Fit

   The objective is to understand the depth of your viewpoint and analytical thinking.

   Once you list down the qualities, figure out the ones that will be helpful in the job that you have applied for. The more relatable the qualities, the better you will be able to sell yourself to the recruiter.

   For example, if you compare yourself to an elephant, which is a strong, intelligent, loyal to the group and unstoppable animal, you will explain your ability to adapt to any new environment and work according to the culture and system of the new place.

   Dolphins are very good communicators, loyal to the group and adaptable to many conditions and can be used as an example to indicate how good you are when it comes to handling team tasks.

   Dogs are seen as Man’s Best Friend, that’s why it might be a good example for someone in a support role. Besides, they have such important qualities as loyalty and devotion which are highly valued in most companies.

   If you compare yourself to an eagle, you will highlight the ability to see the whole picture, sharpness and tenacity of vision. These are good qualities for managers or directors.

   Comparing yourself to a lion you are pointing out that you are a skillful leader and a good team worker.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 6.0x more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

9. What would your previous coworkers or clients tell me about you?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Spend some time reflecting on how others perceive you so that you can speak smoothly without overinflating or undervaluing yourself.

   Recall conversations with coworkers or managers in which you received acknowledgment or feedback.

   It is an opportunity for you to share your best traits (your Key Selling Points).

   • Would your coworkers and clients say that you are dependable, trustworthy, flexible, honest?
   • Do you always show up to meetings on time and promptly reply to emails?
   • Would your coworkers say you are punctual and responsive?

   If you frequently lend a hand when co-workers or customers struggle, your colleagues, clients and managers would highly likely say that you are helpful.

2. About The Company

   Research the company to learn what the employer or interviewer values.

   Compare their values with your qualities that you think would be a good fit and carefully read the job description.

   The employer's job posting is a great guide for what employers want to see in candidates.

3. About The Fit

   Use the question as an opportunity to emphasize your strengths.

   It’s important to highlight how well you communicate and how well your personality and work style will match the company and team culture.

   Using the STAR method, describe a successful team project from your previous job mentioning how well you interacted with your colleagues.

   For example:

   “My past coworkers have told me that I am highly organized and quite good at time management. During one specific project, my team members gave me praise for developing and sticking to a timeline for all the different aspects of the project. We ended up successfully completing the project ahead of time, and it went really well! I’d love to have a similar relationship with my team members in this position.”

   If by chance you didn’t get along well with your coworkers at your last job or your coworkers would be likely to note that you didn’t fit in, it could mean that the company culture wasn’t a good fit for you.

   Make sure that if the job you are interviewing for has a similar company culture, or you may not be deemed a good fit for that either.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 7.4x more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

10. What is the biggest lesson you've learned from a mistake you made?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Do your best to tell a positive story about how the mistake was made, how you dealt with it and what learned from it.

   We all make mistakes from time-to-time. Answering some of the following questions will help you understand your own view of dealing with mistakes and their consequences.

   For instance:

   • How do you use a mistake to improve your abilities?
   • Are you self-aware enough to acknowledge failure and weakness?
   • Do you take smart risks?
   • How do you view success, failure, and risk in general?
   • Do you take responsibility for past mistakes instead of putting the blame on others?
   • If the situation repeats, what would you do differently? What would you do again?

2. About The Company

   Before the interview, look over the job listing, research the company.

   Try to think of a mistake you have made in the past that is not too closely related to the requirements of the job you are interviewing for. What kind of challenges might you face if you get the job here?

3. About The Fit

   It’s your opportunity to emphasize the skills or qualities you gained from your past negative experience that are important for the job you’re interviewing for now. The best way to answer a question like this is to use the Present-Past-Present method.

   Start with the Present by ensuring the interviewer that even though you have made mistakes in the past, the lesson that you learned is to always carefully double-check your work and to make sure you plan ahead for any possible contingencies.

   Next go back to the Past to relate a STAR story that will tell the interviewer about a time when you made a mistake but were able to make the right adjustment to turn a potential negative into a positive. You might say something like: "I was responsible to provide one of our best customers a time frame for completing an important project. In my eagerness to impress them I miscalculated how long it would take and we missed the deadline. The customer was very disappointed and we nearly lost their business. After my manager explained the problem to me I worked very hard to improve my approach to project management and meeting timelines and nothing like this has happened again."

   Finally come back to the Present to tell the interviewer that you have the ability to learn from negative experiences and going forward you will approach all tasks with a mindset that will enable you to adjust quickly.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 3.3x more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

11. What are your top 3 skills?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   First, come up with a list of skills that you know you are good at – as many as you can think of. If you find this exercise difficult, use the helpful questions below:

   • What skills are you better at than your peer X? Your peer Y? Your boss Z?
   • What positive feedback could your manager, colleagues, clients, or even friends give about working with you?
   • What positive points were made about you in your last review(s) that involve the skills you demonstrated?
   • In which areas do you have professional knowledge and/or experience?
   • What records of achievement do you have?
   • What was the most impressive recent achievement you can think of? Which skills of yours made this success possible?

2. About The Company

   Research the company to help identify the kinds of skills needed.

   Carefully review the job description, this should detail the types of skills required for the job.

3. About The Fit

   Highlight the skills from your list that match the list from the job description.

   Pick 3 top skills. These are your Key Selling Points, and be sure to communicate them to your interviewer when asked this question.

   To bring these skills home to the interviewer you should use the Present-Past-Present method to tell your interviewer how any one of your 3 top skills will benefit their company.

   Let's say that working well in teams is one of the 3 skills you spoke about. As an example of how this works, starting with the Present, you might say "Although I can take on many projects on my own, I have always loved working as part of a team, collaborating with others, and learning from them to reach a positive outcome for the company."

   Then go back to the Past to relate a specific Star story, for instance: "At my last job, my team was asked to help an important customer set up and install the latest update to its inventory management system. Due to a tight timeline, we had to put in a lot of extra hours to meet the client's deadline. The team pulled it off within the timeframe and under budget. I was particularly proud of my role in this effort, which was noted by both the customer and my manager."

   Then come back to the Present to say, "In reviewing the company's website I noticed the importance that it places on teamwork and based on my skills and experience in working in teams, I am certain that I would be a great fit going forward."

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 3.6x more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

12. Tell me about a time when you went out of your way to satisfy a customer. What was the outcome?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Think about a time you were a customer seeking help with a problem. How were you treated? Was your experience what you expected? Did the customer service representative make this a good or great experience for you?

   Now think about the times you had to help a customer. What did you do to make that experience unforgettable for the them? How did you exceed expectations?

2. About The Company

   Think carefully about the company and what they are looking for. What are their standards for treating customers?

   Look for reviews online (such as Yelp) that can help you identify how they treat their customers? Very positive reviews would suggest that the company places a strong emphasis on great customer service.

   Double check the job description for evidence of the importance they place on customer service.

   Do your research.

3. About The Fit

   Use the Present-Past-Present technique to answer this question.

   Start with the Present by emphasizing your customer service skills and how important you think they are in not just meeting the customer's immediate needs but also retaining that customer for the long haul.

   Next, go back to the Past to relate a time when you went out of your way to help a customer. Here, for example is how this might be related. "I was working late one night and the rest of my staff had gone home when a good customer called with a serious problem accessing his laptop. I stayed with him both online and on the phone for almost two hours to correct the problem and get him back up and running. The next day he called my boss to tell him how grateful he was that I was able help him with his issues. By the way he is still a very good customer."

   Finally come back to the Present to underscore how you will not only bring great customer service to the new job but will work hard to instill this in everyone you work with.

   Be sure to use the STAR method to craft your story.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 2.4x more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

13. How would you describe yourself?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Think of how your bosses and peers would describe you.

   Throughout your professional experience, you have probably heard them giving you some labels – try to remember the exact words they used.

   If you have received LinkedIn recommendations from someone, read those and think why people wrote them and what work situations prompted those descriptions. Remember the context of those situations and frame them as stories.

   Make a list of keywords, or short key phrases, that can describe you. Your Key Selling Points should definitely appear on this list, but try to also use some adjectives here, to add a positive emotional touch.

2. About The Company

   Research the company's values, standards and policies. Make a list of keywords or short key phrases.

3. About The Fit

   Which of your keywords correspond best with those of the company? Highlight 3-4 matches. Now try to imagine being a peer or a boss of yours and compile statements about yourself, in the 3rd person, mentioning these keywords. Remember to use adjectives, and don’t be afraid to mention real references from real people.

   For example, if you are applying for a position that requires good people skills, and your boss at your previous job called you a “conflict resolution guru,” don’t be shy to mention this reference, and provide a brief context that caused your boss’s praise. Use the STAR method to craft your story.

   Don’t limit yourself with just one keyword. If you are concise and don’t ramble with your answer, your interviewer will probably want to hear more than one. Just be observant and watch the interviewer’s reaction. You want to keep them interested.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 9% more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

14. Do you have any hobbies/special interests?

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   • What are your interests and what can they say about you?
   • What brings you joy and gives you energy?

   Surely you have at least one item from a list of common activities such as traveling, volunteering, community service, charity work, sports, hiking or playing chess. Maybe you are good at creative arts like writing, music, painting or crafts. Cooking or gardening can also be mentioned.

   Think about the interests you enjoy the most and if they are relevant to the job you are applying for, all the better.

   Don’t just list them, talk in more depth about each and the transferrable skills you have gained. Among them may be planning and organization skills, creative thinking and problem solving, adaptability or patience.

2. About The Company

   Do your research about the company. Read carefully the “About Us” page of their website and job description.

   Compare their company culture and values to the ones you embrace in your extracurricular hobbies and interests. Take note especially if they participate in charities.

   Even if yours and theirs don’t exactly match, it will still allow you to make clear connections between your interests and those of your interviewer.

   If you know exactly who you will be interviewed by - find his/her profile on social networks – it will be a more successful interview if you have some common interests.

3. About The Fit

   Make your hobby or interest your advantage.

   For example, if applying for a position as a translator, mention that in your free time you like to translate new songs and send them to popular websites or, tell about your passion for reading novels or writing your own stories in those languages.

   If you are applying for a job in gaming, you might mention your passion for certain video games.

   Applying to be an IT project manager? Talk about how you started a book club and regularly feature books related to IT innovation and transformation.

   Be ready to discuss the activities that prepare you for training, tasks and other workplace successes.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 3.1x more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

15. Describe the most challenging work problem you faced in your last job

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   So, how should you talk about your strategy to approach tough situations?

   Try to think about the actual most challenging thing you did, or just pick something that was really difficult, but you succeed at it in the end.

   The situation should be real. Perhaps you went above and beyond to meet a tight deadline while taking over the responsibilities of a coworker who was out sick? Or you took a course, completed an online training, or attended seminars on a topic that was new for you, but necessary to match your qualifications to the position's requirements?

   Make sure your story isn't boring: interesting is a keyword here. Use the STAR method to demonstrate your positive approach to problem-solving.

2. About The Company

   Take a moment to consider the role and the daily tasks you’d be engaged with.

   • What kind of problems might come about?
   • What difficulties can you possibly encounter because you will be working directly with clients or in a big team?
   • Do you have to communicate a lot, or would problems be more technical in nature?

   Do your research.

3. About The Fit

   Your answer is an opportunity to highlight your fit for the role and the work environment.

   This question allows the interviewer to reflect on how you handled past challenges and use this to make predictions about your future capabilities. It might help them to realize you’re a good fit.

   When employers ask such questions, they are looking for some specific details relevant to the job.

   For example, if you are interviewing for a customer service role, highlight how you’ve managed to deal with a difficult situation in customer service.

   On the other hand, if your future role would be very technical, you might talk about a technical challenge you’ve overcome.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 2.7x more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.

16. Describe a time you went above and beyond for a customer

How to answer

1. About Yourself

   Think about a time you were the customer, how were you treated when you had a problem or issue that needed to be resolved? Did the company solve your problem with great service and a memorable experience?

   Now think about a time you had to help a customer. What did you do to make that experience unforgettable for them?

2. About The Company

   Think carefully about the company and what they are looking for. Read online reviews and any other available information.

   • What are their standards for treating customers?
   • What complaints have you seen that can give you a hint of some of the challenges associated with customer service?
   • How focused is the job description regarding customer service functions? This will give you a strong hint that customer service is an area to be aware of for the upcoming interview.

3. About The Fit

   A great way to show your fit for the job is to use the Present-Past-Present method in answering this question. The following is an example of how you might apply this approach:

   Start with the Present by telling the interviewer what skills you have that will ensure the best customer experience. These might include attributes like patience, listenting, attentiveness or any other customer service related skills you might possess.

   Next go back to the Past to tell a story of how you went above and beyond for a customer. Use the STAR method to help frame your story and be sure to bring your skills into the narrative.

   Finally, come back to the Present to describe for the interviewer how you will bring your customer service skills to the job you are applying for, to help ensure that the company can always rely on you to provide the highest level of customer service.

Pro Tip

Statistics

This question is asked 5% more frequently at Foot Locker than at other companies.