Job interview over the phone

J4K3 M

J4K3 M

J4K3 M

Soldato
Joined
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Location
Newcastle
I have just finished working at argos over the Christmas period and was not kept on and therefore have been looking for a new job.

Now last night I seen an advertisement for The AA for a customer service provider for the emergency breakdown and thought I may as well give it a go and apply for it as I think this would be a good experience. Now i woke up to an email this morning saying I had been selected for a telephone interview and just had to choose what day and time I would like them to call me.

I chose tomorrow as I dont like doing nothing all day and would like this to be as quick as possible so I can start work again. Now with it being over the phone and not face to face I was wondering if it would be any different to a normal interview and what kind of questions that I could expect to be asked. Now they said the call would take an average of 15 minutes.

If i get passed this stage they then call you into the assessment centre and following stages will follow. They are:
* Telephone Interview
* Assessment Centre
* Reference Checks
* Credit Check
* Criminal Record Check

Any tips and help would be very grateful
Many thanks

Jake
 
No disrespect, but it's a CSR position like any other.
So they're just going to ask why you want it, why you think you're good enough and what you know about the company.

They'll also spend some time telling you about the position and the business.
 
Now normally I would have also presumed this and should have included it in the OP but they already asked me those questions when i was applying for it last night. At £14000 starting wage plus incentives thought i might be a bit more important questions. Im only 20 so not a bad starting wage
 
It's only 15 mins, be polite and plenty of 'verbal nods'.
Show that you want the job for more than a few mins and that you don't sound like a **** on the phone.
I'd expect a couple of CS based questions asking for your experience of different scenarios.
 
Morba said:
It's only 15 mins, be polite and plenty of 'verbal nods'.
Show that you want the job for more than a few mins and that you don't sound like a **** on the phone.
I'd expect a couple of CS based questions asking for your experience of different scenarios.
Click to expand...

Yeah, make sure they know your listening but don't over do it and don't talk over them. Make sure your sitting somewhere relaxed, quiet, where you won't be interrupted, but make sure you're wide awake and sound interested.

Its easy to mumble and sound boring on a phone. :P
 
Morba said:
It's only 15 mins, be polite and plenty of 'verbal nods'.
Show that you want the job for more than a few mins and that you don't sound like a **** on the phone.
I'd expect a couple of CS based questions asking for your experience of different scenarios.
Click to expand...

Hopefully I'll be able to answer CS questions at the standard they want, my previous jobs have all been customer focused.

aln said:
Yeah, make sure they know your listening but don't over do it and don't talk over them. Make sure your sitting somewhere relaxed, quiet, where you won't be interrupted, but make sure you're wide awake and sound interested.

Its easy to mumble and sound boring on a phone. :P
Click to expand...

Staying at a friends this week unfortunately so the interruptions might be a problem although they are decent and will leave me alone to best they can.

If anything mumbling would be the biggest factor or the fact of my voice as im a geordie and have a deep voice. The lucky thing is though that it is based up here so I'm guessing there going to be expecting that.

Will try and speak as clear as possible though.

Any other ideas and thanks for the information received so far.

I will keep you informed on how it goes and if I progress through to the next stage
 
If someone wanted to interview me on the phone I would tell them they are an arrogant ****! Let me come down and talk to you face to face. If they don't have the time or willingess to do that then I wouldn't want to work for them. **** sacrificing my time for someone who couldn't give a **** who I am, or to even fully meet me in person first. I would also want to see them and get an idea of what sort of people they are before deciding to work for them.
 
Best advice you will in this thread: ignore the person above.


Anyway, if you are at a friends you need to find a quite room and tell them to leave you alone. That or go sit in your car.
 
Well i think i would want to work for them as if im successful here I go down for my assessment. Its a job at the end of the day and by the description a good job. One where i can work my way up the company and get a decent salary and the incentives working for the AA are top notch.

That was the best advice I have ever received. Id rather have one on the phone than being be like him/her.

Going to the car is an excellent idea. Im pretty sure they will leave me along to be on the phone but any sign of them making a noise and I will go and sit in my car. Thanks
 
Though I have asked for cv advice in another thread ;)

I have held and taken part in telephone interviews, I currently work for a company in the US, so it is an essential part of the process.

As already said, lots of verbal nods and make sure you write notes/ buzz words and answers to questions you may get asked, notes are great to jog your memory and stop you saying to many urr's etc.

The car is a great place, as already mentioned.

Bit of homework on the company, plenty of customer service based answers and bobs you uncle.

Good luck
 
Whackeygrunt said:
If someone wanted to interview me on the phone I would tell them they are an arrogant ****! Let me come down and talk to you face to face. If they don't have the time or willingess to do that then I wouldn't want to work for them. **** sacrificing my time for someone who couldn't give a **** who I am, or to even fully meet me in person first. I would also want to see them and get an idea of what sort of people they are before deciding to work for them.
Click to expand...

He's applying for a job in which he will be talking to customers exlusively over the telephone.
Therefore a preliminary telephone interview is perfectly sensible.

OP - our telephone interviews basically consist of -

What do you do now
Why do you want to change
What do you know about us
Why do you want to work for us
What is your work history
How would you pacify an irate customer

That sort of thing :)
 
Telephone interviews are a bit weird, as there's no body language so you can't read the other party quite so easily. Also, don't be afraid of gaps in the conversation. Obviously don't leave hulking great ones in by saying nothing, but don't fret if the conversation seems a bit stilted.
 
Good point.
They always leave gaps so, don't feel you need to keep talking, say what you wanted to then finish.
The onus is then on them to ask another question.
 
Ok so just got off the phone from my interview and it seemed to go well.
The only downside I had today was that i woke up with a stupid cough so I straight away apologised for it and said it if she had trouble hearing me just to ask me to repeat my answer, where she said its fine about the voice and never came back to ask me to repeat anything.

She asked 3 questions to me which where: Have I ever had to work towards targets?
How would I adapt my style towards different customers? (old,young,angry,happy)
and also What would I be able to bring to the team?

She then asked me if I had any questions to ask which I asked about the dress code but said I had been doing research on the company and that had answered the majority of the questions that I had prepared which said was good for me but if i had anything else i had a query on to give her a ring and gave me her mobile number.

She said she still has to conduct a few more today but said that she should hopefully let me know either way as soon as she possibly can which could be by 17.00 today

Fingers crossed for me
 
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