Had a job interview today, I failed (insurance, money, benefits)

[Girl]

I don't think you answered any of the questions poorly at all - they would all be perfectly acceptable answers if I asked them in an interview (note: I wouldn't ask them).

I'm guessing that the interviewer went online and read a few articles about weird questions interviewers ask in today's job market, and decided to give it a whirl.

I wish you luck and hope you get a call back!

[janet bubby]

The x million dollar question and the superhero/superpower interview questions are really, really common now. So much so that many people already have the "correct" scripted answer ready. :/ Good luck on the job OP!

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by sandsthetime

Q:”Why do you work at the Quik-e-Mart?”
A:”Dude, I need a job to pay the rent”
Nope, wrong answer.


Q:”Why do you work at the Quik-e-Mart?”
A:”My passion is to provide clients with a uniquely delightful Slurpee and Marlboro purchasing experience while enhancing my abilities to provide awesome maintenance and re-cleanification of the the hot-dog rolling grill”
Yup, that’s the answer.

Lol! I hate questions like that. Do they really want the truth. People are applying to work at places so they can pay their bills. Not because their passion is in fast-food/call centers/retail etc.

[Left-handed]

Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot

Lol! I hate questions like that. Do they really want the truth. People are applying to work at places so they can pay their bills. Not because their passion is in fast-food/call centers/retail etc.

...just patronize them to the best of your ability. It's all part of the game. Some employers are worse at it than others. Some are legit cult-like and want you to drink some serious Kool-aid in order to be part of the team or club. Feign your passion; they're just trying to weed out humdrum candidates who are potential risks to their business.

[ss20ts]

AS someone who used to work in HR, those we stupid questions and a waste of time. A super power isn't going to show me you can do the job unless you're applying to be Superman. I wouldn't worry about it. This sounds like a bunch of high schoolers conducting an interview!

[papichulo2]

stupid questions deserve stupid answers

[Louisville Slugger]

Originally Posted by timmyholton

If you won 20 million dollars what would you do with it

Two chicks at the same time.

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by Louisville Slugger

Two chicks at the same time.

Well, this reminds me of an earlier thread. How employers like to hire attractive people. So if you have to pay 20 million to get 2 girls...then they wont hire you for that reason alone..lol

[runswithscissors]

I know alot about these call center tests /jobsfrom working for the phone company.

You didn't "fail" on your answers (which most of the questions were stupid but for a reason)..

NOW, generally, they want you to convey the customer service excellence combined with SALES SKILLS. That may or may not be applicable to this particular position, IDK.

Without more info about the entire test, hard to say.

Just because you might not get the job simply means the other people, possibly more experienced, did slightly better or were a better fit with the local manager's group.

At the phone company the BEST applicants were former car salesmen! Not kidding. Smooth B.S artists LOL.

Yes, and there, they hire 15 hoping to retain 3.

Good luck! Keep trying!

If it's a SALES oriented job, you're supposed to answer "Yes, I am the very best most outstanding sales closer you ever saw", type of thing.

Like "How would your current co-workers describe you?" "Oh, they're always trying to catch me in sales but so far they aren't." level of CONFIDENCE.

They want CONFIDENCE to the point of CUTTHROAT. Just smile and act humble as you say it. LOL "It's a gift. I LOVE sales."

Then FYI, you will have to role play a SALE and close it so, too much BS will trip you up if you're not actually skilled in doing that.

They want you to be able to:

Have NO attendance issues or tardies. EVER.
Be able to follow your schedule 100% of when you're on the phones and not needing to deviate (like run to the rest room etc)
Be extremely competent on the systems and phones
Understand the opportunity the customer presents you - factfinding
QUICKLY and accurately so that you can package up the sale while you're speaking with them (no math or bundling errors)
Pick the CORRECT highest revenue product (no math or bundling errors but using smooth talk to push the higher revenue ones - ALWAYS)
Be able to state the BENEFITS relating back to the FACTFINDING you did
Overcome objections to the highest revenue product
ONLY dropping your highest revenue product if you have no choice and only one step DOWN, not to the cheapest!
Close the sale concretely and CORRECTLY...meaning remembering ALL your company rules and legal disclosures etc.
Enter the data before hanging up, Get off the phone on to the next call
With no loose ends.

THEN track your internal stuff properly on those systems

And stay in a good mood LOL.

If this one doesn't work, try AT&T or Verizon inbound Sales Center (not cellular - you want landline and bundles).

I just told you how to get the job! And it pays A LOT.

[JanND]

You may have done better than you realize. Don't beat yourself up. They likely are looking for someone who stays consistent in their ability to answer repetitive questions. That you didn't show that you were irritated by the repetitive questions, that you would maintain your level of customer service, even if you were a bit flustered, that it didn't show.

I would think that a call center would be often the first contact for new customers. Your answer to the one question, that you would apologize is nothing but good customer service....I would think that good customer service would be a plus in a poition like this one.

Interviews can be very subjective. You don't know how the other folks did, so you may actually have been better than all of them.

Think positive. Also, the take away from this interview is that you may want to brush up on some things for possible future interviews. It is all a positive....every interview makes you better and more prepared for the next one.

I hope that you get this job. Good luck.