Question Overview: Your service manager will be in charge of helping your firm make more money by increasing customer satisfaction and retention. As such, they should be able to show that they have a strong understanding of how to create a strategy that will allow your company to accomplish this goal.
Sample Answer: I once helped my company increase its revenue by 15% by creating a new service package that was more affordable for our clients.
Question Overview: This is a great question to ask your candidate to see if they are truly interested in the position and have done their research on your organization. Your interviewee should be able to clearly articulate why they are interested in working for your company and what they hope to gain from the experience.
Sample Answer: I've been a fan of your company for years and I think it would be a great opportunity to work for a company that I believe in.
Question Overview: This is a classic interview question that is designed to see how your candidate reacts when put on the spot. The best way to answer this question is to admit to a weakness that is not relevant to the position you are interviewing for. For example, if you are hiring for a customer service position, admitting that you are not great at public speaking would be a good way to go.
Sample Answer: I am not the best at public speaking, but I am working on it.
Question Overview: As a service manager, your candidate will be tasked with setting goals for their team and working to achieve them. This question will allow you to see how they go about this process and what types of goals they are able to set.
Sample Answer: When I was in charge of my organization's social media presence, I set a goal of increasing our followers by 10 percent each month. I was able to achieve this by creating a plan for content creation and promotion that was able to be replicated by my team.
Question Overview: As a service manager, your candidate will be responsible for overseeing multiple projects at once. Therefore, it is important that they have a clear understanding of how to prioritize their work and manage their time effectively. Asking about a time when they were faced with multiple projects will allow you to see how they handled the situation and if they are able to effectively juggle multiple tasks.
Sample Answer: When I was in college, I had a part-time job as a tutor and also worked as a sales associate at a clothing store. I had to make sure that I was able to balance my time between both jobs so that I could get my schoolwork done and still have time to go out with my friends.
Question Overview: Your service manager will be the first person your clients speak to when they are upset about their experience with your company. As such, it is important that they have a clear understanding of how to handle these situations in a way that is productive and does not further upset the client.
Sample Answer: I always make sure to listen to what the customer has to say and try to understand their point of view. Then I ask them what they would like me to do to make things right.
Question Overview: This is a great opportunity to see if your candidate is a good fit for your organization. You want to hire someone who has a clear understanding of what they want out of their career and the skills necessary to achieve their goals.
Sample Answer: I am looking for a position that will allow me to use my customer service skills while also helping me grow my business acumen.
Question Overview: Your service manager will be responsible for implementing plans that will help your business grow. As such, you are looking for an applicant who has a strong understanding of how to create and execute on a plan that will help your organization reach its goals.
Sample Answer: I once worked with a client who was interested in expanding their business into a new market. I created a plan to help them do so by creating a marketing campaign that would target potential clients in the new area.
Question Overview: As a service manager, your candidate will be responsible for managing the workload of a team of customer-facing employees. Therefore, they will be required to have a strong sense of time management and the ability to prioritize tasks effectively. As such, you should ask about a time when they had to complete a long list of things by a short deadline.
Sample Answer: I once had to finish an important project for my boss in time for her to present it at a conference. I was able to get it done by the deadline by working late every night for two weeks straight.
Question Overview: A service manager is a crucial role in your organization, so you want to make sure that the person you hire is passionate about the job. Asking this question will allow you to gauge your candidate's interest in the position and their enthusiasm for the work that they will be doing.
Sample Answer: I am very interested in working with your company because I have heard great things about your customer service and I think it would be a great opportunity to learn from a successful business.
Question Overview: While your service manager will not be the only person responsible for hiring and training staff, they will be the one who is in charge of making sure that your team is able to deliver great results. As such, it is important that they have a clear understanding of how to deal with employees who are not performing to their standards.
Sample Answer: I would first try to figure out what was going wrong and why. Then, I would sit down with the employee and discuss what was going on and how we could fix it.
Question Overview: Your service manager will be in charge of managing your company's finances, so it is important that they have a strong understanding of the basic financial terms that are used to describe your company's performance. As such, you should ask your candidate to explain what a gross margin is and how it is calculated.
Sample Answer: Gross margin is the difference between the cost of goods sold and the revenue generated from selling those goods.
Question Overview: Your service manager will be in charge of a team of employees, so it is important that you hire someone who is capable of leading a group of people. As such, you should ask your interviewee about their salary requirements so that you can gauge how much they are expecting to make in their new role.
Sample Answer: I am looking for a salary of $60,000 per year.
Question Overview: Your service manager will be responsible for overseeing a team of employees, so it is important that they are able to effectively manage their time in order to ensure that their staff is able to deliver great service. As such, you should ask your candidate about their time management skills and how they plan to use them in your organization.
Sample Answer: I always make sure to set aside time for my family and friends. I also always make sure to have a few hours a week dedicated to brainstorming new ways to improve my service.
Question Overview: Age discrimination is illegal, but it is still a common practice in some industries. As such, you should be aware of the legalities surrounding the hiring process and make sure that your questions are not discriminatory. While you may want to know how old your applicant is, you should instead ask about their experience and how long they have been in the industry.
Sample Answer: I have been in the industry for five years.
Question Overview: Your service manager will be in charge of making sure that your company's customer service is always improving. As such, you are looking for an applicant who has a clear understanding of how to make improvements and is able to articulate how they will be implemented.
Sample Answer: I am going to start by getting to know my team better and seeing where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Then, I will create a plan for training them in the areas where they need improvement.
Question Overview: Your service manager will be working with a variety of people on a daily basis, both internally and externally. As such, it is important that your candidate has a strong understanding of how to navigate difficult situations and resolve conflicts in a productive manner.
Sample Answer: I had a disagreement with one of my coworkers about how to handle a customer's complaint. We were able to sit down and talk about it and come to an agreement.
Question Overview: Your service manager will be in charge of managing a team of customer-facing employees, so it is important that they have experience dealing with difficult personalities. Your candidate should be able to show that they have a plan for dealing with difficult employees and that they are capable of handling conflict in a professional manner.
Sample Answer: I would sit down with the employee and try to figure out what the problem is. Then, I would try to come up with a solution that would make everyone happy.
Question Overview: Your service manager will be in charge of a team of employees, so it is important that they are able to relate their past experiences to the needs of your organization. As such, you should ask about how they see their prior work experience as being relevant to your company's needs.
Sample Answer: I think my experience with customer service will help me be a great service manager because I have been in the shoes of the people I am managing.
Question Overview: Your service manager will be working with a team of customer-facing employees, so it is important that they are able to work well with others. As such, you want to make sure that your candidate has experience working with others in a team setting and is able to effectively communicate their ideas and opinions in a way that does not damage their relationships.
Sample Answer: I once had a disagreement with my team about how to handle a client's complaint. I wanted to give them a refund and they wanted to send them a replacement product. I ended up compromising and giving them both options.