BPO Job Interview Questions and Answers With Tips, Suggestions
As you have may have applied for jobs via websites or by sending emails to recruiters.
The below details will list all possible questions that you should have in mind in order to be successful in
your interview. The answer for the below questions would be better if you try to give in your own words.
However, this page will provide you with some indications as to how you should answer the questions.
Nobody can give you perfect answers, it's only you who know better of yourself than anybody else because
most of the questions would be on your personal experiences.
Interviews for BPO are to my perception quite easy. The reason why I say this with so much conviction is
that they don't test you on any specific knowledge of yours. They won't ask you about your knowledge,
your country's History or Geography and certainly not the 2nd law of Newton. They only test one aspect
of yours and that is : the way you speak English, your command over the language.
Having said that they also just not blindly test your language skills, they judge your energy level and with
how much confidence you speak. Let me support this with a bold statement here. It's like saying a white lie
with the highest confidence. So you know that you are not speaking the truth but still you must not for a bit
let know the employer that you are lying.
Don't get me wrong that to clear a call center or BPO interview you have to lie! It's not that you have to lie
about your education or provide fake certificates, not a bit, never (that might land you in jail). This is just
that some of the questions that the interviewer might ask will be such that you'll have to be fluent
enough in order to stand out from the crowd, which is very necessary considering the sheer number of
applicants that appear for the interview.
Some possible questions that they might ask to check your fluency in English.
1. Tell me what have you ate in your breakfast.
2. What did you do in your last weekend?
3. Describe how did you come for the interview? Of course he/she is asking about the route which you
had taken, bus or any other mode of transport etc.
4. What's your daily routine in life?
5. What's your plan for the day after this interview?
6. Do you like your father's job? Explain if you like or don't like it.
7. What is your mother's daily schedule?
There can be any question that requires you to think on your feet and just speak fluently. You don't have to
exactly say what you have eaten in your breakfast or which drink you had in your last weekend. It's only
about your fluency and the flow in which you can talk, and the way in which you can put your thoughts
clearly. So was the point of lying understood.
Rounds of Selection
The company in which you are applying can have different rounds of interview. This may range from a
phone interview, timed aptitude test, group discussion or an extempore (though rarely), computer
proficiency test, and finally a personal interview.
There are companies in which you'll have to appear for all the above rounds and then there are companies
which have only one selection round known as personal interview. For example, one may have PI and
aptitude test and the other one may have telephonic interview, aptitude test with a PI, and another one
may have only personal interview. Depends and varies from company to company.
1| Phone Interview
There may be a phone interview that you may have to clear.
Somebody from the organization will probably call you and ask for your permission for a telephone
interview. After that your call will be transferred to the actual interviewer who might ask you basic
questions such as "Tell me something about yourself", "what is your salary expectations?" etc.
If you are not in a position to attend the interview at that moment then ask them to schedule
according to your convenience. It's totally alright if you say this.
In the BPO industry they specifically do this to check your accent on the phone.
So be prepared with all the basic questions as you might have one to crack.
-quiet place
-keep resume onhand
-landline
-salary requirements
-arrange a time where there is no interruptions,no kids,pets
-know your salary requirements
-record phone convo with afriend so you can have someone to judge your grammar and if you are
saying “YOU LNOW” too often
2| Aptitude Test
An aptitude test is where you would be given multiple choice questions to test your
language, thinking, and the ability to solve questions quickly. This is a timed test wherein you will be
given a time limit to complete your test. This is generally a 30-minute test.
An aptitude test requires speed and accuracy, there may be questions of mathematics, English
vocabulary, and logical reasoning type questions. Some questions are really very easy and some very
tough. You are not required to score out of marks but more than 60% will be enough for you to
proceed to the next level.
The best possible way to crack this one is practice sample aptitude test so that you get the feel of it
and are confident when you actually appear for one. Search the web for some sample test. Practice it
and mind you it will do wonders and is fun at the same time
3| Computer Proficiency Test
This will be a simple computer test wherein you'll be tested for your typing speed and basic office
applications skills. Most organization take this test only for people who appear for back-office job
profiles rather than voice process.
If you are applying for a technical process then you'll definitely be tested for your computer skills. For
technical processes having basic computer hardware knowledge is necessary.
4| Group Discussion or Extempore
Group discussion are rare in BPO interviews but still some take it. Here your knowledge about current
affairs and knowledge about the various happenings around you come into play. Normally topics for
GD's are sourced from current affairs or from age-old topics such as "What came first Egg or Hen", or
"Tomato a Vegetable or Fruit".
Current affairs topics can be such as "Demonetisation: Good or Bad". 5. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

You have to take either the side that is for or against the argument. Whatever your decision is "for" or Say them your strengths and weaknesses. There may be counter-questions to this question so answer
"against" one must justify with adequate facts and personal insights. carefully.

5| Personal Interview - List of Probable Questions and Sample Answers For BPO Interview
SAMPLE QUESTIONS:
The below list of questions is only an indicative list and not a comprehensive list. The interviewer can ask
you any type of question to check or cross-check you.
1.Tell me something about yourself
Most applicants answer by giving out their address, age, birthplace and other personal information.
Unfortunately, this isn’t what the interviewer wants to hear. Instead, she wants to know what it is about you
that makes you a good fit for the job. Therefore, talk about the work experiences you’ve had that are
related to the job description of a call center agent.
For example, if you say hardworking and honesty are your strengths then they may say that "It means
you are not a smart worker" and for honesty they might provide you with a situation such as this
"Suppose your best friend has met with an accident and has called you to take him to the nearby
hospital. Hurriedly you forget your license for your two-wheeler and a traffic constable has caught
you. Then what will you do, bribe the constable or pay your fine. And paying fine would take too
much time. Your friend needs to see you in urgent." In this either you can be honest or save your
friend.
Prepare for counter-questions to avoid embarrassment.
This is the common question, you might face in any interview.  So, prior to interview do your
homework and jot down your strengths like subject knowledge, computer skills, communication etc. 
Also, how you can relate your strength to your current job. For example,   you have a good hold on
some language, or you have some good marketing skill or having ability to convince other.

Previously employed? Talk about your work experiences.
You might ask, what if your previous job experience wasn’t related to call center?  Simple. Highlight the skills
you learned from your previous job and relate it to the skills required in a call center. Find the connection.
This generally is the first question that you will encounter typically in any interview. This to the interviewer is
sort of an ice-breaking question which allows him/her to start the interview.
6. Why should I hire you?
This the question where a candidate gets confused easily, instead of thinking it too much just easily
answer it by defining all the qualities you hold and mention the qualities which will suit best to fit you
for this profile.

To answer this question just say something about yourself. First introduce yourself by saying your name and
7. Why do companies outsource?
where you reside. Then tell why you should be hired for this post and what qualities do you have that should
be good for this job. From your past experiences what qualities you bring.
Explained in the second question.
Don't say anything about your family as this question is to tell something about yourself. A 1-minute
8. Where do you see yourself in the next five or ten years?
introduction of yours will do the job.
Your future career goals and how this job will help you get there.
2. Tell me something about your family background?
9. What is your salary expectations?
Explain about your family and what they do in life.
If you are a fresher then it's best to say that you are looking for a salary as per company norms or as
3. What is a BPO? What is your understanding of a BPO?
per industry standards. Still if you are required to quote a number then say them your expectation.
BPO as in Business Process Outsourcing, the meaning of the term is in itself. It means that a business is
If you have experience then a 20-30% raise from your previous salary will be good, in my opinion.
outsourcing some of its processes to other companies/ or a company in a different country so as to save
cost.
10. Are you comfortable in working in night shifts?
Businesses do this to save cost. Cost is saved in labour and a company can concentrate on its core job which
I guess this should be self-explanatory.
may be to generate new business. Other operations such as after sales support or customer care are
normally outsourced. Always answer this question as yes, as the majority of the outsourcing work is done according to the
country timeline from where the work gets outsourced in which case it is night shift most of the
4. What is a Call Center?
time.  It also shows your willingness and interest towards the roles and your approach towards the
job.
A call center is a place where large number of calls are handled. Broadly speaking there are inbound call
centers and outbound call centers. An inbound call center is where a client or prospect calls, basically where
11. What are the major sectors for outsourcing?
incoming calls are handled. Whereas outbound call centers is a place where agents/associates call, basically
where outgoing calls are done. These calls can be of product inquiries, customer care (via web, email, fax),
IT and Communication, Medical and health services, Insurance, Finance, Law and Jurisdiction are
or it can for telemarketing or business promotion.
some of the sectors where majority of outsourcing works get done.
12. What is the difference between the shore and off-shore outsourcing? 20.  What is a call centre? 2ND EXPLANATION”

When any project or work allotted outside the country which is not nearby is called off-shore outsourcing Call center is a customer care center where calls are handled in large numbers.  There are two types
and anything outsourced nearby country is called shore outsourcing. of call centers, Inbound and Outbound.  An inbound call center is where calls are handled keeping the
customer care in concern, and customer associate will only receive calls. While in outbound call
center the calls are done by the associate for product inquires or sometimes sales related.

21.  Where you see BPO in the current market?

13.  What is inbound and outbound call centers?
An inbound call centers will only receive calls while outbound call centers will place calls. In general inbound
call centers function as companies service department, while outbound handles the service department.
In the current situation where many companies failed to survive in the market, BPO sector has
achieved a milestone in an economic crisis. It helped to reduce the unemployment rate marginally in
developing countries where some of the developed countries even failed to do that.
22.  Can you use different software’s easily?

When you answer this question clarifies interviewer about your computer knowledge and your grip
14.  Which one do you think –web or voice- suits your qualifications better? over software, so that they have a clear idea what training you might need further if you get selected.

Since, they are asking you for your preference there is no problem in telling your choice. Just have to make
sure that whatever option you chose had a legitimate reason.
15.  What is the difference between KPO and BPO?
KPO is a knowledge process outsourcing while BPO is business process outsourcing.  KPO provides the
knowledge based services like medical billing, documentation or claiming insurance. While BPO is totally
customer service oriented.
23. Determine the type of BPO you wish to work?
Generally, they want to know your area of interest. Whether you like to work in a research driven or
a voice based process.  There are many branches where BPO operates it could be a KPO (Knowledge
process outsourcing) or even RPO (Research process outsourcing). So according the to the company’s
requirement you can answer to it.
24.  How good are you with computer skills?

16.  What are the different types of BPO’s? Most of the time they usually ask for basic computer skills, but if the job demands more computer
work then they will hold a practical test to check your computer skills.
BPOs are segmented into five different categories.
25.  Do you think that the career opportunity for non-voice BPO is better than voice BPO?
● Administrative Department
● Purchase Department In both types of BPO,the opportunities are same, but it depends more on an individual’s interest and
its personality.  Once you gain expertise in the work, you can easily head up towards management or
● Selling Department
support side.
● Call Centre
● Back Office
17.  Why companies Outsource? 26. Will you be comfortable handling customers on the phone?
● It is cost saving
● To focus on core activities If you are a fresher you can tell that handling customer on the phone would be a challenge but you
would be able to handle it and won’t disappoint the company as well as the customer.
● To get quality work done by the expertise in that domain
18.  Why do you see BPO as your career?

BPO has always been a career choice for me as you are exposed to a new field, which gives you an
opportunity to grow and develop your personality and communication skills.  The recent survey also tells the
fast growth of this industry.
27.  Do you know the common risk associated with BPO’s and how will you cope with them?
19.  Why do you think you will do well in this job?
BPO’s have a huge data of customer’s personal information.  Any breach in the security system will
Give several reasons like experience, interest and skills.
lead to leakage of customer’s information, which can spoil the company’s reputation if it is used for
some wrong purpose.  To avoid such risk, employee or associate must not allow to carry any external
hard drive or flash drive with them while they on board. The de-activation of login-in ids of ex-
employee must be done on the immediate basis, so that they cannot misuse them to retrieve customers
information from anywhere.  You can also install additional security software to secure the main server from
getting hacked.
28.  What are the job activities you have to maintain in BPO?
The main activity in a call center is to handle the customers queries effectively and satisfactory. Also to co-
ordinate well in a team in order to offer the best service possible to the customer.
29. Where do you see yourself after five years?
The perfect answer for this question should be like “ In five years from now I want to see myself at
responsible position where my company see me as valuable assets and at the same time to grow with the
company”.
30. What is the difference between offshore, nearshore, and onshore outsourcing?
If a company contracts a third party enterprise to carry out a certain process for them outside their own
country, then it is called offshore outsourcing. Example: American company outsources to an Indian
company.
However, if the contract is given to an enterprise of a neighboring country, then it is referred to
as nearshore outsourcing. Example: American company outsources to a Mexican company.
Sometimes the company that outsources and the company that accepts the assignment are in
the same country. This is known as onshore outsourcing.
31. Define what is an outsourcer?
In the BPO environment, the company that outsources their work to another firm is known as the
outsourcer.
32. What is the difference between back-office and front office outsourcing?
When a company decides to outsource an internal process of its working, it is called back-office outsourcing.
For example, if a company gave a third party accounts firm the responsibilities to manage its finances, it
would be back office outsourcing.
Front office outsourcing involves customer handling services and BPO call centers from the contact point for
customers of the company to address their grievances.
33. Why do companies outsource their work to other service providers?
Possible Answer 1
One of the main reasons for outsourcing is cost-cutting. This is why abroad corporations in the United
States, the United Kingdom, Australia, etc. outsource their jobs to India where the exchange rate is high, and
labor costs are low. Outsourcing also helps companies speed up their core processes and worry less about
tertiary functions without having to compromise on quality.
Possible Answer 2
Outsourcing business processes save a lot of time and money for parent companies. Also, in many Western
countries, the minimum wage is a lot higher. Therefore, they assign their primary, secondary, and tertiary
functions to countries with skilled labor, and high exchange rates. India is amongst the largest English
speaking countries with a large IT proficient population. This makes it a prime outsourcing
destination.
34. What do you think is the reason for India having so many BPO sector jobs? / Why do you think
India is one of the leading countries in BPO services?
Possible Answer 1
Since India has one of the largest speaking English populations in the world and a high computer
proficient population, foreign corporations often outsource their contact center jobs to India. Also,
the Indian Rupee has a high exchange rate and therefore, it is very cost effective for Western
companies, given the high quality of work they get in return.
Possible Answer 2
Minimum wage in Western countries can cause high costs for companies on services that are not
revenue generating. This is why, these corporations outsource their finance, contact center, and
other such jobs to India, and reduce costs while ensuring high-quality jobs.
Possible Answer 3
Other than the trained English speaking population and the high exchange rate of the rupee against
the dollar, Western countries often outsource their work processes to Indian consultancies because
they are not equipped to do the job. Hiring people to do a one time job that is important and yet a
tertiary need of a company is not cost effective.
Possible Answer 4
One of the main reasons why so many corporations abroad outsource their work to India is because
of the standardized skill, large labor base, and low costs. This makes it easier for the corporations
who achieve their ends in quality at a much lesser price.
India has one of the largest populations of skilled labor that can communicate effectively with clients
of the outsourcing company. It is also quite easy to understand the Indian accent for foreigners,
which is not true for many other countries.
35. Why are night shifts so common in the BPO industry?
Since call centers are mostly communicating with offshore customers/clients in the West where it is
daytime, employees must work during the night
36. Why is communication skill one of the main prerequisites in the BPO industry? / Why do you
think English speaking proficiency is so important in the BPO industry?
Possible Answer 1
Since the BPO industry mostly requires employees of the hired company to interact with the clients
and customers of the outsourcer company, communication skill is given paramount importance. In
most cases, the outsourcing companies are located in Western countries and Australia, and therefore
English is considered so important.
Possible Answer 2
Speaking the English language with the right accent for a specific country, and a good flow is an
absolute necessity in call centers. The reason for this is call center employees work as contact points
for customers of the outsourcing company that is located in countries like Australia, UK, USA, New
Zealand, and Canada.
37. What do you think are the core qualities that one needs to succeed in the BPO industry?
Possible Answer 1
The BPO industry is highly competitive. Whether it is rising up the social ladder or earning foreign exchange
on-site, this industry offers a lot of growth opportunities. The core qualities that affect success in the BPO
industry are hard work, persistence, good communication skills, and a marketable approach to business.
Possible Answer 2
To succeed in the BPO industry, employees need to exhibit flexibility in work hours, learning to work as a
team, great communication skills, and a positive attitude towards learning new processes to satisfy
outsourcing clients.
38. Between technical support and customer service, what is more, valuable for the BPO industry?
Both tech support and customer service are an integral part of the BPO ecosystem in India. Tech support
helps customers from abroad deal with technical problems that can include anything from setting up WiFi to
software installation problems. Customer service, on the other hand, can deal with anything from phone
connectivity issues to insurance claims. In fact, tech support is a form of customer service.
39. What is an Automatic Call Distribution and how does it work?
Automatic Call Distribution is a random process which is used in call centers to allocate incoming calls of
customers to free agents on the floor.
40. How will you handle a customer-on-call when you do not know the solution to the problem?
The best way to handle customer calls where the best solution is unknown is to ask the caller to hold the
line while connecting the call to the right person. In tech support, this could be a specific engineer and in
case of call centers, it could be the overseeing manager or in-charge.
41. What according to you are the basics of handling customers in an inbound or outbound process?
In an inbound process, the customer on call should be made to feel comfortable with polite addressing and
a calm conversational tone. The problems must be addressed to the point because it is the duty of an agent
to create solutions as fast as possible for better ratings.
Outbound processes, on the other hand, need a more convincing and advertising pitch, where the
prospective customer must be persuaded that the call is going to bring some value to them. It is very
important to state the pitch right in beginning to attract the attention of the customer.
42. How would you approach the call of an inbound customer as opposed to an outbound customer?
Possible Answer 1
An inbound customer must be given a hundred percent attention and the fastest solution to their problem.
Inbound calls are more about listening and analyzing the situation for the best way out. Outbound
customers, on the other hand, must be hooked with the benefits of the product in their life.
Possible Answer 2
Since inbound customers are calling for support, they should be attended quickly with maximum attention
and expert precision. In cases of outbound customers, the caller has to convince them that the product is
good. This requires a good sales pitch that highlights the values of the product. Also, the caller must
have a can-do attitude that is necessary to make other people see the benefits.
BPO HR Interview Questions and Answers
43. Tell us something about yourself?
Possible Answer 1
I have recently completed my graduation in (Name of stream and subject), and I am looking to work
in the BPO industry. Due to my comfortable communication skills and flexibility relating to the work
timings, I think this is the perfect industry for me to grow as an employee and reach my fullest
potential.
Possible Answer 2
I have a knack of communicating with people and addressing their issues. I also have a good
command over the English language. The BPO industry is the perfect place for me to utilize my
talents. I am comfortable working night shifts.
44. Do you have any questions for me?
Here are a few questions that you can ask the recruiter:
● What are the likely work timings that I am going to have?
● What kind of processes, be it voice, web chat, or KPO does the company provide to clients abroad?
● For how long do I have to go through training before work starts?
● How closely do I have to work with my clients?
● could you please give me an idea of the benefits and salary breakdown that the company is going to
provide its employees?
45. What according to you call center job is?
This question is asked by interviewer to know your awareness to the job profile. So based on your
answer they will decide what role or position they will assign to you. For instance, if you say that call
center is about dealing with customer problems they will put assign you customer associate Role.
46. What are key attributes of a customer service representative?
The key features for customer service executive are-
● Professionalism
● Politeness
● Friendly
● Courteous
● Helpful
47. How will you enjoy working in a call center?
As I am an extrovert person and I like to interact with people, call center job is a perfect for me. I like
to resolve customer’s queries and face the challenges positively.  Also, the pace of work in call center
and team members friendliness always motivates me to work for call centers.
48. What will you do if customer abuses you on the phone?
The first thing that I will do is to stay calm and listen to the customers problem, and try to figure out what
made him/her annoyed. The next thing I will do is ask politely to the customer to calm down. Then I will
assure him/her to solve their problem. The last thing that I will do is to identify the root-cause that creates
problem to the customer, fix it and ensure it never happens again.
49. What are the key features you think that customer associate should possess to become perfect
customer associate?
Any work in an organization requires a team work. So, answer to this question should be always
positive.
58. Do you like multi-tasking or you prefer to tackle one problem at a time?
Depending on the situation, I could do multi-tasking or could tackle one problem at a time. But multi-
tasking always has the upper hand because it increases your efficiency at the call center.
59. What if the customer is not happy with your answer or solution?

Good listening skill, problem-solving, concentration, and patience are some key features that make a perfect If the customer is not happy with the answer or solution, then I will ask customer to hold the line and
customer associate. pass on the call to supervisor or a team leader.

50. How you handle work-pressure? 60. To improve customer service what will be your approach?

To handle a pressure situation, I always try to keep the focus on work and avoid frustration. To improve customer service, my approach would be to take feedbacks from the customer and ask
them how we can improve in solving their problem and render them a good service.

51. What experience do you have in a call center?
If you are fresher and you don’t have experience, then you can mention something that can relate you with
a call center.  Example, I have worked in desktop support, or I am holding a certificate for mass
communication, etc. If you are experienced, narrate the same.
52. What is your typing skill?
61. What will you do in a situation where system shuts down and you still handling customer on
the phone?
In the middle of handling phone, if the system crashes then I will ask the customer to hold for some
time till  I get a power back up and if not then try to resolve his/her problem with my knowledge. The
best thing in such situation is to ask the customer to call back or note his contact details so you can
call once the system is back.

This question means how many words you can type in a minute. If you know the number, you can mention it 62. Mention what are the key attributes of a call center executive?
but if you don’t know then just tell that you are good in typing skills.
The key attributes of a call center executive are
53. Can you handle multiple calls at the same time?
● Friendly attitude
If you have an experience of handling multiple calls, then narrate the same. In case you don’t have ● Ask the right questions
experience mention that once training is provided, I could handle multiple calls with ease.
● Accurate answers to the customer query

54. How you rate yourself on communication skills? ● Professional phone relationship
● Be the face of the organization
Call centers always look for an employee with good communication skills, and you can rate  yourself near 8- ● View a customer’s complaint as an opportunity to gain the customer’s respect
9 out of 10. ● Resolve complaints patiently
63. How to deal with the difficult customer?
55. What is the key to success in a call center?
To deal with a difficult customer you need to do following things
A call center is all about providing quality service to customer. If you are good at handling customer well and
offering a good service then you can be successful in call center. ● Listen to customer actively

56. While talking to customer, what are the procedures you follow?
● Rephrase their concerns

● Greet Customer ● Present a viable solution

● Introduce yourself to customer ● Take action and follow up

● Ask customer how you can be helpful to him/her ● Fix the problem at hand immediately

● Listen to the customer patiently ● Use the feedback

● Try to help the customer with best possible solution
● Cross check with the customer if he/she is satisfied with the solution
● Make sure whether customer need any further assistance
57. Do you enjoy working in a team?
● Reduce the unpleasant situation happen again with customer
64. Mention how do you measure – good customer service?
Good customer service can be measured on following basis,
 ● Number of repeat customers
● Number and type of customer complaints received
● Number of referrals given by current customers
● Sales figure if service is product based
● Customer satisfaction surveys
● Benchmarking service with competitors
● Rate at which number of customers enrolled to your service
● Number of returns
65. Explain how can you turn down a request from a valued client?
To turn down a request from a valued client, you have to
● Remain polite and well mannered
● Adhere to company’s policies
● Explain the situation or reason for denial
● Try to remain reliable to customer
66. Explain how would you handle negative feedback from angry clients?
To handle negative feedback from angry clients,
● Customer representative should be able to manage customer without being dominated
● He should not be overwhelmed by a disapproving customer
● Try to listen and understand customer issue before going after suggestions or solution
67. How one can improve customer interactions?
To improve customer interaction,
● Admit your mistakes even before your customer does and apologize
● Take follow up if a problem is solved
● Practice active listening so your customer feel heard
● Try to identify a common interest or liking with the customer
68. Explain what steps will you take to deal with your unsatisfied customer?
● Apologize and offer a better option
● Act quickly and resolve the customer complaint
● Take responsibility for what made customer unhappy
● Compensate customer with better deal or free service
69. Explain how can you create a new opportunities for customers proactive engagement?
● Use internet service to contact customer on social media
● Use mobile often to reach maximum customers by sending personalized context-relevant offers
or services
● Customer Interactions must be relevant to customers interest to gain their trust and encourage
them
● Analyze the customer data and behavior using business intelligence tool, to understand its
expectation for the service you offer
● Use cloud platform to keep your service updated with the latest technology and with minimum
expenses
70. How to deal with abusive/slang using customer?
To deal with abusive customers,
● Give a positive response: Assure the customer that you are there to help him and tell
them that you require certain information from them to carry forward
● Personalize the conversation: Personalize with the conversation and call the customer by
name and refer to their company by name
● Declare your intent and boundaries: Let your customer know that you can solve the
problem and their demands are reasonable. You should not allow customer to continue if they
are too much aggressive; it’s time to use other strategies
● Transfer the call: The best way is to switch on the call to the most experienced personnel
or supervisor. Sooner you transfer the call, the customer will calm down –it’s a natural
psychology.
● Discontinue the conversation: Warn customer if he continues with abusive slang you will
end the conversation. If the customer is still abusive even after speaking to them politely, it’s
better to discontinue the conversation by telling them to contact the customer service
complaint department for further discussion.
71. Explain how can you resolve the problem to customer’s satisfaction?
To resolve the problem to customer’s satisfaction, you need to follow the following techniques.
● Talk to the customer: Standard emails or letters might work in some cases, but often you
can achieve more quickly with a phone call. It will make feel customer more personal and
understand their complaint
● Figure out the problem and requirement: Listen carefully to your customers need
carefully and ask them what they want
● Ask about wider issues: Ask open ended questions like – is he happy with your service or
product? What other feedback does he want to give?
● Offer something back: If a customer has a genuine issue with the service/product, and
there is a chance of losing it, it’s better to give him some offer/discount/coupons, etc. to keep
him stick to your service.
● Confirm your solution: To avoid dispute after coming up with solution on phone, it’s
better to take follow up by email or letter
● Take follow up: This is where most people miss- get a member of your staff to check that
all is well. It will help to minimize the common problem faced by customers.
72. How do you deal with the question you don’t know the answer that customer asked?
If you don’t know the answer to the questions
● Never say, “I don’t know”. Instead say “ Hold on while I look for the information”
● Tell customer it’s a technical information and requires a specialist, I’ll get back to you
shortly with some possible solution
● You can also tell customer like this –
● It’s a timely question and requires some time to gather XYZ information
● As per the latest information what we suggest to you….
● I can answer that in part, but like to consider it further and get back to you
 ● Do anything else that seems proactive while putting them on hold or passing note to colleagues,
you can also keep them engaging by asking questions
73. Explain what would you do if the customer says that it took you long to resolve an issue?
If customer says that it took you long to resolve an issue,
● First ensure the customer that you are not far from him and was busy with his task all the time
● You have to give him an expression that he or she is the only customer you are worried for
● If required give him the explanation of whole operational path and the areas where the task can
get slower
74. Explain how to deal with the customer having language barrier?
To deal with customer having language barrier,
● Install translation aids on customer service workstations
● Offer chat, e-mail or customer support options in their native language if possible on top of the
phone calls
● Hire additional personnel with the language skills needed to work with this customer segment
● Enroll language barrier procedures that can be used when handling foreign customer calls
75. How to deal with unreasonable customer demands?
To deal with unreasonable customer demands,
● To avoid conflict with your potential customer, you can always offer him an option that is
reasonable
● Pre-qualify your customer, before allocating anything to your customer make sure you
understand well your customers demand
● Say-no without hesitation if the demand is illegitimate
● Keep your patience while dealing with such unreasonable customer demands
76. Explain how to deal with customers who deny to pay for service/product?
● Work with the customer not against him: Try to figure out the exact reason why he is not willing
to pay without getting angry on him. Be friendly and try to come up with possible options and plans
that might resolve the situation
● Communicate often in writing and document everything: Always start with a non-threatening
written message asking for the prompt resolution by a specific date
● Don’t get personal or angry: Try to listen to customer with empathy it might be possible that
your customer is in real financial crisis, so instead of losing your nerves try to handle situation with
empathy
● Turn to collection service at last: Turning down to an attorney or collection agency should be
your last resort. Also, remember that a collector takes a hefty portion of any recovery while legal steps
will include the cost of hiring an attorney and other hidden charges.
77. Our call center is involved in activities that bend many laws. Would you work with us? Pay is huge
Personal ethics and integrity are indispensable to me while selecting my place to work. I will have to
regretfully decline.
78. What is your edge among other applicants?
The key in answering this is to emphasize your advantage over the other candidates which will help
you stand out from the rest. It’s the differentiation that you should focus on. Here’s how to craft your
answer:
1. Create a list of the job’s required skills.
2. Create a list of your strengths that match the job description.
3. Blend/ combine the job’s requirements and your strengths.
Here’s a sample answer for an applicant with prior job experience the PREP format to answer: Point,
Reason, Explanation, Point,
Point:
The reason you should hire me is because I am very thorough with my job and an expert in the
customer service field. Customer Service is what I’ve been doing since I was 18, I’ve encountered
different types of customers, and I know very well the common frustrations that customers deal with
when calling Customer Service.
As a CSR, I feel unproductive when customers repeatedly call Customer Service because the previous
agent didn’t give the complete info. It’s bad news for the company and the customer. As an agent, I
make sure to avoid this problem.
Reason
Explain why being an expert in customer service is important.
Because as a customer who have called many customer service hotline before, I can say that only
very few of them offer excellent service. And I don’t want to be one of those agents who just go to
work, eat lunch, and look forward to the end of shift. I do what I’m paid to do.
Elaborate/ Explain
Explain why you think excellent customer service is rare by telling a story based on experience or a
realistic scenario that the recruiter could relate to.
For example, one of the most common issue I notice that most agent have is this: when they tell
customer no, they wait for the customer to ask for the alternative resolution instead of revealing it as
soon as possible.
They usually go on and on describing how and why the customer is doing it wrong, why the solution
she’s asking isn’t possible, but doesn’t provide another option until the customer asks, “Okay, now
what?”As a result, they’re leading the customer to focus on the problem now, and on the resolution
later, or not at all. This is bad if the company is aiming for a higher customer satisfaction and a short
AHT (average handling time).
Point
Reiterate the first point to bring the point home.
So the reason you should hire me is because you will never encounter those problems with me as your CSR.
I’ve dealt with customers and clients in North America and Australian clients (insert the
continent of your past customers) before and I know they expect nothing but first class customer service
from something they pay for. And the way I make sure of that is to never let a customer hang up the phone
dissatisfied or more confused than they were when they dialed the call.
79. Sell me this pen
This question tests your selling skills for sales representatives. Even if you’re applying for a customer service,
interviewers still love to ask this.
As you can see, this looks like just any other pen. Except that it’s not.
This pen is equipped with a grammar checker. This means everytime you misspell a word or compose a
wrong grammar sentence, the pen lights up in red and automatically changes your writing to its correct
form. This means misspellings and grammars are the least of your concern as it this will take care of the job
for you.
Not only that, making mistakes in your writing is not a problem. And you don’t need a white-out either. This
has a special ink that can be easily erased using its tip. The result? A clean paper without the trace of the
previous error. In short, you save money.
Third, it contains a unique ink that literally no other pen can copy. It’s unique like a fingerprint. If you’re
worried about someone forging your signature, this makes it absolutely impossible. If someone attempts it,
it can be detected very easily with bare eyes.
I saved the best for last. You see, this is not just a pen that makes your office tasks easier. It can spare you
the anxiety. Are you scared when walking home alone? Well, you have every reason to be. But with this pen,
it’s going to spare you some security. This is equipped with a flashlight and Taser ready to immobilize an
attacker for a good 5 minutes. It’s an amazing multi-purpose technology that doesn’t not only serve the
purpose of a pen, but a white-out, a grammar checker, a flashlight, and a Taser.
79. Why did you leave your last job?
Laid off:
Unfortunately, the company lost a major client so they had to cut back their cost. Since I was one of the
newest hires, they had no choice but to let me go. My boss however, can assure you of my performance and
she’ll be happy to provide a good reference should you ever need one.
BEST ANSWER:
I decided to leave my last job because I want to seek other opportunities. My job of three years
taught me a lot of things and I had a great time. However, since last year, I’ve been thinking about
getting into the BPO industry. Every call center agents I know seem to really stay in this industry and
that fact just keeps my interest growing, so here I am now. I’ve had several friends who started from
becoming an agent and now they’re managers and team leaders. There’s so much opportunity in this
industry that I don’t wanna miss.
80. What is your greatest weakness?
Explain what your weakness is but don’t stop there. You want to also let the interviewer know the
actions you’ve taken to deal with it.
My weakness is that I’m a bit conscious when meeting new people. I am more of an introvert so if I
were to choose between going to parties and staying at home with my books, I’d always choose my
books.
Actions you’ve taken to deal with it
But I know that staying at home all the time and avoiding meeting new people isn’t healthy, and the
more I do it, the more reserved I become, so I make it a point to accept party invitations from my
circle of friends and meet new faces. Sometimes, I even talk to strangers in the street just to practice
my social skills.
A story where you handled your weakness well
At first, it was really challenging but the more I do it, the better I become at dealing with it. In fact,
I’ve met some of my closest friends because I made the effort to become more social. I still find it
challenging from time to time, and I think it’s going to be a part of me, but I always strive to get
better at it.
81. Why do you want to work in a call center?
For most of us, it’s money, right? No shame in that. Be honest about it. However, it’s very important
to emphasize your excellent work ethics.
I’m interested to work in a call center because I need to support my parents in sending my brothers
and sisters to school. My eldest brother is already in first year college and my eldest sister is
graduating high school this year. This is the reason why I decided to apply . The BPO industry pay
higher rates compared to other jobs in the country.
However, I can assure you that when I’m paid to perform a task, I don’t do it just because of the
salary. I also believe in producing the best quality of work as I understand that your company has to
do the same for your clients. It’s a win, win, win for the employees, your company, and the clients. If
one of the three isn’t performing well, then all three lose.
82. Situational/ behavioral interview questions
It’s the “what would you do?”/ “what did you do?” question. You’re given a certain situation, then the
interviewer asks you what did you do or would you do if you are in that situation. It could be something you
did in the past. Or something that could happen in the workplace- the “what if?” questions.
Example
What would you do if you have a rude boss or colleague who’s affecting your productivity at work?
Step 1- Professionalism: Ask yourself: What would a professional employee do in this situation? Of course,
he’d talk to the boss/colleague instead of punching him in the face or grabbing her hair.
Step 2- What’s the situation: A rude boss or colleague.
Step 3- What’s your solution: Personally talk to the boss/ colleague.
I would personally talk to him/ her and try to work out our misunderstandings. It’s important that I shouldn’t
let my emotions get the best of me, but at the same time, it’s important to avoid bottling it up.If we can’t
work things out, then I will bring it up to another higher person who could take care of the situation. If I’m
having issues with him/ her, chances are, I’m not the only one. There could be others who felt the same but
just didn’t have the courage to speak up.
Step 4: What’s the result?
This way, everyone in the office could harmoniously work  instead of emotionally taxing themselves on
unnecessary issues.
83. How do you handle stress?
Employers want to know how competent and capable you are when dealing with stressful situations. One of
the most common reasons why call center agents quit is stress. BPO companies avoid this like a plague.
Nobody wants to waste their money training employees who quit after talking to irate customers.
The secret is to reveal in your answer that you already have an own established and proven system to deal
with stress. This means you’re an adult who got your priorities straight. Now who doesn’t want to hire that?
Sample 1:
I personally think that stress is natural and necessary when learning and improving one’s career. Therefore, I
always make sure that I have a way of handling it. 
The best way I deal with it is get my body moving first thing in the morning. I don’t pay for a gym
membership but I regularly jog and walk for 30 minutes every morning before I prepare for work. I can
always tell the difference when I don’t exercise. My efficiency at work increases but I feel sleepy and just not
in the mood to work when I don’t exercise. 
When I’m in a stressful situation, especially at work, I don’t let the stress get the best of me. It’s easy to give
in to emotions when you’re stressed, but my job of 2 years as a cashier taught me better.
Sample 2:
For example, when I was still a cashier, a customer accused me of giving her the lacking amount
of change. She was very demanding and insisted that I give the change right away. Most cashiers
would have already gave in to her demand but we have a rule in our department that before giving
the money, everything must be calculated and reviewed first.
Nervous as I was, I made sure that I still follow the rules. I stood my ground, reviewed everything, and
after 5 minutes, confirmed that the change I gave her was correct. After 5 minutes of insisting that I
was a liar, the customer later apologized and said that she put the other half of the change to her
other pocket. It always helps to be rational and never let the emotion cloud your judgement.
84. How would you describe colors to a blind person?
If you think interviewers only ask job related questions, you’re in for a big surprise. Sometimes, they
love to ask totally unrelated questions, even the weird ones like this.
Since a blind person has no concept of colors, visually describing it to him is impossible, here’s what
you wanna do: Focus on what a blind person has and not on what he doesn’t.
We have five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. If you think about it, he’s only missing one.
That means he still has four of them and five if you add the emotion and abstract symbols. A blind
person cannot see, but he can hear, smell, taste, touch and feel emotions.
Since he perfectly understands these senses, associate them to colors! Use them as your anchor.
Red
Think of red as something warm and nourishing. Like fire which helps us cook our meals and keeps us
from getting cold. Red is also a sign of love and tenderness, like a mother’s warm embrace to her
newborn child or that nice feeling you get everytime you hug someone you love. Too much red is
potentially dangerous though. It could mean intense anger. It could burn homes, start a fight, and
destroy relationships. A bad blood.
Yellow
Smell and taste a lemon and you’ll get a glimpse of yellow. It’s strong but pleasant. It demands
attention but gives enough to deserve it. Because it easily captures attention, it’s used on the streets
to tell people when, where, and how to cross, to caution unsuspecting passersby about a wet floor or
drivers in an accident-prone area. In nature, sunflowers wear it to attract bees, bees to drive humans
away and lemons and mangoes to signal they’re fresh and ready to harvest.
Interviews: 10 questions that won't get you the job
AS an executive recruiter with twenty-two years of experience, interviewing freshers to determine if
they are suitable for my client's organisation is literally a part of my daily routine.
Typically, a prospective employer will ask if you have any queries. Here's a rundown of those that
usually don't go down too well with the client, often due to which candidates are not selected.
1. "Can you tell me something about your company?"
The employer is instantly put off! An aspiring candidate is supposed to visit the company website and
understand its business model, products, services, history etc. Please read the section 'About Us' where
companies provide their history, products, the geographies they serve etc. Also visit the 'Press' section of
the company, where you have information about latest product releases, what customers say about their
products and any awards they have won, recently.
2. "Will you do a reference check?"
Most companies use the services of a third party agency to conduct a 'reference check'. The moment you
pop this question, a red flag is hoisted, as the interviewer may think you have something to hide.
3. What is your leave policy?
Don't ask this question. It looks like you like to relax. While most companies talk of work-life balance, few
practise them.
4. Do you work on Saturdays?
Avoid this question, as the employer gets a suspicion about your intentions to work hard.
5. When will I get my next increment? 
This question makes you appear ‘greedy’. Avoid it at this stage of the interview process. The employer thinks
that you are looking at money all the time and hence will change jobs if offered a marginally higher salary.
6. "Do you have any other jobs available in your company?"
You may be offered a job, which you think is below your aspirations. If you feel that the job is below your
ability then say so directly at the interview.
You could say, "I did this job three years ago. Last two years I have been leading a team. May I know the
career progression for this position?"
7. "How soon can I transfer to another role?"
You may have been offered a sales role and you may be interested in a marketing/brand management role.
Asking this question has no meaning as you are literally saying to the employer "I don’t like this job".
Remember, most employers will keep you for a reasonable time in the offered role and depending upon
your performance transfer you to a different role.
8. "Can you tell me about the best way (bus or train) to reach the office from my residence?"
Don't ask this question! You can easily find out the answer talking to people in the neighbourhood and at
the bus or train station.
9. "Are there opportunities for promotion?"
Please don't raise this question during the interview. Once you join the company and prove yourself, then
you can raise this issue with your boss. In today's job market, your priority should be to first get the job. It's
better to look for promotion after that.
10. "When do I start?"
Since you are not sure that you have been offered, don’t ask this question. The employer gets the feeling
that you are overconfident and brash, and may not suit them. A better way for job seekers to show their
interest is to be direct. They should tell the interviewer they are very interested in being considered further
for the position and offer to provide whatever additional information the company might need.  This should ideally be your last question – and one that you shouldn’t hesitate to ask.
Questions to ask at the end of your job interview
Most of us tend to think that an interview is all about fielding the many volleys and questions thrown
at us, but that’s not so. In these times, asking questions is as important as answering them. However,
this brings up the question – what does one ask?
Interviews are a challenge at any stage in one’s career, but as a new entrant into the job market,
questioning a potential employer can pose a major conundrum.
According to the My First Job Survey we conducted recently, the biggest interview mistake that the
young talent polled thinks they made was not asking questions in the interview (33%).
Asking the right questions can help you stand apart from the crowd. It also gives you an opportunity
to find out more about the role and the company you’re applying to.
So the next time you head into an interview, consider asking any of these six key questions:
1. How could I impress you in the first 3 months? 
This question shows you’re thinking ahead and are keen to plan and do what’s best for the
company and you. It demonstrates your commitment to make a positive contribution and
focus on being a team player. 
2. What kind of challenges could I face in the first 3 months?
Employers tend to ask freshers about the toughest challenge they faced in college and
how they dealt with it. Asking about the challenges you may face shows that you are
prepared to work through or around challenges. 
3. What have you enjoyed most about working here? 
A variation of the “what’s the work environment like” query, this question lets the hiring
manager connect with you on a personal level. The answer will offer unique insight into
how satisfied s/he is with the job. If they take their time answering, consider it a red flag. 
4. Do you offer continuing education & professional training? 
This is a great question; it shows that you aren’t content to rest on past laurels/degrees
and are interested in expanding your knowledge. If you grow, so does your employer, and
working on your skills is an important step towards growth. 
5. Who previously held this position? 
There may seem to be better questions than this one, but this innocuous poser will tell
you whether the person was promoted, fired or if s/he quit or retired. That should clue
you in on many things – chances for advancement, employee engagement and team
dynamics. 
6. When can I expect to hear from you & what are the next steps?
Hiring managers often take time to come to a decision, so knowing the steps in the hiring
process makes things easier for you.
Other questions you could work around are:
 • Can people develop quickly here?
• What skills and experiences make an ideal candidate?
• What constitutes success at this position and this firm?
• What is the work environment and culture like?
• What kind of people do you find are the right fit for your firm?
• Can you tell me about the team I’ll be working with? 
• Can you tell me about your new products or plans for growth?

The answers to these questions are as important as the questions, so listen up. Your interviewer is showing
you the path ahead in clear words – what you should be focusing on and how they would like to see you
perform.

As a thumb rule, avoid asking “me” questions, questions that put you ahead of the employer. An interview is
the time to convey to the employer how you can benefit the company, not how the company can benefit
you. Keep the queries about salary, work hours, vacation time, health insurance and other details for later –
when you get the job offer.

Ask only one question at a time so that you don’t overwhelm the employer. Overtly personal questions are a
no-no. And make sure you don’t end up interviewing the interviewer: No more than three questions should
be your note to yourself.

Asking questions when you are invited to indicate that you’re interested in moving the process along. If
you’re lucky, you may just hear: No other step, you’re hired!

BPO interview tips

1. Communicate clearly - When going for an interview in a BPO company, make sure that you communicate in
a simple language and a clear fashion. Do not try to be very fancy with the words you use. It is more
important to be conversational.
2. Play to your strengths - Be honest about your skills and make sure that they are highlighted in the interview.
Do not try to fake being good at verbal communication if you are not - be honest. There are other
opportunities for work in BPOs as well.
3. Be confident and eager to learn - Since most processes in BPO need specific training, being confident and
eager to learn plays a big role. Your interviewer will be impressed with your attitude if they realize your
thirst for an initiative.
Now that you have a fair idea of how to perform for your BPO interview, we wish you the very best.