The customer service representative role calls for the ability to troubleshoot issues and provide solutions in a time-efficient manner for customers. Employers typically mention problem-solving as part of the job description and tend to gauge candidates’ competencies during the interview process.

On a daily basis, customer service representatives (CSRs) need to engage in active listening and show empathy, identify complex problems, assess needs and fixtures, probe and troubleshoot issues, and follow up on the solutions provided. To stay on top of each of these tasks in the problem-solving cycle, CSRs must be able to adapt their problem-solving skills to suit the unpredictable issues that customers might raise. When we think about necessary customer service skills, including keen observation, attention to detail, critical/analytical thinking, teamwork, and perseverance, all of these are geared to sharpen intuition for problem-solving.

Employers analyze a candidate’s aptitude for problem-solving, not only during the interview itself but also through psychometry tests that are a part of screening assessments. Here is how you can be a step ahead of your interviewers:

Mention instances of the best resolutions from your previous experiences. Employers want to know how you respond to problems and critical situations. By giving specific examples of how you met and resolved such incidents, you are proactively presenting your capabilities to the interviewer. While this tactic confirms your aptitude for problem-solving, it also reflects on your approach to providing solutions and customer service. After all, intuition plays a big part in the role, so that is another skill you will be presenting to your interviewer. Choose previous job stories that are relevant to the open role and adopt a story-telling narrative. This way, your interviewer will be engaged. Even if your experience doesn’t match the current role, cite examples where your solution positively affected results or the brand. Problems may vary across organizations, but approaches to solving them are universally relevant.

Use language that indicates you are solution-focused. The first rule of problem-solving is to focus less on the problem itself. Since customer service problem-solving needs a fluid approach to match various customer scenarios, interviewers would want to know how you can adapt. Approach to problem-solving is never evaluated in isolation from a positive attitude because finding resolutions requires resilience—you may have to keep looking for alternatives until a solution fits. Interviewers can assess your attitude by your positive manner of speech and attentive body language.

Practice your responses before you appear for the interview. ”Practice makes perfect” is a popular expression for good reason. For interviewers, the job description is like a check-list. They ask probing questions to validate that you fit all the mentioned requirements. So, you can practice responses that support each requirement for the role, either through examples or through insight that you have gathered. Practicing your answers also helps in structuring your thoughts. As a result, you will appear collected and confident—also qualities that interviewers seek in candidates. For customer service representatives, this mind frame is a necessity on the job, since the brand’s voice when interacting with customers should reflect confidence.