Do you have an upcoming interview for a help desk job? If so, prepare by reviewing and practicing responses to common help desk interview questions. This way, you will feel balanced and confident in expressing yourself during the job interview. These are the top 30 helpdesk interview questions with answers.
1. What Would You Do If You Did Not Know How To Help A Customer?
In an ideal world, that would never happen! Of course, we are all at a loss sometimes. In such situations, I double-check my work and then reach out to colleagues or the manager for further help. I remember once when a customer called and asked how to delete a program, which sounds easy, but following the standard instructions did not work. I told them this was an unusual situation and apologized for the delay in producing a fix. I checked the manual, confirmed that I followed the instructions, and then contacted a colleague who was more knowledgeable about these issues. Together we solved the problem and then updated the training manual to share our new learning.
2. What Two Or Three Qualities Does A Person Need To Provide Strong Customer Service As A Helpdesk Employee?
I believe it is important to be friendly and warm with customers to make a good impression. This can also prevent rudeness, anger, and other negative emotions from taking over the experience. However, I also believe that solving problems quickly and efficiently is a priority.
3. What Would You Do If A Customer Indicated It Was Taking You Too Long To Resolve An Issue?
I often try to avoid this feedback by providing clients with an upfront estimate of how long a task will take and why it may be taking some time. However, this is not always possible. If I received that feedback, I would start by acknowledging it without getting defensive. I would probably say something like, “I apologize that this issue is taking longer than expected to resolve.” Then I would look for practical solutions. For example, I might call the customer back, provide an update via email, or do something that frees up the person’s time. This would help the customer to end the interaction satisfied.
4. Do You Think That The Company Or Organization Needs A Help Desk Service?
The key to running a business effectively is for resources to be available and running all the time. Especially if you are a customer-focused company. The helpdesk is necessary as it ensures that resources are available to customers and also for operational reasons.
5. How Important Are It Skills At The Help Desk And How To Stay Current On Them?
To process your work quickly, computer skills are crucial these days. Computers not only make your job easy but also save you time and energy. I use the Internet, online books, and other educational resources to improve my IT skills.
6. Describe The Scope Of Work Of A Help Desk Employee
The role of a help desk operator involves performing various duties and handling multiple job responsibilities. Since there are so many facets to the job profile, the fact is that the desk operator covers different job areas. Not only the person who has to handle support calls and queries from company employees but also has to solve computer-related problems, coordinate and work with people from different departments, provide effective and efficient customer service, solve problems, etc.
7. What Are The Key Skills Of A Help Desk Professional?
A help desk employee must possess the ability to listen to others, as well as the ability to present their thoughts. Next, they need to be patient, especially in a tense situation. They must have good communication skills. The task of managing so many functional areas can be quite tedious and at the same time very stressful. Additionally, help desk operator is expected to carry out their duties while exercising a good amount of control over their patience and stress levels.
8. What Will Be The Evolution Of The Role Of The Help Desk Team In The Future?
It is not pleasant to say, but in the next few years the first-level help desk could be replaced by artificial intelligence: already there is software, that performs these functions. However, we must always consider what the end user wants, which in our case is companies: people always prefer to interact with other people, rather than interface with artificial intelligence, so the highest levels of assistance will continue to be managed by technicians.
9. Why Do You Think You Are Suitable For A Help Desk Job?
I am suitable for this role because I understand that we can sometimes go back on our word, whether intentionally or unintentionally, leading to mass customer dissatisfaction. I have been part of that crowd too long, so I would like to offer 100 percent customer satisfaction to those who come with their problems. The company relies on satisfied customers, and I go out of my way to ensure customers’ problems are solved. I believe that my previous experience, problem-solving attitude, and people skills can make a difference. I am motivated, disciplined, and focused and am willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. I am a well-rounded individual with a blend of skills. Past training and job experiences have allowed me to take on and complete projects and assignments of high importance and increasing difficulty while on time and under budget. And now, I want to be part of your team so I contribute to the future development of the company.
10. What Type Of Client Would You Like To Approach? A Satisfied Customer, A Doubtful Customer, Or An Angry Customer?
I would like to address the angry or dissatisfied customer, due to the challenge that the situation presents. Assisting a satisfied customer will not give me a chance to understand how good (or bad) I am at my job. Of course, a satisfied customer is the end goal of every inquiry, but it is a great joy to solve the issue quickly and efficiently.
11. Under What Circumstances Would You Escalate A Customer’s Query Or Problem To Your Supervisor Or Manager?
I think there would be no need to raise an issue, but considering a desperate situation, then it would be only in the case where the client rightly refuses to talk to me, due to a previous bad experience, while they were filing a complaint with us. I will try my best to keep the issue between me and the customer. If there is no other way around it, I will ask my supervisor.
12. If A Customer Showed Up With A Complicated Problem Five Minutes Before You Were Due To Leave For The Day, What Would You Do?
I would politely tell the customer that we are closed for the day and that he/she could visit/call us the next day. But if they insist it is urgent, I would like to smile and say I am happy to help them, as well as be firm about the timings the next time they have a problem. In the end, it depends on the urgency of the problem.
13. If You Are Faced With A Technical Product Query Or Difficulty That You Are Not Well Versed With Or Confident In, What Would You Do?
I would like to ask the customer if he/she would be so kind as to hold the line while I transfer the call to a technical expert, as they would be able to better assist the customer. If they come in person, I would ask for a colleague to assist me. And of course, I would familiarise myself with the issue so I am capable of solving the same problem in the future.
14. Do You Think You Have The Ability To Remain Calm During A Call Where The Customer Is Firing You With Abusive Language?
A client chooses to abuse only when his/her needs have not been met by us, even after continued efforts to seek help to resolve the matter. Therefore, the problem is ours. So I would like to fully understand their situation.
15. If A Customer Gives You Negative Feedback Or Severely Harsh Criticism About Your Service Or Product, How Do You Take It?
Negative feedback should be handled with patience and calm. I would avoid any kind of verbal or non-verbal response that shows signs of anger or irritation. Instead, I will listen carefully to any issues they have with the product or service and ask any clarifying questions I need. Then explain how you will use this information to improve the product or service and let them know that the problem will be fixed within a specific timeframe. There is a lot to be gained from keeping my cool when you receive negative feedback. Customer feedback does not have to be complicated or turn into a heated discussion. As long as I respond with gratitude and composure, I am sure to make a great impression on potential customers, whether the feedback is positive or negative.
16. Do You Believe In The Statement That The “Customer Is King”; What Does It Mean To You?
Yes, I like it. If we do not get feedback from our customers, there is no way we can analyze how good our product/company is doing. Our business would not evolve if we did not have a helpdesk serving our field. To develop a good customer base it would be my duty to give them everything they want regarding answers, services, and anything else they would like to include in the list.
17. What Motivates You To Continue Evolving In The Help Desk Role?
I like to communicate with people. The help desk assistant role is a type of job where you continually interact with people and help them solve their problems. I am motivated when a person is satisfied with our products and services and continues to be our loyal customer.
18. What Can A Helpdesk Employee Do To Give An Outstanding Customer Experience?
As I mentioned before, the indispensable quality is a good ability to relate: in our work, communication is almost more important than technical competence, because you need to be able to ask the right questions to users who do not have computer skills and to be able to express yourself in a simple way to make understand the problem and solve it. If you are too technical and cannot communicate with people who are not the help desk is not the right job for you.
19. What Is More Important For Helpdesk, Theory Or Practice?
Today, above all, specialization is needed. The world of information technology has become very vast and also very saturated, there are many companies and many people, so it is essential to have a goal: if you want to be a technician, it is important to specialize in hardware and equipment. Today the computer science diploma is not enough, the school gives a generic and not in-depth preparation. My suggestion is to invest in their training and, if possible, to choose job opportunities and companies that also offer the opportunity to train and grow professionally.
20. As A Helpdesk How Do You Identify And Solve Problems?
The primary thing is to get the real factors first. It will help you distinguish the problem. At that point, you should experiment with all the necessary steps to correct that problem. You should come up with a defined and precise investigation plan that is broad but versatile. Your point should be to meet the customer’s needs as quickly as possible. Your focus should be on limiting your client’s time. Therefore, if there are numerous problems, there will be several solutions that may be irrelevant.
21. How Would You Handle A Question From A Customer That You Do Not Know The Answer To?
If a customer asked me a question and I did not know the answer, the first thing I would do would be to use my available resources. I can look to the company’s internal knowledge base as a starting point. If I have not been faced with a particular question, chances are another employee has been, which makes this a great place to start. If the question was not exclusive or specific to the company, I would also do my external research, for example by searching the Internet. However, if this does not work, then I will consult with my team members or my direct supervisor. Also, throughout the process, I was contacting the client to let them know of my progress and that I was working on a resolution. This allows me to reassure him that his question is a priority and that it retains my full attention until an answer is provided.
22. If You Heard A Colleague Being Rude Or Inappropriate During A Call With A Client, What Would You Do?
The response I would give if a co-worker was being rude or inappropriate on a call with a client would be to politely inform them of their behavior and try to address it with them. Sometimes people are caught up in their own emotions and need support in knowing how to behave appropriately. As we work together, I would be more than happy to help them in this situation. If the colleague continues to be rude or inappropriate after being warned, I will take appropriate action based on the company’s code of conduct. Every company has its standards and expectations for employee behavior, so it is important to be aware of them before taking action. Generally, however, I would try to resolve the issue with the colleague and help them correct their behavior.
23. What Do You Hope To Achieve In Your First Few Weeks?
I will reach out to all colleagues in my department and overlapping departments to learn as much as possible about the roles each plays within the process. I will devour any information you provided regarding policies and procedures and during the evening I will continue to read everything I can find about the company and the industry to get an accurate view of the company’s state in the marketplace. Our professional association also offers some online tutorials that I will be working on outside of business hours.
24. Are You Comfortable With A Multi-Line Phone System And Being Able To Handle A High Volume Of Phone Calls?
Yes, I can easily use multiple phone lines with a high volume of calls and have done so in the past. I can keep conversations separate and deal with customers in a friendly and efficient manner. I understand that telephone contact is often the first interaction a customer has with the company and first impressions are extremely important. It is important to always be friendly and professional on the phone.
25. How Would You Describe The Pace Of Your Work?
I consider myself a hard worker who avoids delays. My previous helpdesk job required us to answer at least 30 calls per shift in addition to our other administrative duties. While some people saved all their calls for the end of their shift, which sometimes caused people to miss their quota, I divided my time between taking calls and doing other tasks. I am not easily distracted but can balance working on multiple tasks evenly. This allows me to get my work done on time, meet my deadlines and get quality results.
26. What Was It Like Working For Your Manager?
I have never had a difficult manager, just difficult work challenges that we always work together to solve. I was lucky that the managers I worked for kept open lines of communication so we could nip any emerging issues in the bud. Open two-way communication is the key to successful work relations.
27. What Can You Contribute To This Company?
I can add value to your company not only because of my years of experience as a helpdesk, which I am sure many of your other candidates have, but also because of my energy, flexibility, and commitment to being a great team supporter.
Many of my supervisor managers have been introverts who prefer to work alone, but I enjoy human contact and collaboration. Therefore, not only do I do my administrative tasks accurately, but I also try to make sure that my office is a pleasant place to work. I am impressed by your frequent “Best Place to Work” awards and I know I can help ensure you continue to receive this recognition.
28. What Was The Most And Least Rewarding Part Of Your Last Job?
I found that the most rewarding part of my last job was the opportunity I was given to train new departmental employees. They were always eager to succeed and it was great to help them progress. The least rewarding part, frankly, was the sixty-minute commute each way, which could be exhausting in gridlocked traffic. That is one of the reasons I am excited about the prospect of working for you: I only live 20 minutes away.
29. Why Do You Want To Work For Us?
I have done my research on what it is like working for your company and I have only been told and found great things about everything. Like the corporate culture, career development opportunities and the work-life balance it provides. I´m looking for a company I can grow my career with and it sounds like this company allows that. This is exactly what I do and what I want to keep doing.
30. What Do You Think Is The Most Important Aspect Of A Job?
One of the most important aspects of a job is a positive work environment, developing good relationships with your coworkers and feeling comfortable while carrying out your duties. Flexible schedules and stability play an important role as well.
Conclusion
When interviewing for a helpdesk role, it helps to have a sense of what to expect. This is a great way to practice your answers to common help desk interview questions so that you feel ready and confident during the actual interview. We gave you a list of specific interview questions you may be asked. This will make you feel more confident during the interview, which will help you present yourself as a strong candidate for a help desk position.