This question is aimed at unveiling your interpersonal skills and how you fare in conflict situations. The expected source of conflict so usually with a fellow employee or a disgruntled customer.
It is extremely important to follow the STAR (situation, task, action, result) when answering this question. Start by outlining the background situation in depth when answering this question. For example, your answer cold go something like “one of our key accounts, which represented 15% of our annual turnover, became very upset about six months ago when a product they ordered was out of stock. As I am their Key Account Manager, they rang me personally and they were extremely agitated.
Despite the product not being a core product or a “to order” item I knew that the customer would not care and my task was to diffuse this potentially damaging situation where a key business account had threatened to “pull the plug” on our relationship.
After a tirade of abuse, I made a conscious decision to remain calm and positive. After listening carefully to what the customer had to say without interrupting them I informed them that the item would be back in stock within three days and that I will place the order for them straight away and use a premium express delivery service in order to ensure it is delivered as soon as possible.
The customer calmed down and agreed to the solution. I prioritised the order and within an hour I was in a one to one meeting with our production manager to explain the importance and seriousness of the situation. The product was ready the next morning and was at the customers’ premises by 1pm. The customer was delighted and sent me a personal thank you card. In fact, they increased their orders by 20% in the past six months and he rang to tell me that we are now their preferred supplier”
The above answer displays maturity, clarity of thought combined with a calm, composed attitude when faced by adversity and difficult situations. These are the traits a potential employer is looking for and the example above could make the difference in you landing your dream job.
