5 Common Bilingual Customer Service Representative Interview Questions & Answers

Bilingual customer service representative interview questions and answers

Interview questions for a bilingual customer service representative position will depend on the job and the company. Still, most potential employers want to know if you have experience, if you’re invested in your career and if you’re a good fit for the company. They also want to know if you have specific soft skills like leadership, relationship-building, communication and decision-making.

Practice makes perfect! Here are five common bilingual customer service representative interview questions and our sample answers for you to use as inspiration as you prepare your own answers.

1. Where did you learn your second language and what steps do you take to maintain proficiency?

Hiring managers ask this straightforward bilingual customer service representative interview question to gauge how well you know your second language and if your language skills are up to date.  

Example answer

When responding to this bilingual customer service representative interview question, be as detailed as possible.

For example:

“I learned Russian growing up as a child of immigrant parents. This gave me a good grounding in conversational and colloquial speech. In college, I decided to expand my skills by taking Russian language courses. Currently, I speak Russian with my family and some friends. I also make sure to regularly read books and newspapers in Russian, as well as watch Russian-language movies and television programs. These are other ways to maintain and expand my skills in understanding and speaking the language.”

2. Are you at all familiar with our product?

Potential employers ask this question not only to see if you know their product, but how much you know about it. 

Example answer:

Be sure to research the company and their product thoroughly before the interview so you can answer this bilingual customer service representative interview question, confidently. If you have used the company’s products, let your interviewer know

but don't give a negative review; keep it positive to make a great lasting impression.  

Your answer might be something like this: 

“Yes! I have first-hand experience with your printers. The last office I worked in used your printers, and I was impressed with their high quality and durability. My coworkers and I found your printers easy to operate. We were also impressed by the excellent customer support your company provides. I look forward to helping your customers get the most out of your printers and copiers.”

3. Have you ever encountered a customer problem that you were not able to resolve?

Potential employers ask this interview question for bilingual customer service representatives to see how you deal with challenging situations and how they come up with creative solutions to problems. They also want to know how far you will go to make customers happy. 

Example answer:

To answer this question, think back to a time you faced a difficult challenge and explain the problem in detail, then be specific when explaining how you arrived at a solution or compromise.

For example:

“At my previous job as a customer service representative for a company that sold cameras and accessories, I had several customers contact me because of a malfunction in one particular model. Unfortunately, this problem could not be resolved through repairs or parts replacement as the issue was with the manufacturer of that specific camera, so giving the customers a new one did not solve the issue either. 

According to the company’s policy, exchanges could only be made for the same model. The best I could do for those customers was to offer refunds to those with recent purchases; however, refunds were not available for customers who had purchased their cameras more than three months prior. For those customers, I made sure to express empathy for their situation and regret not being able to do anything further, and escalated the issue with my supervisor."

4. What are some ways that you build rapport with customers?

When potential employers ask this bilingual customer service representative interview question, it is usually to gauge your communication, relationship-building and interpersonal skills — critical soft skills for customer service professionals. 

Example answer: 

To answer this interview question for a bilingual customer service representative job, think about how you’ve honed your people skills through work experience, school, or other areas of your life and how you apply them to working with customers. Be specific, give details and highlight at least one relevant accomplishment. 

For example,

“To build rapport with customers, I find the best approach is to show interest in them and their concerns by asking questions, employing active listening techniques and expressing compassion for their issue. I respond to them authentically and relate with them.”

5. What do you tell customers when you do not know the answer to their questions?

Hiring managers often ask this question because they want to know if you are honest and willing to ask questions to provide customers with correct information. They also want to know how you go about seeking answers. 

Example answer:

"I find that customers value honesty and accuracy. If a customer asks me for information that I need clarification on, I will double-check it before responding to the customer. First, however, I let the customer know I do not have the answer right now. Sometimes, this can be done right in front of the customer if there are reference materials available or if there is a coworker present who can help me. If the question needs lengthier research, I assure the customer that I will call with the information as soon as possible, and I make sure to follow up."

Bilingual customer service representative interview tips

• Research the company. Review the company’s website, LinkedIn account, news channels and employee reviews to learn about the company’s goals, needs, products and culture. Take notes and tie your findings into your answers as you prepare for your bilingual customer service representative interview.
• Use the STAR interview method. The STAR method is a tried-and-true way of answering interview questions clearly and concisely. It will help you to be specific and keep track of your thoughts when answering bilingual customer service representative interview questions. 
• Use keywords from the job description in your answers. You’ve likely studied the job description by the time you reach the interview stage of the job application process. Review it before your interview and align your answers with keywords from the job requirements. For example, talk up your communication skills and knowledge of state and federal employee benefits regulations if they are listed in the job description. 
• Practice with others and in front of a mirror. Use these questions and other commonly asked interview questions, such as “Why should we hire you?”, “Describe a time when you needed to cope with a stressful scenario,” or “Why did you choose this career?” to answer interview questions for a bilingual customer service representative job.
• Be ready to answer behavioral interview questions. Most potential employers will ask at least one behavioral question so don’t let them throw you off guard!
• Prepare questions for your interviewer. Asking questions during your job interview is as important as answering bilingual customer service representative interview questions. Have three to five questions ready to ask during or at the end of your interview. This is an opportunity to show you’ve done your research on the company and to ask pertinent questions about the job. Sometimes it helps to have them written down in a notebook so you don’t forget.
• Bring hard copies of your resume and cover letter. Impress your interviewers by bringing in a hard copy of your application documents.
• Write a follow-up letter to each person you interviewed with after your bilingual customer service representative interview. Doing so keeps you fresh in the interviewer’s mind, displays professionalism and allows you to elaborate on answers from your interview or correct mistakes you might have made. An interview follow-up letter provides the opportunity to thank your interviewers for their time and ask questions that you didn’t get to ask during your interview. Customize your letter for each interviewer to show you were paying attention and to personalize your correspondence. Time is of the essence: send your follow-up letter within 24 hours of your interview.

5 common bilingual customer service representative interview questions key takeaways 

• Research the company before your interview.
• Practice makes perfect. Review the 5 common bilingual customer service representative interview questions and answers on this page.
• Use keywords from the job description to craft the answers for your interview questions for a bilingual customer service representative.
• The STAR method can help you articulate your answers to bilingual customer service representative interview questions clearly and concisely.
• Follow up.