A customer calls, yelling about an incorrect charge on their account. What do you say and do?
Why This Is Asked
This tests your active listening, empathy, problem-solving, and ability to follow a company's call flow under pressure, all core to the CSR job.
General Approach
Use the L.A.S.A. framework: Listen fully, Acknowledge the feeling (empathize), Solve the problem with clear steps, Ask if satisfied. Even if it's a role-play, treat it like a real call: be patient, be specific, and end with assurance.
Sample STAR Answer▾
Situation
In our capstone business simulation, I handled the customer service desk. One day, a role-player acting as a customer came in furious about a double charge.
Task
I needed to de-escalate the situation, find the error, and restore their trust, all while other 'customers' waited.
Action
I kept my voice calm and said: 'I understand this is frustrating, and I'm going to fix it for you right now.' I pulled up his 'account' on my mock system, quickly found a data entry error, and explained it honestly: 'Sir, it was my team's mistake, and I apologize. I'm voiding the extra charge now, and it should reflect within the hour.' I then added: 'Is there anything else about your bill I can clarify while we have this pulled up?'
Result
He visibly relaxed and even cracked a joke. My professor later highlighted my response as a model example of acknowledgment without letting the blame game escalate.
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