Kiss of death at interviews?

[nixi86]

Right cut a long story short, I have 10 years customer service experience, am very polite (a few times I have been told am too nice for the job....). As I've grown older I've lost a lot of my accent, mostly due to studying law. Now as it stands I've attended over 20 interviews and been close but never gotten the job. A few times I have thought the interview went perfectly, I have built rapport and expressed my passion for helping customers and still nothing, am at a loss and seriously stumped at why I keep failing these things. Give me your kiss of death scenarios that make you think NEXT! At an interview.

I would not hire a customer service person with a passion for helping customers. I would hire one with a passion for the company, and a zest for smoothing things over with the customer thus making the customer happy enough to return, while looking after the financial interest of the company you work for. Too nice would not necessarily cut it

Maybe that is what am failing to portray to the interviewer. In fairness I've not got the power to impact on the financial side of the business, I can only work within the guidelines a company themselves have set for me, and that tends to be on the, shall we say reserved side of things.

Thank you for the advice though, I will try to tone it down in the next interview

Hi op, do you stress how much you want to work for the company. As in close the interview? I'd normally research well and say why I'm good for the company and how I'm extremely interested working for them because I've got ex amount of experience and I can bring x,y,z to the company.

I also ask if there I've done enough to convince them I'm right for the role or if they have any any concerns about me? If they do tackle them there and then.

Oh and give example!

I always thought having an accent was supposed to be a good thing for call centre staff. Not a strong unintelligible one obviously, but friendly, not too snooty, kind of thing.

Do you ever get feedback from them?

What job roles are you going for? Can you ask for feedback? Could you access the career service where you did your law course for some interview training?

Similar to another poster...are you coming across as too nice? Could interviewers be making assumptions about your ability to deal with difficult customers?

I would also echo try to focus on what you have delivered for your employers with examples. How did you turn around difficult conversations etc?

You also need to keep positive even if you don't feel it after 20 interviews. I have interviewed people that look so fed up, it doesn't give off the right vibe.

Are you trying to step up with this move? When I did that (different industry) it took 16 interviews and like you I was often their number 2.

If that is the case can you work out what the barriers to employing you might be (eg no staff management experience) and try to find a way to gain that experience in your current place?

Good luck.

Are they put off by your law studies? It seems odd you did this (presumably as a mature student) but are applying for customer service roles? Maybe they think you'll leave to become a lawyer?