help needed for job application

splendid_12

Hi,I am an IT graduate and recently applying for a service desk role, I've came across few job questions that I have not much Idea about. This role is a service desk role and since i don't have much service desk experience I am having difficulties in answering them and thought if anyone could share their experience and give me some suggestion in answering them. The question requires me to explain a situation where i had to handle customer service request which was not possible due to limitation (technical or resource restriction) that existed in the business environment i was working in, I would really appreciate any suggestion.thanks

Jon_Cisco

It's a customer service question.
A big part of help desk is your ability to answer the customers concerns. Often people will ask for things they can not have and won't take a simple no for an answer. Like telling a kid they can't have a new toy but nicely.

Good Luck!

jibbajabba

Certainly not worth making something up. It'll bite you eventually but yes, it is a typical interview question.

Trouble is - we can give you examples, but if you never had such a request, all it takes for your interviewer is trying to dig a bit deeper about the issue and unless it actually happen - you'd struggle with the answer making it very clear to him that it is made up.

You say you have limited experience - Assuming you haven't lied on your application, you could just explain to him again that in your limited experience you haven't been in the situation yet but you could offer him to explain a fictional situation. I have done this before. For example

Him:"Could you explain a situation where you had to handle customer service request which was not possible due to limitation (technical or resource restriction) that existed in the business environment you were working in".

You:"In my limited Service Desk experience I have yet to face a situation such as this, but I am certainly able to handle them when they arise. Could you give me maybe an example of a request I could face here on Service Desk so I could tell you how I would maybe respond ?"

Option 1
Him :" F** off and go home" (possibly unlikely )

Option 2
Him :"A client calls you asking to increase the storage of a server, but there is no available"
You :"Explain that there are physical limitations of the underlying hardware and this cannot be done bla bla .. but maybe we can work around this by a. migrating to another platform / b. using external storage / c. insert more technical offers here"

Him :"A client wants you to disable the password expiry on their login because they are sick and tired of coming up with new logins no one can remember"
You :"I can certainly understand your frustration, unfortunately this is a company policy set by our security department, which I am unable to circumvent. I could ask the sec. department if there are exceptions to this policy. Would you be able to tell me why you would need this to be disabled?"

There are many many more ..

But like I say - Unless you do have the experience, lying / coming up with something bites you eventually ...

splendid_12

thanks for the suggestion..

Nemowolf

An option is to use a time when a friend or family member has asked you a computer question instead of a workplace specific answer.