Ace Your Modell’s Sporting Goods Interview: The Top 15 Questions and Answers You Need to Know

Modell’s Sporting Goods is one of the oldest and most well-known sporting goods retailers in the United States. With over 150 stores across the northeast and mid-Atlantic, Modell’s has become a staple destination for athletes and sports fans to find quality equipment, apparel, and footwear.

If you have an interview coming up with Modell’s, it’s important to prepare adequately so you can stand out amongst other candidates. In this article, we’ll explore the top 15 most common interview questions asked at Modell’s along with tips on how to craft winning answers.

1. Why do you want to work for Modell’s Sporting Goods?

This is likely to be one of the very first questions you encounter during a Modell’s interview. Interviewers want to gauge your genuine interest in the company and the role.

How to answer

• Express your passion for sports/fitness and how you’d love the opportunity to work for an established brand like Modell’s.

• Talk about how you admire their longstanding history and reputation in sporting goods retail.

• Mention qualities that draw you to the role itself eg. helping customers, being part of a team, learning sales skills

• Avoid generic answers – draw specific connections between your interests/skills and the job requirements.

Example Having been an avid athlete since childhood I would love the chance to work for a respected company like Modell’s that shares my lifelong passion for sports. I’m drawn to the fast-paced, team-oriented nature of the sales associate role and sincerely believe I have the right mix of product knowledge and customer service skills to thrive and make a positive impact here.

2. What experience do you have in retail or sales?

Modell’s wants to make sure you have the basic experience and skills needed to succeed in the day-to-day realities of a retail sales job.

How to answer:

• Share any past roles dealing directly with customers, sales, and retail operations like cashier, sales associate, customer service rep.

• Highlight transferable skills like communication, organization, and ability to work under pressure.

• If lacking direct experience, discuss personal qualities or accomplishments that show you can learn quickly on the job.

• Emphasize eagerness to take initiative, gain new skills, and deliver results.

Example: While most of my career has been in the hospitality industry, I believe my 5 years as an assistant store manager at a small sporting goods retailer gave me valuable hands-on experience in inventory management, merchandising, and most importantly – providing excellent customer service. My responsibilities there aligned closely with this sales associate role, and I’m excited to take that experience to the next level with a leading brand like Modell’s.

3. Why do you want to be a sales associate/cashier?

With this question, interviewers want to gauge your motivations and mindset when it comes to a sales associate or cashier position. They are looking for candidates with a positive attitude and a genuine interest in the day-to-day responsibilities.

How to answer:

• Express enthusiasm for interacting with customers and share your strengths in providing excellent service.

• Discuss your competitive spirit and interest in meeting sales goals through passion for the products.

• Mention interest in gaining well-rounded retail skills from both the sales floor and cashier positions.

• Share long-term career goals if this role offers skills that align with them like merchandising, marketing, management.

Example: I’m genuinely excited by the customer-facing nature of the sales associate role. I thrive in fast-paced environments where I can engage with patrons daily to provide helpful product recommendations and make sure they walk away satisfied. I’m also up for the challenges that come with meeting sales goals and managing register operations. In the long run, I believe gaining well-rounded experience across Modell’s sales and operations functions will open doors for my goal of someday moving into a retail management position.

4. How would you handle an unhappy customer?

Dealing with unhappy customers is inevitability in a customer service job. With this common question, interviewers want to assess your patience, empathy and conflict resolution abilities.

How to answer:

• Emphasize listening without getting defensive and showing empathy for the customer’s problem.

• Discuss ways you would try to resolve the issue, like replacement, refund, or store credit if justified.

• Share an example of how you calmly diffused a tense situation and turned an unhappy customer into a satisfied one.

• Highlight the importance of following company policies while aiming for a positive resolution.

Example: When dealing with an unhappy customer, I would first listen carefully to understand the root of their dissatisfaction without interrupting them. I’ve found that simply validating their feelings and frustrations can go a long way. Next, I would politely apologize for their trouble and see how I could make it right, whether that means a refund, replacement, or store credit if their request is reasonable. My ultimate goal is turning them into a satisfied customer to maintain the store’s reputation, while following established policies. In my past role, there was one instance where a customer was furious over a delayed online order. After apologizing and waiving the shipping charges, they eventually left very pleased with the service recovery.

5. How do you stay motivated to keep exceeding sales goals?

Sales drive the success of any retail business, so interviewers want to understand what internally motivates you to meet and exceed targets. They want to hire team players with a competitive spirit who will contribute to the overall growth of the company.

How to answer:

• Discuss how you stay self-motivated and enjoy feeling accomplished when you achieve goals.

• Share how sales rankings, contests, bonuses, and recognition motivate you to continuously improve.

• Talk about how you channel the excitement of big sales events like Black Friday into crushing goals for the good of the team.

• Provide an example of when your motivation directly led to sales success and what strategies you used.

Example: For me, having clear sales goals acts as self-motivation to keep excelling. I love the feeling of accomplishment from seeing my consistent growth on the sales leaderboard and finding new ways to connect with customers to drive bigger purchases. When I know achieving a specific target will earn a bonus or help my department, I get laser-focused. During our annual clearance sale last year, I made it my personal mission to clear out old merchandise. I ended up selling way above my goals for that week through product bundling suggestions for customers. It was extremely rewarding and motivates me to bring that level of drive every day.

6. How do you handle a long line of customers?

Retail associates inevitably deal with long lines and impatient customers, especially during peak times. With this question, interviewers want to assess your composure under pressure and customer service skills when faced with such scenarios.

How to answer:

• Acknowledge that long lines are challenging but part of the job, and share your patience and focus on keeping customers satisfied even in difficult moments.

• Discuss strategies like greeting customers, offering apologies for wait times, and opening additional registers when possible.

• Share an example of successfully managing long lines while maintaining a friendly demeanor and making customers feel valued.

• Emphasize ability to multitask and expedite transactions without sacrificing quality service.

Example: I understand long customer lines can be stressful, but showing grace under pressure is imperative. My strategy is to first acknowledge the situation with patrons waiting and thank them for their patience. Whenever feasible, I try to open additional registers and call on co-workers to help get through the rush faster. Most importantly, I believe in maintaining a calm and friendly demeanor with each customer, apologizing for their wait time and engaging in friendly interactions. This helps ease frustrations. There was one particular instance during a holiday sale where the queue was 20+ people deep. Through swiftly processing each transaction with a smile, we powered through the rush with minimal complaints and even earned compliments on our customer service despite the chaos.

7. How do you prioritize when multitasking between customers and tasks?

Multitasking is a regular necessity in retail, whether it’s balancing customer needs with merchandising, inventory, or cleaning duties. With this question, interviewers want to understand your ability to juggle competing priorities with grace under pressure.

How to answer:

• Share your system for time management and prioritizing the most urgent tasks when handling multiple demands.

• Give an example of successfully multitasking during a busy shift such as helping customers while organizing shelves, processing an online order, or handling a return.

• Discuss strategies like asking colleagues for assistance with tasks when needed and not letting any ball drop.

• Emphasize that customers always take precedence without ignoring other responsibilities entirely.

Example: *When multitasking between customers and other tasks, I apply strategies like quickly and thoroughly assessing the priority level of each responsibility, knocking out the most urgent first. My mindset is always being attentive to customers’ needs above all else. If I’m assisting a customer and see another priority task that needs addressing like a return or cleaning a spill, I kindly