So you’ve got an interview coming up for a retail position. Whether you’ve worked in sales before and could sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman in white gloves, or you’re just starting out and want a flexible schedule, you may be wondering what to expect in your retail interview. You might be getting a lot of callbacks for retail jobs but not getting hired, and you think your interviewing skills could use some work.
Use The Muse to find a job at a company with a culture you love. Select the career path that aligns with you:
Look for open jobs on The Muse! You can see who is hiring here, and you can narrow your search by benefits, company size, remote work, and more. Then, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll deliver advice on landing the job right to you.
If that sounds like you, I worked for ten years as a hiring manager for stores like L Brands, Ann Taylor, and The Buckle, Inc. , and I learned a lot about what makes a candidate stand out to hiring managers and recruiters in retail during that time. I can help you answer the 10 most common questions asked in retail interviews. I can also give you insider information on the unwritten rules you should know about while you’re job hunting and some extra tips to help you ace your interview!
If you have an upcoming interview with Off Broadway Shoes congrats! Landing an interview is an exciting first step. Off Broadway Shoes is one of the largest shoe retailers in the US with over 70 stores across 20 states. I’m going to walk you through exactly how to prepare and ace your Off Broadway Shoes interview.
About Off Broadway Shoes
Let’s start with some key facts about the company
-
Off Broadway Shoes is a retail footwear chain that sells shoes, handbags, and accessories. They market themselves as selling designer brands at discounted prices.
-
The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
-
Off Broadway Shoes has over 70 brick-and-mortar store locations as well as an e-commerce site,
-
They sell brands like Coach, Michael Kors, Steve Madden, Lucky Brand, Skechers, and more.
-
The company employs around 1000 people. The majority work in retail store locations.
-
Off Broadway Shoes differentiates through offering steep discounts, a treasure hunt environment, and exceptional customer service.
The Off Broadway Shoes Interview Process
The interview process typically follows this structure:
- Initial phone screen with an HR rep
- In-person interview focused on customer service skills
- Second interview with store manager
- For corporate roles, additional rounds including VP interviews
Some tips on what to expect:
-
Interviews are conversational rather than highly structured.
-
However, you will be asked a mix of situational, behavioral, and competency-based questions.
-
Interviews focus heavily on assessing customer service skills and fit with the brand culture.
-
The process can move quickly. If you pass the first round, expect the second interview within 1-2 days.
-
Come prepared to talk about your availability if you progress.
How to Prepare for an Off Broadway Shoes Interview
Here are my top tips for preparing for your Off Broadway Shoes interview:
1. Research the company – Study their website, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and news articles. Understand their brand, culture, and values.
2. Practice your resume walkthrough – Assume you’ll be asked to walk through your background. Quantify achievements. Tie it back to retail/customer service.
3. Prepare 3-5 stories – Think of specific examples that showcase your customer orientation, work ethic, problem solving and ability to adapt.
4. Know your availability – Be ready to discuss your schedule and availability if asked. They need flexible team members.
5. Review interview questions – Look at Glassdoor to see the types of questions asked and prepare bullet points to guide your responses.
6. Dress the part – Treat it like you are coming to work. Wear business casual attire. It shows you understand their culture.
7. Bring extra copies of your resume – Print 3-4 copies of your most updated resume. You never know if extra interviewers may join.
8. Prepare smart questions – Interviewers always ask if you have questions. Prepare 5 thoughtful, engaging questions to show interest.
9. Get plenty of rest – Being tired, distracted, and unfocused will hurt your interview performance. Prioritize being fresh and alert.
Customer Service Interview Questions
Expect several questions testing your approach to customer service. Some examples:
-
Tell me about your experience in customer service. What did you enjoy about it?
-
Describe a time you went above and beyond for a customer.
-
How do you adapt your communication style for different customers?
-
What techniques do you use to de-escalate an upset customer?
-
How do you remain calm and professional when dealing with an angry customer?
-
What steps would you take if a customer complained about an issue?
-
How do you determine the needs of a customer when they are unclear?
-
Give an example of when you educated a customer on products/services.
-
What metrics or data would you use to improve customer satisfaction?
Off Broadway Shoes Behavioral Interview Questions
You will also get behavioral interview questions focused on key competencies:
-
Tell me about a time you worked on a successful team. What was your role?
-
Describe a situation when you had to adapt quickly to change.
-
Give me an example of when you went above and beyond at work. Why did you do this?
-
Walk me through a challenging experience you had at a previous job. How did you overcome it?
-
Tell me about a time you needed to motivate yourself through a boring, repetitive task.
-
Describe a time you had a disagreement with a coworker. How was it resolved?
-
When have you had to deal with a difficult manager or supervisor? How did you handle it?
-
Give me an example of when you had to deal with constructive criticism or negative feedback. How did you respond?
Situational & Scenario Interview Questions
Expect at least a few situational and “what if” questions gauging your judgment:
-
A customer tries on several pairs of shoes but doesn’t seem satisfied. What would you do?
-
You notice a coworker is regularly late and letting tasks drop. As their peer, what steps would you take?
-
You see a customer slip and fall in the store. What are the first three things you would do in this situation?
-
A customer finds an item with a price tag that looks incorrect given similar items. What would you do?
-
If you saw a coworker acting rude to a customer, how would you approach addressing it with them?
-
If you were left in charge of closing the store one night, what procedures would you follow?
Questions to Ask the Interviewer
Always prepare at least 5-10 engaging questions for the interviewer. This shows your interest in the company. Examples:
-
What do you enjoy most about working for Off Broadway Shoes?
-
How would you describe the company culture?
-
What characteristics make someone really successful here?
-
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the company?
-
What training is provided to new hires?
-
What opportunities are there for growth or advancement?
-
What are the next steps in the interview process?
-
When can I expect to hear back regarding a hiring decision?
Things Off Broadway Shoes Looks For in Candidates
Based on my experience, these are key qualities Off Broadway Shoes looks for:
-
Customer obsession – This is hugely important. They want people truly passionate about customer satisfaction.
-
Adaptability – The ability to adjust quickly and thrive in a fast-paced retail environment.
-
Teamwork – Cohesiveness and collaboration are central to their culture. They want strong team players.
-
Initiative – The drive to pitch in proactively without waiting to be told. Being self-motivated.
-
Positive attitude – Positivity and energy are required to succeed. Enthusiasm for the brand goes a long way.
-
Reliability – They need people who show up on time consistently and take ownership of their duties.
-
Integrity – How you treat customers and team members says a lot. They observe how
Why Should We Hire You Instead of Someone Else Out There?
Shopping is all about making sales, so if you can’t sell yourself, why should someone hire you to sell their stuff?
People who hire want to hear that you know what their team needs and that you can bring something new to the table. Impress them by reminding them of how your skills complement the team.
Try something like:
“Of course you already know that I’m an experienced cashier who can relate to almost any customer. I also live right around the corner, so I can fill in at very short notice.” Like you said, you want someone skilled and flexible. I’m great on the sales floor, in the stockroom, and at the customer service desk. That’s why I’m a perfect fit for your team. ”.
Tell Me About a Time When You Dealt With an Extremely Difficult Customer.
It can feel like you’re being followed around like a pop star at a 16th birthday party, as I said before. This question is asked by hiring managers to see how you handle rudeness, dismissal, and anger, which salespeople often have to deal with every day. We want to know that you are a solution finder and de-escalator.
When asked this question, the best way to answer is to tell a story that shows how good you are at calming people down without going on and on about bad customers. You can stay on track by using the STAR method, which was made for this type of “tell me about a time when” question. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result:
- Situation: Give any background needed to understand your story.
- Explain what you had to do and what your part was in the situation.
- Steps you took to deal with the situation: Write them down.
- Result: Talk about the outcomes of your actions.
Let’s look at what the STAR method looks like in action. For this question, you might say:
- “When I worked at Acme Department Store, a customer tried to return sheets that were clearly used as a cape.” The customer still had the original packaging and receipt, even though the hem of the flat sheet was dirty and torn. They demanded a full refund and was rude to customer service when they couldn’t get it. ”.
- Task: “Our company policy says that it’s up to the manager to decide whether to accept returns on broken items.” That kind of day-to-day work fell on me as the shift leader-in-charge. That was it! These sheets were going back to corporate headquarters, no way could we sell them again. ”.
- “I stepped in and told the customer that our company policy didn’t allow him to return the items, but I would be happy to let them exchange them for something else, and I would even help them find something else to take home that same day.” I asked someone else to work the floor for me so I could give this customer my full attention. ” .
- “The customer was able to find a tailgate table for a similar price after 20 minutes of personal attention and was more than happy to make an exchange.” ” .
Don’t complain about customers in your answer; instead, talk about what you did to solve the problem as best you could.
BOOTS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS! (How to Pass a Boots Job Interview!)
FAQ
What questions do they ask in a shoe store interview?
Is it okay to wear sneakers to an interview?
Is it appropriate to wear heels to an interview?
