Sainsbury's Interview On Tuesday

RainyDays1999 · 18 July 2019 at 6:18PM

I've got an interview this Tuesday for an online assistant for Sainsbury's. Since around 2017, I've had about 6 interviews with Sainsbury's and failed them all. Is there any tips and advice you can give me regarding answering the questions?

I remember some of the questions were:

Give a time you received great customer service and what made it special?

Why have you applied for Sainsbury's and not other stores like Tesco or Asda?

What do you think your role entails?

Give a time you've dealt with a difficult person?

Give a time you've work in a team?

I just really want this job, does anyone here work at Sainsbury's or has worked there before? I really need some help to answer the questions.

Thanks all.

JReacher1 · 18 July 2019 at 6:27PM

They must quite like you if they are prepared to interview so many times.

You must be on their system, and feedback will have been provided about previous interviews so I would suspect you’re positively rated but each time have lost out to a more suitable candidate.

Good luck!

RainyDays1999 · 18 July 2019 at 6:41PM

JReacher1 wrote: »

They must quite like you if they are prepared to interview so many times.

You must be on their system, and feedback will have been provided about previous interviews so I would suspect you’re positively rated but each time have lost out to a more suitable candidate.

Good luck!

It's an automatic system, if you pass the online questions you automatically get an interview (I think that's how it works)

I did phone up for feedback, but no one has gotten back to me just yet.

Hopefully I pass this one!

Neil_Jones · 18 July 2019 at 7:48PM

RainyDays1999 wrote: »

Is there any tips and advice you can give me regarding answering the questions?

I remember some of the questions were:

Give a time you received great customer service and what made it special?

Consider when you want something that's "out the back" because it hasn't been restocked yet on the shelves. Somebody went to get a tin of beans (or whatever) for you. Consider did they do that because they wanted to or because they had to?

Why have you applied for Sainsbury's and not other stores like Tesco or Asda?

Probably best not to mention staff discount...

What do you think your role entails?

You've been in supermarkets yourself, do you think workers stand around drinking tea all day? Do shelves stack themselves? Do delivery lorries unpack themselves?

Give a time you've dealt with a difficult person?

This works both ways both from somebody to you (with them as the customer) and with you (as the customer). If you came across a problematic business representative what would you do?

Give a time you've work in a team?

Self explanatory, just remember that working in a lot of jobs could be classed as "team" even though it doesn't always feel like it. As an example if you worked for the council you'd be in a "team" even though you quite often are the one the customers come to first.

I just really want this job, does anyone here work at Sainsbury's or has worked there before? I really need some help to answer the questions.

You'll be fine. Get there early (about ten minutes or so, not four hours or something

), dress smartly (should go without saying really), smile, nod, engage, talk, talk some more and make them want you.

vroombroom · 18 July 2019 at 9:20PM

I worked for Sainsburys for 2 years and it's alllll about the customer. Some examples:

Give a time you received great customer service and what made it special?
I recently went into *shop* and asked if they had *product*. Unfortunately they were out of stock but the staff member I spoke to listened to why I needed *product* and instead suggested an alternative, which is actually better suited to my needs than the original

Why have you applied for Sainsbury's and not other stores like Tesco or Asda?
I have been a customer of Sainsburys for while and I always receive great service from the staff. I like the selection of products and I would be proud to say I worked here

What do you think your role entails?
Online are the ones who pick the customer's shopping for it to be delivered - working to own initiative, excellent time keeping, good attention to detail etc

Give a time you've dealt with a difficult person?
Go back to the first question, but swap places. You've got a customer who wants a certain thing but you can't give them it/you don't have it etc so offer an alternative. Obviously apply this to your current job/college etc

Give a time you've work in a team?
Think of when you have worked on a project or a task....suggesting ideas...delegating tasks etc....

Good luck, fingers crossed for you

DCFC79 · 18 July 2019 at 10:10PM

I wish you luck OP.

[Deleted User] · 18 July 2019 at 10:17PM

Good Luck

[Deleted User] · 18 July 2019 at 11:10PM

6 interviews at the same company, I think I would have given up.

Few years ago I had about 5 interviews at the same finance/loan company and just grew to realise it would never happen. Always got the email that said you come across well but no thanks.

From what I remember about my S@insbury successful part time interview was they liked hearing how they were much better then the competition and the interview included a walk round of store where I had to observe stuff.

RainyDays1999 · 19 July 2019 at 12:18PM

vroombroom wrote: »

I worked for Sainsburys for 2 years and it's alllll about the customer. Some examples:

Give a time you received great customer service and what made it special?
I recently went into *shop* and asked if they had *product*. Unfortunately they were out of stock but the staff member I spoke to listened to why I needed *product* and instead suggested an alternative, which is actually better suited to my needs than the original

Why have you applied for Sainsbury's and not other stores like Tesco or Asda?
I have been a customer of Sainsburys for while and I always receive great service from the staff. I like the selection of products and I would be proud to say I worked here

What do you think your role entails?
Online are the ones who pick the customer's shopping for it to be delivered - working to own initiative, excellent time keeping, good attention to detail etc

Give a time you've dealt with a difficult person?
Go back to the first question, but swap places. You've got a customer who wants a certain thing but you can't give them it/you don't have it etc so offer an alternative. Obviously apply this to your current job/college etc

Give a time you've work in a team?
Think of when you have worked on a project or a task....suggesting ideas...delegating tasks etc....

Good luck, fingers crossed for you

Thank you for the tips!

Smodlet · 20 July 2019 at 4:48PM

Please allow me to add my good wishes. Believe in yourself! It is clear from your post you really want this job; just make the interviewer(s) see that, too.

If this job is, in fact, picking and packing online orders it might be argued it is even more important for you to put yourself in the customers' shoes. After all, if you are in the store and they are there in person, you can ask them questions and interpret their tone and body language.

If all you have to go on is a list on a screen, you have to be able to interpret any notes e.g. "Please pick only onions with the longest available shelf life on them" means not picking ones with little or no skin as they have to be used within a day or two; otherwise they begin to rot.

Online customers are not just those too lazy/important to go to the store; they may well have mobility or other issues and people like you are a lifeline to them. You can give them back some measure of their independence. Gone are the days when most people could just ask their neighbours to shop for them. How many even know their neighbours' names now? Even if they do, their neighbours are probably at work when assistance is required.

I did not mean to wax so lyrical and apologise for the waffle. Good luck.

seven-day-weekend · 21 July 2019 at 8:54AM

vroombroom wrote: »

I worked for Sainsburys for 2 years and it's alllll about the customer. Some examples:

Give a time you received great customer service and what made it special?
I recently went into *shop* and asked if they had *product*. Unfortunately they were out of stock but the staff member I spoke to listened to why I needed *product* and instead suggested an alternative, which is actually better suited to my needs than the original

Why have you applied for Sainsbury's and not other stores like Tesco or Asda?
I have been a customer of Sainsburys for while and I always receive great service from the staff. I like the selection of products and I would be proud to say I worked here

What do you think your role entails?
Online are the ones who pick the customer's shopping for it to be delivered - working to own initiative, excellent time keeping, good attention to detail etc

Give a time you've dealt with a difficult person?
Go back to the first question, but swap places. You've got a customer who wants a certain thing but you can't give them it/you don't have it etc so offer an alternative. Obviously apply this to your current job/college etc

Give a time you've work in a team?
Think of when you have worked on a project or a task....suggesting ideas...delegating tasks etc....

Good luck, fingers crossed for you

I agree with that but always emphasise what YOU did to help the team.

With the difficult customer one, tell them a) what the problem was, b) what action was needed to put it right c)what you did to bring about that action d)what the result of that action was and e) emphasise that the customer was happy with the result.

Sainsbury's Interview On Tuesday

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