Insurance and Call Center Job Interview Questions to Ask and Answer

by Todd Hicks

Are you someone who interviews job applicants in the insurance, market research or call center industries? Are you someone who wants to work in one of these fields? I have worked as a telemarketer and market research telephone interviewer and I have a good idea of what it is like to work as a call center representative.

If you hire candidates for these fields, you can learn good questions to ask to find the right employee. If you are a job seeker who handles people, stress and adversity well, you will learn how to answer questions you might be asked in an interview while saying what is truly in your heart.

Insurance Agent: "I would sometimes give you a script to follow when calling a particular group of prospects. How would you handle it?"

Job Applicant: "I would handle the situation well. I closely follow directions; additionally, I can say everything I need to say and answer a prospect's questions while being conversational and not coming across as a robot."

Insurance Agent: "You will be hung up on at least once in a while. How would you react?"

Job Applicant: "If I am hung up on, I will not let it bother me. I will simply continue to make calls while remaining happy all day."

Insurance Agent: "This job involves telemarketing. Your job will be to call prospects on a list I assign to you and write leads by recording brief information and setting up a potential appointment with the prospect to receive an insurance quote from me. How do you feel about this?"

Job Applicant: "I am excited. I do not become bored on the job and I love chatting with other people."

Insurance Agent: "How familiar are you with the insurance industry?"

Job Applicant: "I am very familiar with auto insurance and I have done research on your company."

Telephone Interview Hiring Manager: "We expect our employees to be professional. How would you conduct yourself?"

Job Applicant: "I would always talk professionally and be courteous to the interview respondents, my fellow workers and the management team."

Telephone Interview Hiring Manager: "Are you up to the challenge of making dozens of calls while enduring periods when only a few people will answer the telephone?"

Job Applicant: "Yes. I will always bring plenty of energy and enthusiasm."

Telephone Interview Hiring Manager: "What will you do if you are hung up on once you introduce yourself to a respondent?"

Job Applicant: "I might call the person back to see if we were disconnected while maintaining my cool."

Call Center Hiring Manager: "Let's say an irate caller insults or bawls you out because he is frustrated with our service. How will you handle this scenario?"

Job Applicant: "I will stay calm, ask him questions relevant to his situation and do my best to help him. If he will not stop verbally abusing me, I will just hang up. I will never stoop to a caller's level by returning verbal abuse."

Call Center Hiring Manager: "Accuracy, speed and attention to detail are very important for this position. How can you fulfill these requirements?"

Job Applicant: "I am a fast, accurate typist and I have a good listening aptitude. I will ask a caller to spell her name and address while recording it and if I'm not sure about something she tells me, I will politely ask her for clarification."

Call Center Hiring Manager: "You will sometimes receive a heavy call volume and be needed to handle a few hundred calls. Is this likely to be a problem for you?"

Job Applicant: "No. I have lots of energy and I do not let stress overwhelm me."

Call Center Hiring Manager: "We sometimes require reps to work nights and weekends. Would you be flexible?"

Job Applicant: "Yes."

Call Center Hiring Manager: "What will you do if you cannot solve a caller's problem?"

Job Applicant: "I will ask a fellow worker or supervisor for help."

Let this dialogue be your guide for hiring the right person or being hired for a position in the insurance, telephone interview or call center fields!

About The Author
Todd Hicks owns Skill Development Institute, an enterprise that provides a keyboard typing lesson and academic study guide. To become a great typist or student, visit Skill Development Institute.