Hard to imagine getting the yes from Apple... yet I can't imagine getting a no, either. Just reading through some of these responses (daily, now, it seems) there's a lot of concern about whether or not the trouble shooting questions are going to be too difficult to answer. I've been in customer service in some role or another (currently in Sales for a warranty company, which involves a lot of customer service interaction), and I can only think to offer the following advice... as was said many times in different ways.
Empathy. Are you a people person? Do you care about the person that you're talking to on the other end of the phone or are you trying to move on to the next call or get to the end of your shift? Being a people-person has a lot to do with your personality. Not everyone is cut out for it - are you? That's what they want to see. They can teach troubleshooting techniques... It's more difficult to turn someone into a person who cares about others.
Think of "give an example of when you..." questions as an opportunity to display your passion for helping others and making them feel good. So that you care about listening, empathizing, apologizing when needed - or just being sorry that something happened to the person, and take initiative.
Which is more important? A great customer experience or fixing the problem? The customer can get their problem fixed anywhere. What's going to set you a part from the next person who can fix that problem? The way you make that customer feel by the time they're done with you on the phone or in the chat session. It's all about the customer. It's all about your passion for the customer.
That's the key.
My third interview is Wednesday. Hoping to score a yes... I've already laid out plans to remodel my garage into a sound proof office space... can't wait to get that sweet space age looking ergonomic chair to go with it for the July classes.
