Could people give me any pointers, this is an sample of a test that will come up in my test next week.

During this exercise you will need to bear in mind that when you answer the interviewers will be assessing the following competencies:

Shows good judgement
Develops good working relationships
Manages conflict
Promotes equal opportunity


It is 4pm on Wednesday and you are working as one of a team of 4 reps at Forest World Leisure Centre in Norfolk. The four of you have to co-ordinate activities for the afternoon but several things are going wrong and you are on the reception desk and in charge in the absence of your manager, who has asked not to be disturbed until at least 6pm because she is in a conference in Cornwall. She has delegated you the authority to sort out any difficulties and try to resolve any complaints informally. Your three colleagues all have radios, so that you can keep in contact. One is on his hour’s break, the other is working behind the bar and the third has popped out for half an hour with his girlfriend to buy her a birthday present and specially asked not to be disturbed while he does this.

SCENARIO 1.

A reporter and photographer from the County Gazette newspaper are due to arrive in half an hour to interview guests and report on the efficiency of Forest World for a centre spread feature at the weekend. Your manager told you it was absolutely vital that they got a good impression of the Centre, particularly as Forest World has just won an award for dedication to health and safety and equality and diversity issues. One of your team has popped out for half an hour with his girlfriend to buy her a birthday present and specially asked not to be disturbed while he does this, and another has come to your desk and asked to be excused because she forgot that she had her gym session booked for 5pm and needs to head off.

How would you deal with this situation?

I would access the situation; I know that there are four of us. I would first ask the guy who is having a 1hr break to take his lunch another time or go home early. I would contact the guy who has gone out to buy his girlfriend a b’day present to immediately come back and also request the person who has forgot her gym session to cancel and help out.


SCENARIO 2.

Accommodation at the Centre is allocated as follows. Rooms for smokers are located at the rear of the hotel, facing the forest. All non-smoking twin rooms overlook the lake on the other side, though there are three single rooms for smokers on the lake side. Accommodation is normally cleaned by noon but you are aware that one of the cleaners has gone sick. A couple called Faroq and Hasana from room 12 then come up to your counter to complain that not only has the cleaner failed to clean their room but that they specifically asked to be in a double room with a lake view when they booked and they are now facing the forest. You check their booking and note that this is so, but that they also asked for a smokers’ room. They start to shout very loudly that you are obviously discriminating against them because they are muslim and they are going to make an official complaint and write to the local paper. They also ask for a 50% reduction in the cost of their room, though you know this is strictly against the manager’s instructions.

How would you deal with this situation?

I would not offer a 50% discount, I would try to calm them down by taking them to another room and saying that I will take their complaint aboard and inform the manager. With them shouting will not change anything and stress the point that we the staff treat everyone equally and fairly regardless of their race, colour or disability.

SCENARIO 3

A mobile phone call from a bus driver comes through when you are still busy with the previous issues, almost at that same moment to say that a coach load of young teenagers who have been on a day trip to the coast has broken down fifteen miles away. Some of the children have started crying and their parents are gathered in the bar expecting them to return very shortly because they have evening activities arranged. Several have bought tickets for their children to see a film in the Forest World cinema at six o’clock. One of the parents has already spoken to you and says she is concerned because her child is diabetic and she needs to give her medication as soon as the coach returns.

How would you deal with this situation?

I would gather a meeting with the parents and inform them of the situation. Get a driver to take another coach with the mother of the diabetic and also inform the ambulance of the location just in case the child needs medical attention. I would also inform the manager when they arrive.


SCENARIO 4

An elderly couple from Room 23 come up to your desk shouting at you saying you are completely incompetent. They complain that they didn’t receive their free copy of the Daily Telegraph this morning and they have been sitting waiting for their cream tea in the coffee lounge for the last half hour. They say they think they have waited just about long enough and demand to have a free cream tea, even though you know that this is strictly against the policy of the Centre. Nevertheless the couple put you on the spot and demand an instant answer.

How would you deal with this situation?

I would apologise about the delay in service and offer a free cream tea as I know it’s against the policy of the centre. I would also have a meeting with the staff who delayed the service and then inform the manager.

I understand just how sensitive these scenarios are.

Scenario number one - with a meeting this important, no employees should be allowed to take off to buy a gift or head to the gym. That tells me the employees do not have any vested interest in their work or their employer. I would reaffirm to them the importance of them being there and request their presence as a non optional request. If they fail to comply, they are terminated for just cause.

Scenario number two - to make an issue out of accommodations using the racial or religious issue is, sadly, not uncommon. It works too - people who shout and squeak like that are the ones who get their way - because who wants to deal with that? Behavior like that disrupts everyone - customers and employees alike. That being said, I would show them that when they booked the room and had certain preferences (the smoking), the rooms available were limited and they were booked into the rooms that could accommodate their need. Something like that may be headed off when they come in - review their request and state that while they wanted the room by the lake, that room was a designated non smoking. That the smoking rooms avaialbe faced the forest. It is their decision to either take the lake accommodations and NOT smoke or take the smoking rooms. You cannot do much about the cleaning - sick one of the maids was sick. I would not give 50% off but I might consider 25% off, due to the cleaning issue.

Scenario three - By all means, contact the parents and inform them the coach broke down. That gives the parents comfort in knowing where they are and the parents can choose to go and retrieve their child. For the child who is diabetic, I would go the extra step and take the Mother with me, in the staff car and go to the coach. Calling the ambulance before leaving and giving the location is a very good idea. You want to cover all the bases and avoid any lliability. Of course, inform the manager when she returns.

Scenario four - I would definitely apoligize for them not receiving their newspaper and cream tea. I would promise to check on why and I would do that while they are standing there, so that they know you are just putting them off. It could be the newspaper was not delivered to the centre. So that would be completely out of your control. Finding out what is in your control and fixing it. What is the harm in giving them a complimentary cream tea? It buys goodwill. If the centre goes broke because of that, there are more serious problems. AS afar as the newspaper, you could offer to go and obtain one for them and deliver it personally. I would definitely check on who failed to do their job. Customer service is on all levels.

When a person receives excellent service, you have gained a repeat customer. When a person receives shoddy service, you have lost that person and you can bet that the person goes back home and repeats the tale of woe to everyone that will listen.