A customer service situational judgement test presents realistic customer situations and asks candidates to choose the most and least appropriate responses. This guide explains what the Viewpoint Customer Service SJT measures, works through a generic complaint example, summarises the research, and gives practical advice for employers and candidates.

What the Customer Service SJT measures

Every customer interaction is a series of small judgement calls: when to apologise, when to explain, when to bend a rule and when to hold it, how to calm someone who is upset. Staff who make these calls well keep customers coming back; those who don't can lose them in a single conversation.

The Viewpoint Customer Service SJT presents 16 realistic scenarios. For each, candidates choose the most and least appropriate responses. It is untimed and takes up to 15 minutes. It measures four competencies:

• Communicating

• Collaborating

• Understanding customers

• Dealing with challenge

A worked example

The following is a generic illustration written for this article, not an item from the Viewpoint test.

A customer arrives at the counter, angry that an order promised for today has not arrived. The queue behind them is growing. Four possible responses are:

• A. Tell them deliveries are handled by another team and give them a phone number.

• B. Apologise, check the order status there and then, explain what has happened, and agree a next step and when they will hear back.

• C. Ask them to wait to one side until the queue has gone down.

• D. Offer a discount straight away to calm them down.

B would usually be seen as most appropriate: it acknowledges the problem, takes ownership and gives the customer something concrete. A is the clearest least appropriate, because it passes the customer on without help. C and D sit in between: C may sometimes be necessary but can feel dismissive, and D offers compensation before understanding the problem.

What research says

SJTs have a strong research base in selection. McDaniel and colleagues' meta-analysis showed that SJTs predict job performance [1], and Christian, Edwards and Bradley found that SJTs built around interpersonal skills predict related performance particularly well [2]. Customer service is exactly the kind of interpersonal role where this evidence applies.

Using a customer service SJT well

For employers, the SJT is well suited to high-volume hiring in retail, hospitality, leisure, travel and other customer-facing roles. Use it early to shortlist, interpret results in bands from Very Low to Very High, and explore lower-scoring competencies at interview. For example, a candidate with a lower result on Dealing with challenge could be asked about a time a customer was unhappy and what they did.

For candidates, think about what a helpful, honest service professional would do: take ownership, keep the customer informed and stay calm. Read every option before choosing.

See the Customer Service SJT page, our Contact Centre SJT, or all our situational judgement tests.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the Customer Service SJT take?

It is untimed and takes up to 15 minutes, with 16 scenarios.

What does it measure?

Communicating, Collaborating, Understanding customers and Dealing with challenge.

Is it a personality test?

No. It measures judgement in realistic customer situations.

Should it be used on its own?

No. It works best alongside an interview and other evidence, read in score bands rather than as a pass or fail.

References

1. McDaniel, M. A., Hartman, N. S., Whetzel, D. L. & Grubb, W. L. (2007). Situational judgment tests, response instructions, and validity: a meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 60(1), 63–91.
2. Christian, M. S., Edwards, B. D. & Bradley, J. C. (2010). Situational judgment tests: constructs assessed and a meta-analysis of their criterion-related validities. Personnel Psychology, 63(1), 83–117.