Front Desk Representative Interview Questions

Front Desk Representatives undertake all receptionist and clerical duties at the desk of a company's main entrance. Front Desk Representatives are the “face” of the company for all visitors and will be responsible for the compay's first impression.

Some of their duties include answering customer questions, offering customer support, guiding and advising customers, keeping the front office clean and representative, following the agendas and scripts.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Front Desk Representative or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Front Desk Representative position, these Front Desk Representative interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Front Desk Representative Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Front Desk Representative interview questions.

1. Was there a time you lost your patience with someone?
2. What would you do if someone approached the front desk and said they lost the key to their room, but their name wasn’t on the reservation and they did not have ID?
3. Have you ever faced a raging customer?
4. What would you do if a guest requested an early check-in time but you had another reservation staying in that room from the night before?
5. Describe a time you were faced with a difficult situation where a co worker was at fault. How did you handle it?
6. How often do you think you should clean the front desk area?
7. How do you keep guests happy when there is a long wait line at the front desk and you don’t have any coworkers around to help you?
8. Have you ever disagreed with your manager’s instructions and what happened?
9. If a customer asks you a question that you are unsure about, how would you handle it?
10. Have you ever worked an overnight shift and are you comfortable staffing the front desk at night?
11. Tell me about a time you lost a dissatisfied customer. What did you learn? Did you take any steps to win them back?
12. Which customer service skills do you find the most challenging to perform?
13. How do you prioritize your duties at the front desk, particularly during high occupancy periods?
14. How would you deal with an upset guest and their complaints?
15. What will be your response if a guest asks you for directions to a nightclub close to the hotel?
16. In the past, how did you handle a situation in which you couldn’t solve a guest’s problem?
17. What is your experience with using computer systems to perform your job duties?
18. How do you handle important front desk decisions without a supervisor present?
19. What would you do if you were taking a reservation over the phone and a guest came up to you and started complaining about their room?
20. An employee at your company is late for an appointment with a guest who has already arrived. How would you handle this situation?
21. How would you respond if a guest insisted that the price of their room was cheaper online or through a third-party booking?
22. How do you define excellent customer service?
23. Describe your experience with hospitality.
24. Do you have experience working with third-party booking sites and processing cancellations and upgrades through these channels?
25. What is your experience with POS systems?
26. What would you do if a company was hosting a large event in a conference room and one of the other guests complained about the noise?
27. How would you respond if a guest leaves with towels — our towels — visible in the top of their luggage?
28. Provide an example of a time when you went above and beyond to help a customer and how it helped the customer’s experience.
29. What strategies do you use to calm guests down when they are upset or frustrated?
30. We want to ensure that our customers feel welcome and comfortable when they visit our business. How would you make sure that the front desk area is clean and welcoming?
31. How do you manage to be friendly at work when you have personal problems?
32. Have you ever had to enforce a hotel policy that you disagreed with?
33. What would you do if you noticed suspicious activity on the security cameras while you were working at the front desk?

Front Desk Representative Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Front Desk Representative interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

1. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
2. Tell Me About Yourself
3. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
4. What is Your Salary Expectation?
5. Why Do You Want This Job?
6. What is Your Greatest Weakness?
7. Why Should We Hire You?
8. What is Your Greatest Strength?
9. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
10. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?