Retail Sales Associate Interview Questions

A Retail Sales Associate, also known as a Sales Associate, works in stores, greeting customers and helping them find items that they are looking for.

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

Retail Sales Associate Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Retail Sales Associate interview questions.

1. Why do you want to work as a Retail Sales Associate?
2. Why do you think you’d be a great fit for this position?
3. Have you ever worked in retail before? Mention the two most important things you learned from this experience?
4. What is the main thing you need to accomplish in every customer interaction?
5. Narrate a time you had to deal with a difficult customer complaint. How did you successfully handle it?
6. What does ‘the customer is always right’ really mean?
7. If you are hired, how long do you plan to work here?
8. What is a sales strategy? Can you think of an example of a sales strategy that might work for the company?
9. You observe a coworker being rude to a customer. What would you do?
10. Which is more important: speedy, efficient service, or taking as much time as needed to help a customer?
11. Talk about a time you worked hard to exceed a personal goal.
12. What role do you think competition plays in a sales associate team?
13. Sales associates represent a brand. What do you think the ideal representative of our brand is like? What traits and qualities should they exemplify?
14. How do you determine which products are right for your customers?
15. How do you balance meeting sales quotas with maximizing customer satisfaction?
16. Describe a time when you provided stellar customer service. What impact did this have?
17. How do you make sales and promote a high-value average transaction?
18. How do you define good customer service?
19. If a customer is rude, unruly, or confrontational, what do you do?
20. When a customer is looking for a product or service you cannot provide, what do you say?
21. How do you exceed a customer's expectations?
22. Can you cashier/manage a shift/recruit/work stock/run a POS Register?
23. Would you be comfortable completing POS purchases and returns?
24. Would you mind doing a short sales demo today?
25. Do you work well with people?
26. What would you do if your replacement didn’t show up?
27. The Point of Sales machine is broken. What do you say to customers?
28. How would you handle an irate customer asking to speak to a Manager?

Retail Sales Associate 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 Retail Sales Associate interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

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