A 45-minute interview structure
- Ten minutes: background and why support.
- Fifteen minutes: the questions below, chosen in advance and asked to every candidate.
- Ten minutes: one role-play, you as the customer.
- Five minutes: a short written reply typed in the chat during the call.
- Five minutes: their questions to you.
Keep the whole call in English and on video. Spoken English matters less for written support than written English, but you still need to understand each other on calls; our guide on testing English level explains both checks.
Questions and what good answers sound like
- Tell me about a customer you could not make happy. Good: a real case, what they tried, what they learned. Warning: blames the customer.
- A customer asks for a refund outside our policy. What do you do? Good: understands the policy, looks for what is possible, escalates with a recommendation.
- How do you learn a new product quickly? Good: reads the help centre, uses the product, reads old tickets, asks targeted questions.
- What do you do when you do not know the answer? Good: says so honestly, sets a time for the answer, finds out. Warning: guesses.
- How do you handle twenty open tickets at the start of your shift? Good: sorts by urgency and age, replies to the quick ones, sets expectations on the rest.
- Which help desk tools have you used, and what did you like? Good: specific features like macros, tags, views. The tool itself matters less.
- How do you notice that the same problem keeps coming back? Good: tags, notes, telling the team. This is the agent who will reduce your ticket volume.
- Which numbers did your last team track, and how did you do? Good: knows first response time, resolution time or satisfaction scores, and talks about them honestly, including a bad week.
- How do you stay focused working alone, possibly on an evening shift? Good: a routine, a quiet workspace, breaks, clear handovers. Ask about the hours directly.
- What does good support mean to you? Listen for ownership and honesty rather than slogans.
Three role-play prompts
Play the customer and stay in role for three to five minutes. Give the candidate the facts they would have in the help desk.
Role-play 1: the late order
Customer: “I ordered a gift a week ago, it still hasn't arrived and the birthday is on Saturday. This is ridiculous.”
Facts for the candidate: the tracking shows the parcel stuck at a sorting centre for three days. Express reshipping is possible.
Good looks like: acknowledges the frustration, checks the facts, offers concrete options with honest timing, does not promise what the carrier controls.
Role-play 2: the refund outside policy
Customer: “I want my money back. I know it's been six weeks but I only used it twice.”
Facts: the return window is thirty days; store credit or a repair is possible.
Good looks like: explains the policy without hiding behind it, offers what is possible, stays friendly if the customer pushes.
Role-play 3: the bug report
Customer: “Your app logged me out three times today and I lost my work.”
Facts: there is a known issue with one browser; a fix is coming but has no date.
Good looks like: asks for the device and browser, gives a workaround, is honest about the fix, offers to update the customer.
A live writing task
During the call, paste a short customer email into the chat and give the candidate five minutes to type a reply. You will see real writing speed and quality without preparation.
Writing task
“Hi, I received the wrong size. I need to exchange it but I can't find how on your website. Also, will I have to pay for shipping again?”
Look for: a greeting, a clear answer to both questions, the next step, a friendly close, no spelling mistakes.
Scorecard
Score from one to three straight after the call:
- Empathy: acknowledges feelings without overdoing it.
- Accuracy: gets the facts and policy right.
- Problem solving: offers options, not just apologies.
- Writing: clear, warm and correct.
- Spoken English: understands you and is easy to understand.
- Ownership: talks about fixing causes, not just closing tickets.
Give the best two a short paid test with three tickets based on your real ones, then check references. If you prefer to start from candidates who already passed a written task, a recorded voice answer and a live call, ask Silkstaff for a shortlist.
Questions
Should the role-play be in a call or in writing?
Match the channel of the job. For email and chat support a written role-play in the chat works well; for phone support do it out loud.
What if a candidate freezes in the role-play?
Give them a moment and the facts again. Some nervousness is normal in interviews; what matters is whether they recover and move towards a solution.
How many interview rounds does a support hire need?
One structured interview with a role-play, a short paid test and reference checks are usually enough.
Should I hire someone without support experience?
Yes, if their writing is strong and they come from another customer-facing job such as hospitality or retail. The role-play and the writing task show whether the skills transfer; plan a longer shadowing week.
General information for small employers, not legal or tax advice: check contracts, tax and data rules for your country with a qualified adviser. Figures carry their sources below; our own prices are on the pricing page. Spotted a mistake? Write to hello@silkstaff.com.