The Student Room Group

Marks and Spencer Interview - Tips?

Hi,

So I've got an interview this Friday (in 3 days) and I'm extremely nervous as the email said that there will be role play and I get shaky and more nervous when acting so that's going to be tough.

I am currently at the start of A-Levels (year 12) and am currently struggling a bit but I don't want to forget anything for the interview. So is there any key information that I NEED to remember?

Also, what role play would it be or is there no way of determining that beforehand? Is it better to just rehearse common scenes?

I am applying for a customer assistant role so do I need to know anything specific for that role?

Thankyou to anyone that replies in time!
I actually done it. My one was about some brands food service. All what u have to do is up sell the customer. She would want something like a chicken sandwhich but a key ingredent is out of stock you are meant to always tell them of other options and make sure to include the brands in house food options. I failed because i said Marks and Spencer when the brand was meant to be some next german name. Make sure you ask who is the firm your representing because when i look at that german name it looked like some gibberish. But overall i passed everything the women said except i got the name wrong. Also try and get involved with the customer to get better marks apparnetly. It will be done in the back litterly u the interviewer and this other employee acting like a lost customer. Take it easy and make aure you read the breif and ask questions beforehand. Believe me its easy.
Original post by arabie2001
I actually done it. My one was about some brands food service. All what u have to do is up sell the customer. She would want something like a chicken sandwhich but a key ingredent is out of stock you are meant to always tell them of other options and make sure to include the brands in house food options. I failed because i said Marks and Spencer when the brand was meant to be some next german name. Make sure you ask who is the firm your representing because when i look at that german name it looked like some gibberish. But overall i passed everything the women said except i got the name wrong. Also try and get involved with the customer to get better marks apparnetly. It will be done in the back litterly u the interviewer and this other employee acting like a lost customer. Take it easy and make aure you read the breif and ask questions beforehand. Believe me its easy.

So should I research different scenarios and try rehearsing them? Is it a memory game kind of? Thanks
No. Its simple litterly they will pass u a paper telling u exactly what to do and how to pass. Its all there. Just be confident
TThey will give u paper and allow u to make notes i used the paper to write whar is not in stock so i dont have 2 flick between 2 papers
I applied 2 the same role as you customer service assistant
Original post by arabie2001
No. Its simple litterly they will pass u a paper telling u exactly what to do and how to pass. Its all there. Just be confident

Ok, thankyou. This is my second interview and I didn't get the previous job because I was too nervous that's all.
Oh yh i forgot to mention you need to upsell everything. Recommends napkins wine desert starters etc
I had an interview for M&S and got the job as a sales assistant about four weeks ago now. I really liked how they didn’t seem to care that I didn’t have very much previous work experience, i don’t think they even asked lol I think I brought up that I worked in a restaurant and they also didn’t care that i was young either (I’m 16 btw). My interview was before the role play so I had to pass that before getting to do the role play. The interview was around six easy questions. Things like “explain a time when you had to present a new idea that you thought would be of benefit, this could be in school, previous work etc”. Stuff like that, they basically want to figure out if you can speak clearly and if you would come across well to customers. As for the role play I was given a booklet with a menu for a vegetarian range. An employee came in (acting as a customer) and said that he was having a dinner party for Vegetarian friends and needed squash or something (I forget lol) in order to make a pie. You had to basically look and see if it was in stock or not and the squash wasn’t so I offered alternatives like pumpkin and sweet potato and then he asked for some deserts and it was the same kind of thing. There was a 3 for 2 deal or something like that so I made sure to tell him about that as well. Just remember they do the role play and interview mostly to see how you would come across to a customer so just be yourself, relax, speak clearly and speak how you would during the role play the same way you would do to a customer in the store if you worked there. ps when I was doing my training the people who I was training with said that they were asked in their interviews to describe a time when they were “in touch”, “innovative” and something else beginning with ‘i’ sorry I forget exactly what it was lol. I’m not sure if the guy forgot to ask me that in the interview or if he chose a different question maybe or maybe he just worded it completely differently. Don’t sweat about it tho cause the interviewer is on your side they aren’t trying to catch you out. Good luck
It was really short (Took only 20 minutes). I arrived about 15 minutes early to make sure because my last interview i was on time but they didn’t like that. Basically, the manager asked me a couple of questions like: what would you do if you were helping a customer but another came up and asked for your help? What would you do if you were helping a customer but noticed spilled milk? What would you do if you have just scanned a weeks worth of shopping and the customer had forgotten their bank card?

The interviewer is truly on your side, just be comfortable because i was nervous but became confortable because he asked about my volunteering which i do.

I didn’t do the role play because the manager said he’d rather ask questions and get proper answers rather than someone acting.

Thanks everyone that helped!
I’m so glad it went well! It sounds completely different to mine lol which took about 2 hours because they were really busy and had to keep going in and out. Hope you get the job!! It’s a really good company to work for, the staff are really friendly.
Original post by Oceanlost
I’m so glad it went well! It sounds completely different to mine lol which took about 2 hours because they were really busy and had to keep going in and out. Hope you get the job!! It’s a really good company to work for, the staff are really friendly.

I hope I get the job too & compared to other stores the staff are nice and smiley all the time, even when I was waiting they were talking to me which made me more comfortable :smile:

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