I applied online. The process took 4 days. I interviewed at Half Price Books (Houston, TX) in Oct 2017
Interview
I arrived 15 minutes early and went up to the front desk and told them I had an interview. I was brought back to the office where I was introduced to two of the store managers. One manager asked the questions while the other one didn't talk but just observed. They began by telling me about the job and all the work that would be required from selling books, buy backs, research, and stocking. They then began with formal questions like about my previous jobs, my education and what I studied, to what I thought good customer service was, an example of when something went wrong with a customer and how I fixed the problem, what I did at previous jobs, and then we talked about what my favorite books were, what genres I like to read, and a few book related questions. I could tell the interview was going quite well because as I was talking, the 2nd manager who was supposed to remain quiet, chirped in and we all began to have a conversation and some laughs. The whole process from the time I applied to the time I received the job was a total of 4 days. I applied on the first day, had the interview on the third day and was offered the job on the fourth. The interview lasted for about 15-20 minutes and then they said if I got the job they would call me back.
If a customer came in looking for a novel for their daughter that was fantasy based with little to no nudity or sexual scenes, what would you recommend?
Was a fairly standard retail job interview. Asked about previous retail experience, challenging situations, and also asked about your favorite media or books. Wasn't a particularly challenging interview if you've worked retail before. Didn't last long at all, probably around 20 minutes.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What was a difficult situation that you had with a customer and how did you resolve it?
Very straightforward they ask question and as about your background and what kind of media, books, and movies you like. Just be yourself and personable and you’re good. They also go over your resume so make Sure you know what to say and what your wrote. Very friendly!
Easy, straight to the point, very casual. They walk you to the office in the back room and it’s more like a casual conversation than anything. Management is really nice and had a good amount of laughs throughout. They ask if you specialize in a certain topic as well (what books do you read)
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Previous experience, any experience working a register or retail