Sales and customer service

What interviewers look for

• Product knowledge: fees, limits, how to register and what to do when a transaction fails. You cannot sell or support what you do not understand.
• A target mindset: you know your numbers every week, can explain your pipeline, and act when you are behind.
• Calm under pressure: a long queue, an angry caller, a network outage. Panels test this with a role-play, not a question.
• Honesty with customers: real fees and limits explained clearly, and no promise of a refund or a time you cannot guarantee.
• Clear records: every call, visit and complaint logged in the CRM or ticket system so the next person can continue.

Questions they ask

1. 1“Take us through your sales process, from finding a customer to closing.”

   Why they ask: They check whether you sell with a method or by luck. A clear process can be taught, measured and repeated.

   How to answer

   • Name the stages: prospecting, first contact, finding the need, presenting, handling objections, closing, follow-up.
   • Give one real example that goes through the stages.
   • Say how you track it: a sheet or CRM with each lead and its stage.

   I start by listing possible customers in my area, for example shops near the market that still take only cash. I visit, introduce myself and ask how they get paid and what problems they have. If a shop loses sales when customers have no cash, I show how the merchant account solves that, with the real fees. If they worry about the fees, I compare them with the sales they are losing. I ask for a registration that day or a second visit, and I record each shop and its stage in my sheet.

2. 2“A customer says: “Your fees are higher than the competitor's.” How do you respond?”

   Why they ask: Objection handling. They check that you listen, stay honest and move to value, instead of arguing or attacking the competitor.

   How to answer

   • Acknowledge the concern and ask what matters most to them: price, speed, coverage or trust.
   • Be honest about the fee, then show the value that fits their need.
   • Never speak badly about the competitor; ask for a small next step instead.

   I would thank the customer for telling me and ask what they mostly use the service for. If they send money to family in rural areas, I would say honestly that our fee is a little higher, and then explain what they get for it: agents in those districts, so the family can cash out nearby without travelling. I would not criticise the other company. I would suggest they try one transfer with us this month and compare for themselves.

3. 3“You are halfway through the month and at 35% of your target. What do you do?”

   Why they ask: They check that you track numbers early and act, instead of waiting and hoping. A plan with numbers scores well.

   How to answer

   • Check the pipeline: how many leads are close, how many need a visit, and what your conversion rate has been.
   • Work out the number needed each day and focus on the most promising leads first.
   • Tell your supervisor early and ask for support, such as a promotion day or a new area.

4. 4“Tell us about a complaint you resolved.”

   Why they ask: They check the steps: listen, apologise for the experience, get the facts, fix or escalate, follow up and record. And whether you stayed calm.

   How to answer

   • Use STAR, and say what the customer felt and what you did first.
   • Show the process: the ticket, who you escalated to, the time you promised and kept.
   • End with the result and what changed so it would not happen again.

   A customer called because money had left his account but his wife had not received it. He was shouting. I let him finish, apologised for the worry, and took the transaction ID, the date and both phone numbers. The system showed the transfer had gone to a wrong number because of one digit. I opened a ticket, escalated it to the reversals team and told him honestly it could take up to a day. I called him the next morning to confirm the money was back, and I logged the outcome in the CRM.

5. 5“What is a CRM, and how have you used one?”

   Why they ask: Most telecoms, banks and call centres log every contact. They check that you understand why records matter, and that you are honest about the systems you have used.

   How to answer

   • Explain it simply: one system that holds each customer's details, contacts, requests and complaints.
   • Say what you logged and why: so any colleague can pick up the case.
   • If you used only Excel or a paper log, say so, and show how quickly you learn new systems.

6. 6“As an agent supervisor, how would you make sure 20 mobile money agents follow the rules?”

   Why they ask: Supervisor roles need a routine: visits, checks, training and records. They also check that you know the risks: float shortages, skipped ID checks and fraud.

   How to answer

   • A visit plan: each agent seen on a schedule, with the same checklist (ID checks, tariff shown, float level, records).
   • Use the data: transaction reports show agents with unusual activity or repeated float problems.
   • Train, record what you find, and escalate fraud or serious breaches as the procedure says.

   I would divide the agents into routes and visit each one at least every two weeks with the same checklist: are they checking customer ID, is the tariff poster visible, is the float enough for the day, and are the records complete. Before each visit I would look at their transaction report for anything unusual. After the visit I would write my findings in a shared sheet and agree one action with the agent. Weak agents would get a short refresher, and any sign of fraud would go straight to my manager.

7. 7“How do you stay calm on a day with a long queue or many angry calls?”

   Why they ask: They check self-control and practical habits, not a promise that you “never get angry”.

   How to answer

   • Give real habits: one customer at a time, a slow breath, not taking insults personally.
   • Say what you do about the queue: tell people the waiting time, call a colleague, deal with urgent cases first.
   • Give a short example of a busy day and how it ended.

Example answers are in English, the language most panels use. Say it in your own words.

Topics to revise

• Sales pipelineYour list of possible customers grouped by stage: lead (a name), prospect (interested), negotiation, won or lost. Managers ask how many you have at each stage to predict your month.
• Conversion rateThe share of contacts who become customers. If 30 visits give 6 sign-ups, the rate is 20%. Use it to plan: at 20%, twelve sign-ups need about 60 visits.
• Handling objectionsAn objection is a reason not to buy: price, trust, “I'll think about it”, “I already use another company”. The method: listen, acknowledge, ask a question, answer with a fact, and check it is solved.
• Upselling and cross-sellingUpselling is offering a bigger or better version, such as a larger data bundle. Cross-selling is offering a related product, such as a savings account with a salary account. Offer only what truly fits the customer.
• Complaint handling stepsListen, apologise for the experience, get the facts (IDs, dates, numbers), fix or escalate with a ticket, give an honest timeline, follow up, and record the outcome. Panels often ask you to list them in order.
• CRM and ticketingA CRM holds customer records and history; a ticket system tracks each request with a number, a status and an owner. Know the words open, escalated, resolved and closed.
• Call centre KPIs (AHT, FCR, CSAT)AHT, average handling time: how long a call takes. FCR, first contact resolution: the share of problems solved in the first contact. CSAT, customer satisfaction: how satisfied customers say they are. Rushing calls can lower FCR.
• KYC (Know Your Customer)Checking and recording a customer's identity before opening an account or registering a SIM or wallet. It protects against fraud and money laundering. Agents who skip it put the company at risk.
• Agent float and rebalancingFloat is the e-money and cash an agent holds to serve customers. Too little of either and customers are turned away, so supervisors plan rebalancing so agents can handle both cash-in and cash-out.
• Target vs forecastA target is the number the company sets for you; a forecast is what you honestly expect from your pipeline. A good salesperson reports the gap between them early, with a plan.

Practical tasks you may get

1. 1Complaint call role-play: a panellist plays an angry customer whose money did not arrive. Practise the steps aloud with a friend, including what you say when you cannot fix it during the call.
2. 2Target plan exercise: “Here is a target for a new area. Write your plan.” Prepare a simple structure: who, how many visits a week at your expected conversion rate, where to find them, and how you track progress.
3. 3Written reply: answer a customer complaint email in English in 10–15 minutes. Practise a short structure: thank, apologise, say what you checked, the solution or next step with a time, and a polite close.
4. 4Supervisor case: a table of ten agents with their monthly figures, and you say which ones need a visit and why. Practise reading such a table: look for sudden changes, very high or zero activity, and repeated float problems.

Mistakes to avoid

• Listing product features before asking the customer a single question.
• Promising a refund or a fix time you do not control, just to end an angry call.
• Talking badly about competitors. It sounds unprofessional, and customers stop trusting you.
• Giving only feelings (“I love people”) with no numbers: targets, calls a day, complaints closed.
• Not knowing the employer's main products and fees. Visit a branch or agent, or read their website and leaflets, before the interview.

Quick check

5 questions. Answer each one to see the explanation.