Teavana Sales Associate Interview Questions
& Process

I applied online through the mall's website. The next day, I received a call and scheduled an interview for three days later. The interview was pretty chill. The Assistant Manager made me a cup of tea, and we went to a seating area in the mall. We sat down, and he asked me some basic retail questions. Since I wasn't familiar with up-selling, I asked him to explain it so I could answer properly. He also asked me to do a short presentation on the tea I was drinking, focusing on its taste, smell, and when it would be suitable to drink.

I applied online and then turned in a hard copy of my cover letter and resume to the store. It took a while for them to get back to me, so I was surprised when the manager called. They had found my information in their system and wanted to schedule an interview. When I arrived ten minutes early for my interview, I started chatting with the employees. I asked them about different products and promotions and had them show me various teas. They offered me a cup of tea, which I declined, but I later learned that they usually use your tea choice as an icebreaker during the interview. The manager and I discussed sales strategies and the expected sales per hour, and she mentioned it's a competitive sales environment. She also informed me about an open management position and that they promote from within, so there's potential for advancement. The Starbucks partnership was also reviewed. To wrap up the interview, I inquired about upcoming seasonal promotions and teas. Having done my research beforehand, I specifically asked about the recently released smores tea. The manager then took me back to the store, had me try the tea, and we had a casual conversation while she prepared it.

I applied online and got called in for an interview two days later. When I got to the store, another person was already waiting. While we waited for the others, the team leader gave us a tour and acted like we were customers. The manager was making drinks and briefly explained the tea. Two more people showed up 20 minutes late, and two didn't show up at all. The latecomers also got the tour and drinks. Then we all went to the food court for the interview. We each talked about our most recent job experience and availability. The questions were about a time I dealt with a difficult customer, a time I had to convince someone, and a time I failed to meet a goal and how I handled it. The last question was to sell the cup of tea I was holding. The key was remembering the tea's details, which were provided at the start. I was hired the next day and started a few days after that.