The Zappos Family Customer Support Representative Interview Questions
& Process

I applied for the CLT position just before Zappos updated their hiring process. A friend of a friend alerted me that the application link was live, so I applied online right away, and the link disappeared about 30 minutes later! A few days later, I got an email saying the first step was to complete two online assessments: one was a typing test (I think the minimum was 20 wpm), and the other was a grammar test. Both were pretty easy. The day after finishing the tests, I got another email confirming I passed. The next step was an in-person interview with two people. One conducted a "Culture" interview, and the other handled the "Technical" interview. My culture interview was about 45 minutes and felt like a standard job interview with some Zappos-specific questions, so definitely research the company beforehand! Then, I moved on to the technical interview, which took place in a small room with a computer. The interviewer presented scenarios and watched me use the Zappos site or Google to find customer information. It seemed like they just wanted to verify basic internet navigation skills. She also asked some "What would you do?" questions related to handling difficult customer calls, like a scenario involving a family needing shoes for a vacation. After the interview, I was told they'd make a decision within the week. I left and went to a movie, and when I got out, I had an email saying I'd passed that stage. The job was mine as long as I passed the employment verification and background checks, which took about a week. Finally, I received a call officially offering me the position!

The interviewers were nice and polite. The whole thing lasted about an hour or two. Some employees introduced themselves and asked me some questions. The questions they asked were a bit unusual, so I can see how it might be hard for some people to get ready for it.

After setting up my account on the Zappos Insiders site, my recruiter reached out, and things moved along really smoothly and quickly after that. My recruiter was super responsive to emails, which was a nice change from other job applications. I got links for a skills test and to record a video interview. The video interview wasn't too scary; there was a time limit and no retakes, but the focus was on being creative and yourself, not on practicing. There was also a typing test, and after that, I got the last few steps, which involved writing a letter to Tony explaining why I thought I should be hired. I really liked the application questions, like getting to answer 'My favorite Superhero and why?' It was fun going through everything. Once I submitted all the parts and passed each one, I had my in-person interview, which included another computer-based skills test. I'd never been to Zappos HQ before and was really impressed by how friendly everyone was. I've worked at big companies with tons of employees, but none had that same welcoming vibe. Even another candidate interviewing at the same time was really friendly (we both got hired and are in the same training class, so I already had a coworker friend!). The interview was great; my recruiter was a pleasure to meet in person, and we chatted and joked around beyond the usual interview questions. It felt more like catching up with a new friend than a formal interview. We were having such a good time that we didn't notice how much time had passed before I was supposed to switch to the other person for the skills part. Next, I interviewed with someone else where I sat at the computer and handled mock customer calls while using Zappos' systems. It was my first time in that kind of situation, but it was cool to see them assess someone's ability and willingness to show empathy, navigate issues, and help the customer. After it was all done, I felt really good about it and honestly had more fun in this interview than any other. I heard back in just a couple of days, and the final step was the background check. That went smoothly, and then I got the offer. Overall, it was an amazing experience, and I wish more companies handled their hiring process like Zappos.