Fast Food Restaurant Job Interview Questions: What to Expect?

You have successfully completed a job application for a top fast food restaurant, and now you have been asked to attend for interview. Congratulations! That first hurdle over with, what can you expect from the interview? We have put together a detailed guide on potential fast food restaurant job interview questions to help you get that job!

Dress Well for a Fast Food Restaurant Job Interview

Of course, as with any type of interview, you need to dress the part. When attending a fast food restaurant interview, this is about looking smart but casual. For instance, you need to show that you take care of your appearance and personal hygiene, because you are going to be dealing with someone’s food, if successful. There is a fine line between being smart however, and going over the top – think:

• Smart
• Clean
• Groomed
• Approachable

Of course, how you look is only half of the story, because it’s also about what you say. There are certain areas which are of vital importance in this type of job, and that means some common questions you are likely to be asked. Being prepared is always better than being put on the spot, and if you can give some prior thought to what you may say, you will certainly impress.

Give Good Answers at Your Job Interview

There is also a high likelihood that you are going to be asked situational questions, e.g. scenarios. This involves putting yourself in the situation in your mind, and explaining what you would do. You might be wondering how you can do this if you are yet to be in the job itself, but that is where research comes in. Most situational questions are likely to be around:

• Team work
• What to do if a team member is struggling
• How to deal with a difficult customer
• What you would do if you had an issue with a colleague

it is important to remember that teamwork is always going to be paramount in the fast food restaurant world. When working at a fast pace, with many other people, all working towards the same goal (e.g. pleasing the customer), then knowing how to work together is vital. A scenario question around what to do if you have a problem customer is extremely common. Conflict management is likely to be something you will have training in during your employment, and also at the induction stage. Remaining calm, not feeling threatened, and knowing the right language to use, to avoid inflating the problem any further, is the way forward.

Another common scenario question is around what to do if you have a problem with a colleague. It is important to answer this correctly, because as we mentioned, team work is everything in this industry. So, to answer that question you would need to talk about staying calm, not falling into argument territory, trying to resolve the situation by talking to each other, and then if the situation doesn’t improve, speaking to your supervisor.

A few examples of the main questions you can expect include:

• What qualities make a good team player?
• Why do you want to work for …. (insert name of restaurant here)?
• Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
• How would you deal with an angry customer?
• If you were working with another team member who you felt wasn’t pulling their weight, what would you do?
• Why are first impressions important?
• Can you tell me about a situation in your working past where you felt you gave excellent customer service?

These questions are extremely common, so let’s talk about how you should answer them.

How to Answer Fast Food Restaurant Job Interview Questions

What qualities make a team player?

The main words you need to mention in this answer include flexibility, eagerness to work together, sense of humour, hard working, a single and common aim, clear lines of responsibility, and communication. If you show at this point that you are very single minded in your approach to getting the job done, you are not going to show yourself in the best light. it is also a good idea to mention that if you noticed a team member was struggling, that you would help as much as possible.

Why do you want to work for ..?

Do your research of the company and throw in a few subtle facts here. For instance, “I am impressed by the company’s management development program”, or another example which shows that you know something about the company beyond its food. Mention that you believe you would be an asset with your hard-working attitude, and talk about how you know the company has such a great reputation.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

Fast food restaurants, such as McDonalds, Burger King, etc, are always on the look out for fresh, new talent, and employees who want to progress within the company. It’s a good idea to mention that you want to continue to develop your skills and learn new ones, through further training and education opportunities. if you have a passion for perhaps moving into management, you can mention this at this point.

How would you deal with an angry customer?

We did touch upon this already, but the key points to mention here are that you would remain calm, you would keep eye contact with the customer and you would nod, and make them see that you are listening to them, that you are not simply not bothered about their problem. Ask them what the problem is and how you can help. Keep your language and tone even, and your body language open. If you feel you are threatened in any way, or the situation is causing a scene to other customers, you can ask the person to move to one side and call for a manager to deal with the issue.

If you were working with another team member who wasn’t pulling their weight, what would you do?

This is very similar to the question about if you had a problem with a colleague, and the guidelines are really the same. Avoid making accusations, and instead refer the issue to your supervisor, if you really feel there is a problem.

Why are first impressions important?

At this point you should mention that when you are wearing the uniform of the company, you are a representative of them and their brand. For that reason, you are a first impression, and it is common knowledge that most people form their opinion of someone or something within the first few minutes of coming into contact with them/it. This is also where you can mention about personal hygiene, appearance, manners, politeness, etc.

Can you tell me about a situation in your past work where you felt you gave excellent customer service?

If you can’t think of a situation, this is where you need to do some creative thinking! Mention how you dealt with an angry customer, and you managed to resolve their problem through calming them down and arriving at a positive outcome.

These fast food restaurant job interview questions will certainly get you thinking along the right lines when you arrive at your interview. Also check out our top 50 interview questions to get a better idea.