There’s nothing like coming home to your dog’s waggy tail or your cat’s kneading paws. However, some jobs actually let you enjoy kitten purrs and puppy kisses before you get home from work.
We’re talking about Petsmart, a pet store where you get the chance to work with animals and build your resume at the same time! If you’re looking to work at Petsmart, it pays to know what to expect at the interview.
Typical interview questions at Petsmart involve asking about your experience with animals and your customer service skills. In this guide, we’ll go in-depth about what else these interview questions cover and how to ace them!
Every Type of Petsmart Interview, Explained
When it comes to applying for a job at Petsmart, there are a couple of different positions you could be applying for. The questions you get asked will change a bit depending on which interview you’re applying for.
To make it easier for you to figure out how to respond to a Petsmart interview, I’ve put together a list of top questions based on which position you’re applying for.
Cashiers
Cashier positions are considered entry-level jobs and can be a great way to get your foot in the door at Petsmart. Even if you’d really rather be a dog trainer, getting experience with the store first can increase your chances of being able to apply for other positions later.
In general, cashier interviews last between 15 and 30 minutes. You’ll typically speak with the store manager and should come with your resume in hand. Here are a few common questions you might get asked as a cashier.
Do You Have Any Cash-Handling Experience?
Cash-handling experience is the number one thing that managers are looking for in a cashier. Although they’ll sometimes hire candidates with no cash-handling experience, they’re more likely to choose someone who does know how to manage money than someone who doesn’t.
If you don’t have any experience handling money, you can always talk about other situations in which you’ve handled cash. Perhaps you were the treasurer of an extra-curricular club, or perhaps you’re exceptional at math. Mentioning these types of experiences can help showcase that you’d be good at the job anyway.
Tell Me About Your Customer Service Experience
Cashiers don’t just work with money. They’ve also got to know how to take care of clients. If you’ve got any past customer service experience, this is a great place to highlight it. You can also talk about any situations in which you’ve had to work as part of a team.
How Would You Handle an Upset Customer?
The cashier is usually the person who bears the brunt of a customer’s anger when something goes awry. That’s especially true if the customer thinks an item is one price and it turns out to be another!
To answer this question, try to give a specific example of how you’ve handled an upset customer or coworker in the past. Then, tie that example back into Petsmart and how you could take the same steps there.
How Well Do You Know the Layout of the Store?
Knowing the layout of the store is important for helping show customers where to find certain items. Even if you don’t know the layout of the store yet, showcasing that you’re a quick learner can help make the hiring manager confident that you’ll be able to pick up the layout fast so you can help customers.
Do You Have Any Experience With Pets?
Many times, cashiers will help with stocking shelves as well as working the register, and that means they need to be prepared to answer questions. At Petsmart, many people ask questions about specific types of products for certain situations. If you have any past pet experience, this can help you give accurate and helpful product recommendations to customers.
Animal-Related Jobs
Animal-related jobs have interviews that look slightly different from cashier positions. For these jobs, you’ll mostly be asked behavioral questions that would require a STAR method answer.
Let’s go over a few potential questions you might get asked at animal-related job interviews.
Are There Any Animals You’re Uncomfortable Working With?
Although you’ll ideally feel comfortable working with all kinds of animals and breeds, that may not always be the case. If there are any types of animals or animal breeds that you don’t have so much confidence with, make sure to let the interviewer know. This can help avoid issues later down the line.
What Would You Do If a Customer Asks You Something You Don’t Know the Answer To?
You might often have the answers, but that doesn’t mean you always will. Petsmart is a big store that carries a lot of different products. Knowing how to handle customer requests if you’re not sure how to answer them is a key part of providing great customer service to clients.
To answer this question, you’ll want to mention things like asking another team member who has specific knowledge in that area for help. This shows that you’re a great team player and that you’d be able to work together to close a sale.
How Would You Sell a Dog Training Class?
Petsmart offers puppy school classes for dogs that are just learning basic commands. Hiring managers want to see how you would encourage pet parents to purchase the training class and not just purchase products.
They may also ask questions about how you would run a dog training class and what methods you would teach to pet parents. This gives them a better idea of your experience with animals as well as your upselling skills.
How Much Experience Do You Have Working With Animals?
Working with animals at Petsmart will require you to know how to handle them. Even if all you’ll be doing is cleaning cages, you’ll still need to know how to do so without hurting the animal or damaging their cage.
For this question, give an overview of any past experience you have with animals. You can talk about personal experience, such as having your own pets, as part of your answer.
Sell Me a Bag of Dog Food
Although animal-related jobs often involve dog training or cleaning animal cages, you’ll also be expected to be on the floor helping with sales. Hiring managers may ask this question to see how much you know about animal products and how good you are at encouraging customers to make a purchase.
For this question, stay positive and try to incorporate any prior knowledge or experience you have with the product in question.
General Interview Questions
Finally, there are a couple of general interview questions that are likely to appear regardless of which position you apply for. Let’s take a look at a couple of those and how to answer.
Tell Me About Yourself
Probably the most-asked job interview question is “tell me about yourself.” For this question, you’ll want to give a brief 1-2 minute elevator speech about who you are, what your background is, and why you’re a good fit for the job.
The key to answering this question is to keep your answers brief. Interviewers don’t need a play-by-play of your life; they just need to know that you’ve got the background and experience needed to excel in the role you’re applying for.
What Do You Know About Petsmart?
Many hiring managers will ask this question to see how interested you are in the company and how well you’d fit in with their culture. Before heading to your interview, do some research on Petsmart. Here are a couple of facts to get you started:
- PetSmart has more than 1,600 stores across the US and Canada
- The company was founded in 1987 as a petfood shop, but has since expanded to offer products for all pet needs
- The company’s new name was created in 2005, and is still operating under that name today
- PetSmart is currently listed on the NASDAQ exchange
Why Do You Want to Work Here?
This is a great place to talk about the skills you have and to tie them back into the position you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying as a dog trainer, talk about any experience you have working with and training dogs, and how you felt the position would be a good fit. Regardless of what you say, just make sure to tie your answers back into the position and any relevant experience you have.
What Hours Are You Available to Work?
Petsmart isn’t like a nightclub or a movie theater where you’re expected to work all weekends and late at night. However, most store owners do expect you to have at least some extended availability.
For instance, some store owners may need you to help close the store every now and then. Or, you may be asked to work every other weekend. Before applying for a job at Petsmart, try to make sure you’ve got a decent amount of availability.
Land a Job at Petsmart
Petsmart can be a great place to work if you love animals or have some background in working with them. Besides that, for aspiring vet techs or other animal positions, this can be a good way to get your foot in the door.
The exact interview questions you’ll be asked will vary a bit depending on what position you’re applying for. However, in general, they’ll focus on your experience working with animals and your customer service skills.
Before your Petsmart interview, run through a couple of these interview questions. They could be just what you need to help you land that new job!