Top 25 Porter Interview Questions (& Expert Answers)
In this article, you’ll find some of the most popular questions you can ask a Porter in an interview. We’ve covered both aspects that include extra tips for employers and job seekers alike.
Popular Service Porter Interview Questions
Here’s what to ask a Porter candidate to learn about their experience and customer service skills.
The Best Porter Interview Questions
1. Porter Interview Questions About Skills and Experience
Example answer: “I have a little over two years of working as a Porter in a very busy hotel. My day-to-day duties included greeting guests at the entrance, helping them with their luggage and performing minor maintenance fixes, such as changing a lightbulb or patching small holes on the walls.
I was also responsible for keeping all common areas clean and litter-free”
Example answer: “In my previous job I was in charge of changing the HVAC filters every two to three months. I start by turning the unit off, then I place the back and the front filters making sure there are no gaps around the filter frame. I finish by dusting off any residual dirt and putting the unit back together.”
Example answer: “Not at all. I was always struggling with staying in one place for longer periods of time. So, physical activity associated with Porter’s job is what drew me to this profession in the first place.”
Example answer: “I usually attend to the person who asked first, unless the other person is having some kind of emergency like a medical issue or safety concern that requires my immediate attention.”
2. Porter Interview Questions About Customer Service
Example answer: “I once had a guest complain about the wait time for their luggage delivery. It happened during peak hours and all our capacities were stretched to the limits. They approached me visibly frustrated but I remained calm while listening attentively to their problem.
I apologized for the inconvenience and immediately reached out to the housekeeping team, asking them to step in and see that the guest gets their luggage as soon as possible.
I then offered the guest a complimentary drink while waiting for their luggage to arrive, which took about 10 minutes. In the end, they seemed very pleased with the service.”
Example answer: “I remember one time when we had an unexpected power outage in the hotel. One of our guests approached me concerned about missing an important Zoom meeting. His laptop battery was completely empty, so I offered to set up a temporary office in one part of the hotel that had a generator running.
The guest was very grateful for my swift response but also relieved as they managed to conduct the meeting successfully.”
Example answer: “In my previous job, we had many guests who are differently disabled or had special needs. I make sure I treat them in a similar way I treat other people so I don’t make them uncomfortable. Also, I immediately ask them what they need from us so that our team would better know how to make the guest’s stay more enjoyable.
When needed, I would arrange for a wheelchair, ensure they get the room closets to the elevators and remove any obstacles that would get in their way and interfere with their mobility.”
Example answer: “I would immediately carry it to a safe location while also reporting the incident to my supervisor. In case I know who the item belongs to and if that person is still on the hotel’s premises, I would make sure to deliver the item to them straight away.”
Example answer: “I consider the safety of our guests to be the number one priority at all times. So, if I had found an unattended beg, my first instinct would be to alert the hotel’s security. I would also make sure nobody touches or moves the bag until it gets the security clearance.”
Types of Porter Interview Questions
- Porter Interview Questions About Skills and Experience: In this part, you’ll find four questions related to skills and experience that are commonly asked while interviewing a Porter candidate. As for candidates, we’ve also included example answers that you can use as an inspiration or adapt to your own experiences.
- Porter Interview Questions About Customer Service: Porter’s job includes interaction with guests on a daily basis which makes their customer service skills essential for creating a welcoming atmosphere for the guests in your establishment. As a result, in this section, we’ve included the best questions to ask to evaluate an applicant’s interpersonal and communication skills.
What Are the Top Interview Questions for a Porter?
In this list below you’ll find additional 16 questions specifically tailored for interviewing a Porter.
- What basic maintenance tasks do you have the most experience with?
- What precautions do you take to ensure safety while lifting heavy items?
- What is your experience working outdoors in hot or cold climates?
- How regularly do you use floor polishers, pressure washers and other similar cleaning equipment?
- How do you ensure tasks are completed on time under tight deadlines?
- Tell me about a time when you successfully resolved a guest’s complaint.
- What would you say to a guest asking you for help with something outside your scope of duties?
- What would you do if you were to find a guest in need of medical assistance?
- Are you available to work on holidays and weekends?
- How would you answer a guest who’s not satisfied with your service?
- Why did you leave your previous employer?
- What is your biggest strength and your biggest weakness?
- Tell me about the last time you encountered a problem at work. What happened and how did you solve it?
- Describe the most challenging customer you’ve encountered. Tell me what happened and what the outcome in the end was.
- Are you a team player or do you prefer working independently?
- How would you resolve a conflict with your colleague or with your manager?
How To Prepare for Your Upcoming Porter Job Interview
Show up to that job interview confidently, by following these three simple steps.
1. Do your research
Start by researching the establishment of your potential employment by checking:
- The company’s official website
- Their social media accounts
- Employer and company review sites
Checking these will help you not only understand the company’s values but also make a good impression on your interviewer. After all, you would be demonstrating initiative and a keen interest in the company and the Porter role.
Browse the chart below to gain insights into the most common sources job seekers use to prepare for the interview.
[Source: Robert Walters Group]
2. Practice your answers
Practice how you would respond to the most common Porter interview questions. Doing these would help prevent you from showing nervousness or hesitation in your answers – leaving an impression of a confident and capable candidate.
3. Have a set of your own questions ready
Typically, at the end of the interview, you will be given a chance to ask your own questions. When that happens, here’s what to ask:
- Can you describe what my day-to-day responsibilities as a Porter would be?
- Can you tell me what would be my typical working hours?
- What do you consider to be the biggest challenges for a Porter in your establishment?
- What would be the next step in the hiring process?
How To Hire the Best Porter for Your Establishment
How important is preparing for the job interview for recruiters when it comes to the employment process? Well, 32% of job seekers think recruiters ask them irrelevant questions in a job interview.
To ensure you’re setting yourself up for success, try applying the following principles:
- Create a job description with clearly outlined responsibilities and requirements for a Porter in your establishment.
- Post your job ad on multiple recruitment channels, including online job boards and social media platforms, to attract more candidates.
- Check the references of the Porter candidates who make it to the final round of the hiring process.
- Assess their practical skills that may be applicable to a Porter role. Consider giving them test assignments on changing the HVAC filter or maneuvering heavy luggage.
- Offer a competitive Porter salary and attractive benefits package.
- Show Porter candidates that they’ll have opportunities for advancement and career growth within your company.
Written by Lidija Misic
Lidija holds a BA in English Language and has lived in five different countries, where she has worked in various roles, including as a flight attendant, teacher, writer and recruiter. Her biggest passion is crafting great content and reading. She is particularly passionate about creating punchy copy that inspires people to make positive changes in their lives.
Reviewed by Stefan Petrov
With over 10 years of experience as a writer and editor, Stefan has worked in the automotive, IT, health and hospitality industries. Familiar with Google Search Console and other SEO tools like Ahrefs and Semrush, Stefan uses his experience to create content that’s visually appealing to the user but also ranks in the SERPs.