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Customer Service Representative reference check template

A reference check form for customer service representatives, call centre agents and support staff. It adds eight questions on difficult customers, quality and speed, systems and resilience.

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  • Free, no sign-up
  • Editable Word file
  • 8 customer service representative questions

What to focus on in a customer service representative reference check

Ask the team leader for numbers they actually tracked (quality scores, handle time, resolution) and for an example of the candidate with an angry customer.

8 reference check questions to ask about a customer service representative

Ask these after the standard verification and performance questions. They are already in the Word and PDF template.

  1. 1.Which channels did the candidate handle (phone, email, chat), and what kinds of requests?
  2. 2.Tell me about the candidate handling an angry or abusive customer.
  3. 3.How did their quality scores and customer feedback compare with the rest of the team?
  4. 4.How did they balance speed and getting it right first time?
  5. 5.How quickly did they learn your systems and products?
  6. 6.How did they handle a day with a long queue or a system outage?
  7. 7.How reliable were they with attendance and schedule adherence?
  8. 8.Would you put them back on your team?

What a strong reference sounds like

  • Stays calm and polite with difficult customers
  • Quality scores at or above team average
  • Learns systems quickly
  • Strong attendance

Red flags to follow up

  • Escalates everything
  • Low quality scores the referee explains away
  • Attendance problems
  • Lets frustration show with customers

Download the customer service representative reference check template

Free, no sign-up. The Word version is editable; the PDF is ready to print.

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Want more questions? See 35 reference check questions to ask references. Prefer referees to answer online? HiveRef sends the form, chases replies and builds the report. Start with 4 free checks.

Customer Service Representative Reference Check Template

For phone or written reference checks. Use the same questions for every referee so answers are comparable.

1. Candidate and referee details

  • Candidate name
  • Role applied for
  • Referee name
  • Referee job title and organisation
  • Referee email and phone
  • Relationship to the candidate (for example, direct manager)
  • Date of reference check
  • Checked by

2. Consent

Confirm the candidate agreed to you contacting this referee. Tell the referee their answers are used only for this hiring decision.

  • Candidate consent confirmed (yes / no)
  • Date consent was given

3. Verification questions

  1. 1.How do you know the candidate, and what was your working relationship?
  2. 2.What were the candidate's start and end dates, as far as you remember them?
  3. 3.What was their job title, and did it change while you worked together?
  4. 4.Did the candidate report to you directly? If not, how often did you see their work?
  5. 5.What were the main reasons the candidate left, as far as you know?

4. Performance questions

  1. 6.Which parts of the role did the candidate own day to day?
  2. 7.Tell me about a deadline the candidate missed or nearly missed. What happened next?
  3. 8.Give an example of the candidate producing good work with incomplete information.
  4. 9.What result improved while they were in the role, and what was their contribution?
  5. 10.When results were below expectations, how did they respond to feedback?
  6. 11.What skill did the candidate develop most while you worked together?

5. Customer Service Representative questions

  1. 12.Which channels did the candidate handle (phone, email, chat), and what kinds of requests?
  2. 13.Tell me about the candidate handling an angry or abusive customer.
  3. 14.How did their quality scores and customer feedback compare with the rest of the team?
  4. 15.How did they balance speed and getting it right first time?
  5. 16.How quickly did they learn your systems and products?
  6. 17.How did they handle a day with a long queue or a system outage?
  7. 18.How reliable were they with attendance and schedule adherence?
  8. 19.Would you put them back on your team?

6. Working style and integrity

  1. 20.Describe a disagreement the candidate had with a colleague. How did they move the work forward?
  2. 21.How did the candidate ask for help when they needed it?
  3. 22.When the candidate made a mistake that affected others, what did they do?
  4. 23.What would you tell a new manager about working with this person?

7. Closing questions

  1. 24.Is there anything we have not asked that you think we should know?
  2. 25.What kind of manager or team would get the best out of this person?
  3. 26.Would you hire or work with this person again? Why or why not?

8. Recommendation

  • Overall: recommend / recommend with reservations / do not recommend
  • Strengths confirmed
  • Concerns or follow-ups
  • Signed and dated

Do not ask about health, family, age, religion or other protected personal information, and check the law where you hire.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most useful question for a customer service reference?

Ask for a specific example of the candidate with an angry customer. It shows how they really behave under pressure.

Should I ask for performance numbers?

Yes, if the referee tracked them. Ask how the candidate compared with the team rather than for exact figures.

Can I use this for remote support roles?

Yes. Add a question about working independently and keeping in touch with the team.

Send these customer service representative questions online instead.

HiveRef emails the referees, chases them for you and puts every answer into one report. First 4 checks free, no card needed.

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