Who wouldn’t love to have a good cup of coffee and a doughnut or two for breakfast? Or for a nice midday snack? Many people have such cravings, which is one of the reasons why Dunkin’ belongs to the most successful franchises in the world, with over 12,500 locations in over 40 countries. The company bets on simple yet tasty menu, and the same is true for the interviews in the company–you do not have to be afraid of facing some difficult questions, while trying to join the ranks of over 200,000 people who currently work for Dunkin’ Donuts, mostly part time.
The store manager will ask you only a few questions about your job choice, experience, availability, and attitude to some situations that can happen with the customers. If you do well, in less than twenty minutes you’ll get the job. Because they have a decent on-boarding process in place, and you will learn all you need to understand in a few days. Let’s have a look at the questions you may face, and what you should tell the manager to get hired.
Table of Contents
Why do you want to work at Dunkin’ Donuts?
Just do not say that you love eating doughnuts. If that’s the case, they want to see you on the opposite side of the counter each day, buying your breakfast and midday snack at the place, spending your money.
You should rather say that you enjoy interacting with customers, have positive associations with their brand, and like Dunkin’ more than any other fast food place in the area. And since at this stage of your professional career (you are likely still studying, or applying for your very first job), you cannot dream of some well paid corporate position, you find a job with Dunkin’ an ideal choice.
A couple of other things you can mention are fitting shift patterns, or a recommendation from a friend. You know someone who worked at Dunkin’ before, they praised the working environment and other things, and motivated you to apply.
What customer service experience do you have?
Any experience you have, try to talk positively about it. They should not get an impression that you’re already fed up with this type of work. On the contrary, you still enjoy delivering a good service to the customer, and want to continue working in the field.
None experience is no showstopper either. You can say that you’ve have plenty of customer service experience from the other side of the counter–from the position of a customer. You can tell a good service from a bad one–you’ve received both many times in different places, and now you feel ready to benefit from this experience in your new job. If you lack experience, the most important thing is to show confidence in your ability to handle the job.
All you willing to work on weekends?
This question has different variations, and the one they will ask you depends on when exactly they need you. They may ask you about evening shifts, Sundays, or even some bizarre hours of the day, when hiring you for a part time spot, trying to fill the gap in schedule.
Obviously you should show some flexibility–saying outright “NO” won’t do you much good at this point. At the same time, managers at Dunkin’ Donuts understand that you have other obligations–especially school perhaps, and that the job with them may not be your first priority.
So it is all about finding a good balance, and explaining things properly. If you cannot work the hours they ask about, explain clearly why, and offer some alternative. As long as they see that you are willing to sacrifice something for your new job, they will give you a chance.
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What’s your previous working experience?
Sometimes they won’t ask about customer service experience, but about any working experience you have–even an irrelevant one. In this case, they basically try to see if you have some basic working habits, such as experience with arriving to some place at some time day after day, working for eight hours in one go, having responsibility for some duties, cooperating with colleagues, and so on.
Explain them briefly what you did, and remember that any experience is better than none. You can talk also about volunteering experience, or any activities you’ve helped to organize at school, simply anything that shows your readiness for a job. And again, if you lack experience completely, tell them that everyone has to start somewhere, you are motivated and eager to learn, and have no doubt that after the training you will handle the job with Dunkin’ Donuts.
Do you have a reliable transportation to the place?
They want to make sure that you won’t be late for your shifts. Obviously the difficulty of getting to Dunkin’ Donuts depends on the location of the coffee shop where you will work, and also on the weather. I mean, it is nice saying that you plan to bike to the shop each day–which is a reliable form of transport, but if it snows or rains often in the location, it probably isn’t the best option.
You can try to prepare for the question in advance. Check the bus schedule or tram schedule or whatever station is near, and explain them that you should have no issues with your transportation. You can also add that you do not plan to rely on the last tram, and will always try to come to the place at least 15 minutes before the start of your shift, making sure to have some reserve if anything unexpected happens on the road. Needless to say, if you walk within 20 minutes walking distance from, the place, all you have to say is that you plan to rely on your feet…
Are you a team player?
Team culture is a big thing in the majority of chains of restaurants and coffee shops, and Dunkin’ Donuts is no exception to the rule. You will share your space behind the counter with other employees, and unless all of you play for the team, the results won’t be as expected.
Ensure the store manager that you enjoy belonging to a hardworking team. You can actually point it out as one of the reasons why you chose the job with them, because you know the team culture, and cannot wait to get to know your new colleagues, and help them thrive in work. Show a proactive approach to building a great and friendly atmosphere in the workplace.
Another good answer–and a very powerful one, is talking about your former job, explaining how you played for the team. For example:
Judging by my working experience, I’d say I am a team player. In my last job in retail I was lucky enough to belong to an excellent team of sales employees on a shift. We helped each other, encouraged each other, and it was also enjoyable to work with them. And we achieved great results, what confirms the importance of teamwork in my eyes.
* you can check 7 sample answers to this one in another article: Are you a team player?
5 other questions you may face while interviewing for Dunkin’ Donuts
- What would you do if a customer was upset about your service?
- Imagine that a customer asks you to call them a manager. How will you react?
- This job is quite repetitive. What will motivate you to try your best every day?
- How do you feel about baking? Do you have any experience with it?
- After everything we’ve talked about here, do you have any questions?
What to wear to a Dunkin’ Donuts interview?
Dunkin’ Donuts has a lax dress code for their employees. Starting as a crew member, you will wear whiter shirt or polo and blue jeans. You may wonder why I talk about their dress code, while you haven’t got the job with them yet. The answer is simple: One of your goals in an interview is to fit in. Hiring managers should get an impression that you will be the right addition to the existing team in a workplace. And wearing the same (or similar) clothes as the employees do, you help them to feel that way, though they may not consciously realize it.
In any case, you will do well in any clean shirt without excessive slogans or symbols, and long jeans or pants. If it is super hot outside, you can even try some shorts–but not those you take on when going to the beach :).
Final thoughts, next steps
There’s no need to be worried, because interview with Dunkin’ Donuts belongs to easy interviews. The company is almost always hiring, because this isn’t a job people have for years on end. People come and go, many work part time, and some shops are always understaffed. Managers are aware of the situation, and they also know that job isn’t difficult, and anyone motivated will learn it quickly.
Having said that, it doesn’t mean that you will automatically get the job, regardless of what happens in your meeting with the managers. If you remain silent, they won’t hire you. Get through the questions once again, and think at least briefly what you will say in an interview.
And do not forget to show enthusiasm for the job, and positive body language overall. Because that’s exactly what they are looking for in good applicants… I hope you will manage to get this one right, and wish you best of luck!
Matthew
May also interest you:
- 15 most common interview questions – Learn how to answer questions about your strengths, weaknesses, motivation, and other common questions you may face virtually in any interview, including the one with Dunkin’ Donuts.
- KFC interview questions.
- How to overcome interview nerves – Feeling nervous before the start of your interview? Learn how to get your nerves under control when it matters, and make sure you won’t stutter in your interview.
- Yogurtland interview questions.
