Are you applying for a role at one of the major liquor stores in Australia such as Dan Murphys, BWS or Liquorland? All of the major liquor stores in Australia ask a series of questions to all applicants which have overlapping themes in better understanding your knowledge in the alcoholic drinks and customer service skills.
In this short guide we will help you to be answer these common questions, leave a good impression with the interviewer and increase your chances of securing a role at the liquor store brand that you’re applying.
Liquor Store Common Questions:
“If you were asked to recommend your favourite drink to a customer, how would you do this?”
This question is a tricky one and its meant to trick the applicant as much as provide them an opportunity to answer. There is multiple reasons for this question:
- To show your knowledge of alcoholic drinks
- Your experience with alcoholic drinks
- Your ability to redirect questions to find out how you can assist a customer in making a purchase
With this scenario the key is to be approachable by being open with questions, whilst also attempting to turn a question into an opportunity to find out more about the customer and assist them with making a purchase. Here’s a great example of how you could answer this question:
“If I was asked to recommend my favourite drink to a customer, I would give them an honest answer as to my preferred drink at the time, whilst asking them if they have a preference for a type of alcohol (such as wine, beer, cider, spirits) or if they don’t know I would ask what type of flavours they like – such as fruity, sweet, strong etc. Once I have this information I would be able to help direct them to some options which would suit their preferred type of drink and recommend popular drinks.”
This answer covers all the essential points. It provides a recommendation of your favourite drink to the customer, it helps understand what the customer prefers and then redirects information to them to help them find the right drink for their needs. The second component is very important because while a drink might be your favourite that you can recommend, every person has a unique preference when it comes to alcohol so you need to cater for these differences in preference.
“Please tell us about your knowledge or interest in wine”
A little more straightforward, this question is to gauge your technical understanding of wine which is a significant part of liquor store sales and a very popular section of Australian alcohol culture. Whilst not everyone is a fan of wine or you might not have much of an interest in it, if you’re wanting to work in a liquor store you should brush up on the essentials. Spending a quick hour or two reading the essentials should have you understanding the basics of different types of wines, the major wine regions of Australia and the types of wine they’re well known for, as well as how to make basic pairing of types of wines with meals. Here’s two examples of how to answer this question:
- If you enjoy wine
“I have a strong interest in wine as a wine lover and having spent time to grow my knowledge in the types of wines available, how to match wine with meals and popular wines produced across Australia. Through my interest I can assist customers with making selections based on region, type of wine or what wine my go best with the meal they’re serving.”
- If you don’t enjoy wine
“I have built a knowledge in the types of wine produced and sold in Australia across the types of wines, well known producers and growing regions in Australia. I’m able to make suggestions on how to pair wines based on dishes being served and different flavour preferences – sweet wines, dry wines etc.”
As always honesty is important so there is no need to pretend that you love wine – just that you’ve taken the time to grow your knowledge on this very important product range for any liquor store.
“Please describe how you would display a passion for liquor”
This question follows a similar goal as the previous question on wine knowledge and interest. By asking you to describe how you would display a passion for liquor, the employer is try to gauge how you will be able to help provide an informative positive experience to customers needing your opinions and advice. In your answer you need to convey your ability to find an interest in discussion about liquor, as well as either an existing knowledge and sufficient passion which will encourage you to continually improve on your knowledge in the ever changing range of products available.
Here’s an example of how you can approach this question:
“I would display my passion for liquor in my positive and proactive ability to provide my advice and opinions to customers seeking advice or making purchases. If a client is asking for a recommendation on a type of beverage for a dinner, I would work to match the meal they’re serving with an appropriate alcoholic beverage and their tastes. With customers making purchases I will relay if I have a positive view on the purchased drinks, let them know about other lines which may be on special or promotional products and help provide an overall positive experience which helps to validate the selection and an inviting space which they will want to return to in the future.”
These are some of the common questions asked by liquor store employers in Australia. If you have had any experience with these questions and have advice on the best way to answer these questions let us know so.
