I applied online. I interviewed at John Lewis & Partners (Cambridge, England) in Sep 2016
Interview
Application is online and compiled of filling out questions and completing an online assessment. Once successful you are invited for an interview at chosen store.
Interview
I'd heard that most interviews were group assessments however when I arrived I was surprised to see that it was just me having a one on one interview with a Department Manager. The Interview was very informal and I immediately felt at ease. We talked about previous work and questions about dealing with customers. I did a small exercise where I had to choose a product (from a list with their specifications) and match it with the right customer and explain why.
I was asked then and there when I was available to start and started the a couple days after the interview!
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Give me an example of when you had to deal with a demanding customer
Hi there and Thank you for your review. It is pleasing to hear that you felt at ease in your interview and it clearly lead to a positive outcome. Congratulations on your offer!
Other Sales Assistant interview reviews for John Lewis & Partners
I applied online. I interviewed at John Lewis & Partners (London, England) in Jun 2026
Interview
Interview was fine, it was a group interview without a 1-to-1 afterwards, and was given around seven or eight scenario questions and what you'd do for each once you've had five minutes to read and think. It was me and around three other candidates with two employees, so not as big as I expected it to be, and no fighting to get a word out like I expected 😅. It was hard to make new points when you've already spoken and others mention similar things, made it a bit awkward and finished with eight minutes to spare out of the twenty for discussion. Told to expect an answer in a few days, received a rejection email the day after even though I thought I did quite well, but I was told I'd be put in a 'silver medallist' pool for any future opportunities as I passed the assessments but it was either my availability or someone had a higher interview score, though I haven't heard anyone getting a job that way (please tell me otherwise 🥲). The two employees were sweet and no complaints otherwise. I can't remember the questions that well.
Interview questions [5]
Question 1
Something about helping at the collection point, long queue of frustrated customers, another one comes up to you with a broken dish set and asks if there's more stock, what do you do?
Customer has a new job, currently browsing at smart-casual wear, looking for something that can be versatile (something along those lines...), what do you suggest?
Something about how a display of duvets and pillows have some empty spaces, some price tickets missing, a customer comes up to you with a new duvet and asks for the price but your handset/ipad has no battery, what do you do?
I interviewed at John Lewis & Partners (London, England)
Interview
I attended a group interview for a temporary Christmas position where we worked together on scenario-based tasks, discussing different approaches and demonstrating teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills throughout the process.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How would you handle a situation where there’s a long queue of customers, some becoming impatient, while you’re short-staffed during the Christmas rush?
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at John Lewis & Partners (Cardiff, Wales) in Oct 2025
Interview
It was a group interview where we had to read several scenarios, make individual notes, and then discuss possible solutions with the rest of the group. The assessed part was the group discussion, which was challenging because some of the other participants were very loud and overly confident. This made it difficult to share my points without feeling like I was interrupting or coming across as rude. There was also no one-to-one interview at the end, so my performance was judged entirely on how I interacted within the group.