A customer asks you to skip the permit to save money. How do you handle that conversation?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests customer & crew communication. Explains work clearly to customers, stands firm on safety and code, and coordinates well with crew and other trades.
• What to bring out: Politely declines, explains safety, insurance and resale risks, offers ways to manage cost, and stays professional.
• Expect a follow-up like: What would you do if they decided to hire someone else?

Another way it may be asked: A homeowner says just do it without the city getting involved. What do you tell them?

A structure to follow: STAR, with the weight on Action and Result

1. Step 1

   Situation

   One or two sentences: where, when and what was at stake. Pick a real example you were close to.

2. Step 2

   Task

   What you personally were responsible for. Say "I", not only "we", so the customer & crew communication you showed is visible.

3. Step 3

   Action

   The two or three things you did and why you chose them over the alternatives. This should be about half your answer.

4. Step 4

   Result

   What changed, in your own measure of it, and what you would do differently. Only use numbers you can stand behind.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Describing what the team did without saying what you did.
• Choosing an example with no clear outcome, or one you cannot answer detailed questions about.
• Ending on the action and skipping the result and what you learned.

How to practise it

Write two bullet points for each STAR letter, then say the answer aloud in about two minutes.

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