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Employee Emotions and Customer Service

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Submitted By twreondy
Words 552
Pages 3
Organizational Behaviour

Semester 1, 2012

Question:

Explain how a worker’s emotional state can affect customer service and customers.

You can probably recall a customer service experience that left you feeling good. Everyone has been on the receiving end of customer service experiences that left us angry and frustrated as well as experiences that left a positive impression. A recent study in the Human Relations journal has shown not only that positive emotion from sales staff is contagious to a customer, but that a satisfied customer also improves the customer service agent’s mood. Employee emotions can have both positive and negative effects on the service experience and on the customer, since the client sees it as the company’s attitude towards its customers. Customer service agents who remain professional and practice "emotional intelligence" can boost a business' image of courtesy and dedication to its customers. Positive emotions at work such as high achievement and excitement have a desirable effect. Alternately, representatives who are unable to control their anger or impatience generate an image of unprofessionalism and indifference. To stay competitive, a business owner must work to build and maintain trust with the public. If a business has a reputation for poor customer service, it could hinder the success of the organization. An employee’s emotional state affects customer satisfaction. When customers purchase a product or service, they want to feel that their money has been well spent. If they have issues, the client expects them to be resolved to their satisfaction. An upbeat, friendly and accommodating representative conveys courtesy and concern, de-escalating angry customers and taking a genuine interest in helping them. On the other hand, those employees who become irritated or rude when faced with a difficult

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