Many people who work in service jobs meet customers who question their skill, complain about waits, or show visible annoyance. Training and job rules often teach workers to smile and keep a polite tone while they deal with such customers.
After a difficult interaction, some workers use small quiet actions to cope, such as being less attentive or slowing their responses. Researchers call these actions "service sabotage." A study found that these tactics can backfire: workers replay the incident in their minds and this rumination can harm sleep. The study also says managers can take steps to protect teams, but it does not give specific measures. The research was reported on Futurity.
Difficult words
- service sabotage — small actions by staff that hurt customers' experience
- rumination — silent thinking about a bad event again and again
- replay — to think about an event again in your mind
- cope — to try to manage a difficult situation or feeling
- attentive — paying close attention and noticing things
- tactic — a planned action used to achieve a goaltactics
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Discussion questions
- Have you ever had a difficult customer or client? What happened?
- What quiet action would you use to cope after a hard interaction?
- What can a manager do to protect their team after hard customer interactions?
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