The Social Dimension of Service Interactions

Abstract

Service interactions run a gamut from an instrumental self-focus to full social appreciation. Observing another customer's incivility toward a frontline employee can emphasize social concerns as guiding principles for the observer's own service interaction. Five studies test these dynamics; the results reveal that an incivility incident leads observers to prioritize social over market concerns. This reprioritization becomes manifest in a subsequent service interaction through increased feelings of warmth toward the employee who experienced incivility. In turn, feelings of warmth prompt observers to provide emotional support to the affected employee. Yet such prosocial inclinations are less likely when an employee is held responsible for or reciprocates incivility. Finally, this article also examines the effects of different employee reaction strategies on observers' inferences about the employee and the service firm, showing that observers are most positively disposed toward the employee and the firm when the former reacts to incivility with a polite reprimand. Together, the results suggest that, contrary to past theorizing, observing customers may contribute to employee well-being, contingent on appropriate employee responses. Notably, the commonly prescribed polite, submissive employee reaction that requires emotional labor may not be the most desirable reaction-neither for the employee nor for the firm.

Discounting Humanity: When Consumers are Price Conscious, Employees Appear Less Human

“…Managers of thrift‐oriented brands need to be aware of the potential impact their positioning strategy has on their employees and identify means to offset the potential negative effects. For instance, these managers might consider supplementing their positioning with cues emphasizing the social dimension of consumption (Henkel, Boegershausen, Rafaeli, & Lemmink, ). In addition, personnel managers of thrift‐oriented brands can excel by proactively equipping their employees with the tools and internal culture to cope with potentially less considerate customers.…”

Observing customer stress and engagement: An intercultural perspective

“…Service incivility can take the form of rude, impolite, and condescending acts against employees (Henkel et al, 2017) or customers (Porath et al, 2011) during a service encounter. These behaviors could be either experienced or witnessed by customers (Karabas et al, 2019).…”

Observer reactions to workplace mistreatment: It’s a matter of perspective.

“…Empathic feelings of concern and compassion prompt a desire to reduce the distress or need of the other (Batson, 1991;Betancourt, 1990;Eisenberg et al, 2010), and motivate prosocial behaviors (Batson, 1991), such as interpersonal helping and positive social attitudes (Lebowitz & Dovidio, 2015). Indeed, Henkel et al (2017) found that witnessed incivility elicited feelings of warmth toward a frontline employee, which in turn related to prosocial feelings and emotional support (provided observers did not attribute blame to the employee). This desire to help is due to a backwards inference process in which individuals infer from their feelings of concern that they value that individual's welfare (Batson et al, 2007).…”