Recruiting for Service: The Cost of Putting on a Happy Face

The perpetual need to wear a happy face at work can lead to high stress and eventual burnout, particularly for those who wrangle irate customers and distressed patients. Giving service staff support and permission to vent about the frustrations of the job is one way to keep stress under control. Time out for just a few minutes may do the trick. But some personality types are better than others at dealing with cantankerous customers. Research from the Australian School of Business shows recruiting emotionally intelligent frontline staff may offer a better long-term solution for everyone, including narky customers who are on the alert for emotional authenticity.