Abstract
Affective Events Theory suggests customer interactions
elicit event appraisals that, in turn, prompt affective reactions in employees.
A qualitative diary study was used to examine the daily events and cognitive
appraisals that elicit positive emotions during customer service interactions.
Thematic analysis of the diary contents of 276 sales employees from a variety
of industries (874 positive events) showed helping customers solve their
problem was the event most likely to trigger positive emotions. The data and
resulting model revealed that particular configurations of employees’
appraisals predicted particular emotion(s). Within-person differences in
cognitive appraisals also helped explain why some initially negative events may
ultimately become a positive experience. Emotional contagion was found, where
the positive emotions of the sales employees, or those of the customer,
influenced the emotion of the other. The implications of the study for
employees’ happiness and well-being, and for enhanced customer service
relations, are discussed.