Why Is Emotional Intelligence Important for Service Employees?
Companies in many industries, including the service industry, have come to value emotional intelligence along with other traditional components for employees, such as training, experience and work ethic. Emotional intelligence may be a buzzword, but it's also a valuable asset for employers who rely on workers to effectively engage with clients for maximum customer satisfaction.
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Definitions
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Service employees are those who work for businesses that rely on particular services rather than on products to satisfy their customers. Some service-related businesses rely on both products and services to satisfy their customers, but service remains a primary feature of the industry. Examples of service employees include beauty salon employees, restaurant workers, customer service call center operators, massage therapists, concierges and lifeguards. Individuals with high emotional intelligence can accurately identify their own emotions and reactions, as well as those of others. Emotional intelligence involves regulating emotions in order to make appropriate decisions and actions.
"Reading" Customers
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One reason why emotional intelligence is important for service employees is that it makes them better able to "read" customers, which involves making informed hypotheses about what a customer wants, what concerns that customer might have and what actions should be taken to best satisfy that customer. For example, a bellhop might observe a harried-looking mother entering a hotel foyer overloaded with bags and surrounded by two crying children. This service employee might immediately retrieve the bags and make a gentle joke about the kids to set the mother at ease.
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Building Relationships
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Building relationships is another reason why emotional intelligence is important for service employees. Customers might choose any number of service providers, so employees will encourage return visits and longstanding relationships by building rapport with their clients. For example, a gym client might purchase personal training sessions with a particular trainer for years because the trainer knows the client's workout preferences, medical history and fitness goals.
Diffusing Tension
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Service employees must sometimes address frustrated or irate customers who want to vent about their negative experiences with a business. Employees must be able to listen with compassion, refraining from correcting the customer or reacting defensively. After listening, effective service employees might then offer a solution that defuses the client dissatisfaction, resulting in a positive customer experience. For example, a waiter might listen as his customer complains about the slow service, bland food and noisy dining room before the waiter offers to purchase free dessert for the table. The placated customer then feels that her complaints have been heard and addressed, and might consider returning to the restaurant in the future.
Self-Esteem
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Because service employees are sometimes treated dismissively by customers, emotional intelligence can help workers develop a sense of humor in maintaining positive interactions with customers rather than absorbing bossy orders and whiny complaints as personal attacks. Having a sense of self-esteem helps service employees feel competent and confident when dealing with challenging clients, so that they're able to help resolve problems without dissolving into anger, tears or frustration.
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References
- Learning Matters: Emotional Intelligence
- Genos International: Frequently Asked Questions
- The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations; Bringing Emotional Intelligence to the Workplace; Cary Cherniss; October 1998
- Keppie Careers: How to Find a Job in 2011; Miriam Salpeter; January 2011
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
