An analysis of the interaction effect between employee technical and emotional competencies in emotionally charged service encounters

摘要

Purpose - Customers often experience negative emotions during service experiences. The ways that employees manage customers' emotions and impressions about whether the service provider is concerned for them in such emotionally charged service encounters (ECSEs) is crucial, considering the criticality of the encounter. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory, this study proposes that two key competencies - employee emotional competence (EEC) and employee technical competence (ETC) - affect negative customer emotions and customer satisfaction with employee response in ECSEs.