Emotional Labor: Management of Emotions - Essay Example

Emotional labor is not easy for a few individuals, and for lots of individuals emotional labor can result in increased burnout and stress. In addition to this, the most common example of emotional labor that we can see is the dealing of a teacher with a student who hands in an assignment late, regularly when a manager asks that workers in the position of customer service must always remain pleasant and should have a smile on their face at all times, in spite they face of insults. Occupations in which the managers give more importance to the intelligence of employees than physical existence frequently involve less emotional labor; therefore such labor excessively penalizes the disenfranchised and poor. Generally, such labor comes out in the case of a service worker or different low-level jobs where an employee has to present certain emotions, even if they do not feel them.

To explain the concept let me quote my personal work experience as a sales worker. Being a sales representative requires a lot of effort as one has to control one’s feelings while dealing with customers. As the success of a business relies on the satisfaction of the customer, so a great emphasis is laid in every organization to effectively manage the services and products. The major emphasis and pressure lie on our department as effective servicing can convert an unsatisfied customer to a delighted customer, but it requires immense patience and emotional management.

Since I work at a shoe retailer we usually come across many such incidents but the one I would like to quote here made me employee of the week in my store. One day I was doing my job as always and a man came and asked for a pair of shoes. I arranged all the best available in my store and explained the utilities of each pair. Once the customer learned about the material of all the available varieties, he managed to select one. Upon selection, he requested for his size and the request was ultimately fulfilled without wasting time.

The customer was really happy with the service and contently bought the selected pair, thanked me and left. The other day I was again doing my work professionally when suddenly in a raged mood came a man. I recognized him as he was the same customer. He within an instant started yelling at me. Being a human, I felt humiliated but I had to manage my emotions to correctly perform my professional duties. I offered him a glass of water and asked him to sit and then explain to me what made him so much angry and inquired whether he is alright.

After a while the man started complaining about the pair of shoes he bought yesterday. He said that he had planned to go to the office with a new pair of shoes but as soon he slipped in his feet and walked, the sole was detached. It was such an awful experience that instead of going to work, he immediately ran to the store. After hearing his whole story, I sympathized with him and took the pair from him and checked what was causing the problem and then I saw that the man was right.