PART ONE
BUILDING AN EMOTION-FRIENDLY SERVICE CULTURE

The greatest revolution in our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.

—William James

Emotions influence every aspect of our thinking life: they shape our memories; they influence our perceptions, our dreams, thoughts, and judgments—and our behaviors, including our decisions whether to return to a place of business, how much we are willing to pay for a product or service, and what we tell our family and friends about our experiences. Emotions are more than mere cognitive processes and indeed more than just feelings.

Emotions influence human reasoning. Emotions shape judgment. And emotions shape behavior. When “customer” is added to these last three statements, they read: Emotions influence customer reasoning. Emotions shape customer judgments. And emotions shape customer behaviors. Given this, it is a very good idea to pay close attention to customer emotions and attempt to influence them in the most positive manner.

Emotions in business are even more complex and less readily standardized, measurable, and manageable than previously thought. But as Marta Vago, a family-business consultant, says, “You can’t divorce emotions from the workplace because you can’t divorce emotions from people. The challenge is not to get rid of emotions but to understand them and manage them in oneself and others.” Self-awareness on both an organizational and an individual level is the key to starting the process of adding emotional value to service offerings.