Emotions as a form of customer resource in service encounters

Studies in consumer resources hold that customers are required to be equipped with a set of knowledge and aptitude in order to play their role in a service exchange. While extant studies focus primarily on cognitive resources of customers, no study has yet to conceptualise the ability to manage and control emotions as a form of customer resource. This conceptual paper integrates theories from the literature to show that emotions elicited exert a dynamic impact on the service encounter. It is posited that customers’ ability to manage service-related emotions may influence the outcome of the service experience. One avenue of utilising emotions as a form of customer resource is through Emotional Intelligence – a concept largely overlooked in marketing. Emotional Intelligence suggests that emotions can be managed and controlled. Emotionally intelligent customers may respond to negative emotions in service encounters more effectively through greater awareness of and capacity to cope with affective pressures. This paper presents a conceptual platform for future research in the area of emotion management as an antecedent to customer response in service encounters.