Affective Service Display and Customer Mood

Using video-based stimuli to manipulate the affect displayed by service providers, this study examines participants’ moods after viewing friendly or neutral service, with emotional expressivity as a moderator. Results indicate higher positive moods and lower negative moods after viewing a friendly versus a neutral service display. Participants higher in emotional expressivity reported greater positive mood after viewing a friendly display. Participants’ moods were also examined in relation to service evaluations. Results indicate that preconsumption mood is not related to evaluations; however, increases in positive mood are related to higher evaluations, and increases in negative mood are related to lower evaluations.