Abstract
Using the observer’s perspective (i.e. the customer), this study examines how differing levels of salesperson’s emotional regulation affect customer satisfaction with the interaction. Furthermore, the study investigates how two key strategic options for increasing the interaction quality, i.e. salesperson’s display of positive emotions (PED) and helpfulness, shape the emotional regulation-satisfaction link. Support is found for the hypothesized inverted U-shaped effect of emotional regulation on customer satisfaction implying that the customers are most satisfied with interaction when salespeople exhibit medium levels of emotional regulation. In addition, both PED and helpfulness moderate this relationship, albeit in different directions. Whereas PED makes the emotional regulation-satisfaction link more pronounced, for helpfulness the effect is reversed, where results indicate a flip in the curve, that is, a U-shaped curvilinear relationship between emotional regulation and satisfaction for high levels of helpfulness. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.