I once worked as a receptionist at a clinic and I had to perfect emotional management as part of customer service. My job was to keep patients who were in the waiting room at ease and ensure I avert any emergencies or problems. I had to ensure that all the patients in waiting felt comfortable and were calm. This meant ensuring there were no disgruntled clients, it was done by making certain their appointments were not delayed and offering them whatever it is they needed. I had to plaster on a smile and keep a calm demeanor throughout; especially when there was an angry or upset client. I had to suppress any anger or irritation I would feel from clients that would continuously ask me questions or clients that were nervous. This is the definition of emotional labor, when one has to suppress feelings to show an outward picture that helps people stay calm and happy.
Most of the time, I would have to feign interest or smiles when asked questions which could clearly only be answered by the physician. I had to look calm and collected at all times and even be empathetic when the occasion called for it. Sometimes I would get very tired from having to deal with the clients but I was never to frown or show it. Smiling and keeping calm was a huge performance indicator in my job and clients were supposed to rate me. This meant that smiling and putting up a certain façade was part of my job. It became such a huge part of me that even outside work; it was something I could easily do, sometimes without realizing it. Hochnschild points out that another issue with emotional labor is how it makes people more susceptible to its social engineering and it lessens ones control over that labor. In my case, because I had to constantly appear calm this became something I would subconsciously do even when outside work in social circles, I had no control over it.
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