Final answer:
Research has indicated that employees' smiles predict customer satisfaction and higher customer ratings of service, except in certain situations such as when the customer and employee are of different races, when the employee is male, when the customer detects that the smile is not genuine, and when the customer is in a bad mood.
Step-by-step explanation:
Research has indicated that employees' smiles predict customer satisfaction and higher customer ratings of service, EXCEPT when the customer and employee were of different races, when the employee was male, when the customer detected that the smile was not genuine, and when the customer was in a bad mood.
The facial feedback hypothesis suggests that one's facial expression can affect their emotional experience, and smiling can actually make a person happier. However, there are certain factors that can influence the impact of an employee's smile on customer satisfaction and service ratings.
For example, research has shown that when the customer and employee are of different races, the effect of the employee's smile on customer satisfaction may be diminished. Additionally, if the customer detects that the smile is not genuine, it may not have the same positive effect on customer satisfaction. Finally, when a customer is in a bad mood, they may not be as receptive to an employee's smile.