We’ve all heard the horror stories of working in customer service. But what if there was a way to predict the customer’s next move and offer solutions before the situation gets out of hand?

Dr. Yoshimasa “Nancy” Kageyama, assistant professor of hospitality leadership, recently went to the International Conference on Human Resources and Talent Management in Taiwan to present two papers centered around this idea. Delegates from all over the world attended, with representatives from Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam.

Training students and employees to make a difference

Kageyama’s first paper, “Employee behaviors, customer emotions, and customer behaviors in positive service encounters,” looks at employee behaviors and how they affect the customer’s positive emotions. Their emotions then dictate subsequent behaviors.

“This study provides practical information for training appropriate employee behaviors to generate positive customer behaviors through customers’ positive emotions,” said Kageyama, assistant professor of hospitality leadership.

Her second study, “Training young professionals using the business simulation-based learning,” is a collaboration with Dr. Albert Barreda, assistant professor of hospitality leadership. This study encourages using business simulations in the classroom to promote problem solving and critical thinking.

“The findings of the study help to encourage trainers and educators to consider incorporating business simulation as an effective learning and teaching tool,” said Kageyama.

In addition to presenting the two studies, she was also a chair of one of the technical sessions.