Customer-related stressors and effects on burnout: A study in Turkey

Abstract

Customer aggression is a significant organizational problem in modern working life, particularly for employees in the service sector who are in direct contact with customers. For employees in this sector, the high level of customer interaction may be the reason for undesired consequences like stress and burnout. In the context of a service, it is possible to define customer aggression as a customer’s behavior aimed at harming or discomfiting those giving service. Customer aggression has a negative effect on the employee’s health and safety. This study aimed to demonstrate the effect on the burnout level of salesman and cashier exposed to customer related stressor. The study sample comprised 403 employees of service sector. In the data analysis, T-test, correlation and regression analysis were used. From the results of the analyses, the finding was obtained that verbal abuse significantly increased the emotional burnout, job stress and depersonalization levels of workers. According to the results obtained from the research, while a positive significant relationship was determined between customer aggression and Burnout tendency.