Sometimes dealing with continuous negative interactions with customers can cause emotional labor, which can lead to stress. One way of dealing with stress is called the ABC model, and it can help understand and manage that stress.  

         A   ð   B  ð  C 

Activation – Believe – Consequence 

First, identify what activated the stressful feelings.  Next, evaluate how that makes you feel, based on your own beliefs and attitudes.  Then identify what consequences are caused by those feelings and beliefs so you can consciously choose to make different decisions and reduce the stress based on the event or situation. For example, let’s say you’re about to leave your desk to meet a friend for lunch, when your boss calls you from his rear office and asks you to go by the bank while you’re out.  He says he needs you to wait just a minute while he completes the deposit slip.  As you try to be patient, the “minute” turns into several minutes, and you find yourself getting angry because you believe that your boss is being selfish and doesn’t care if he’s putting you out.  You believe he isn’t concerned about your plans.  You find yourself getting stressed because you’re hungry and you’re keeping your friend waiting. 

By identifying and understanding what’s triggering the stress, you can consciously choose a different reaction after you’ve filtered the situation through your belief system.  You then have the ability to respond differently and possibly eliminate some, if not all, of the stress.