Reference no: EM132938743

Case study

Pizza Express teaching staff to flirt with customers Pizza Express has recruited classically trained actor Karl James to teach flirting and the art of chit-chat to staff to help them to 'butter-up' the restaurant's customers. Mr James is running a series of bespoke workshops with Pizza Express employees to help them improve the way they interact with people. A source close to the company said: 'With social media and texting reducing our face-to-face interaction, Pizza Express has enlisted the help of a conversation expert who is incorporating flirting and unique conversation techniques into its new staff training scheme to help completely redefine the restaurant experience for customers.' Mr James has played a key role in designing Pizza Express's new training and recruitment process, including teaching staff 'how to flirt (subtly) with customers so they feel more comfortable and relaxed', he said. He added that the hectic pace of modern life often prevented people from having a quality conversation. But somewhere among the pizza ovens, pushchair ramps, and oversized pepper grinders the art of banter was a 'teachable skill' which would help staff 'get the most from every interaction, with colleagues and customers,' the source said.

Source Adapted from an article by Louisa Peacock, Jobs Editor, The Telegraph.

Questions

1. How well do you think staff can be trained to undertake this type of behavior?

2. How might managers control and appraise emotional labor?