sustainability
Article
Navigating Unpleasant Interactions: The Influence of
Customer Mistreatment on Hospitality Employee Responses
Employing Mindfulness as a Moderator
Jie Yin 1 , Yensen Ni 2, * , Yangchu Fan 2 and Yuhsin Chen 3
Citation: Yin, J.; Ni, Y.; Fan, Y.; Chen,
Y. Navigating Unpleasant
Interactions: The Influence of
Customer Mistreatment on
Hospitality Employee Responses
Employing Mindfulness as a
Moderator. Sustainability 2023, 15,
14288. https://doi.org/10.3390/
su151914288
Academic Editor: Yoon Jung Jang
Received: 21 August 2023
Revised: 14 September 2023
Accepted: 25 September 2023
Published: 27 September 2023
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914288
1 Department of Exhibition Economy and Management, College of Tourism, Huaqiao University,
Quanzhou 362021, China; yinjie@hqu.edu.cn
2 Department of Management Sciences, Tamkang University, No. 151, Yingzhuan Rd., Tamsui Dist.,
New Taipei City 251301, Taiwan; 806620133@gms.tku.edu.tw
3 Department of Accounting, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City 320314, Taiwan;
yuhsin@cycu.edu.tw
* Correspondence: ysni@mail.tku.edu.tw; Tel.: +886-86313221; Fax: +886-86313214
Abstract: Customer mistreatment may be an unavoidable issue for the hospitality industry. Based
on the Pressure–State–Response (PSR) framework, this study investigates the process of employees’
pressure, state, and responses to customer mistreatment with the moderation of mindfulness. By
using structure modeling equation techniques, we find that employees with high levels of mindfulness
can mitigate the impact of customer mistreatment on emotional exhaustion; however, this study
unexpectedly found that mindfulness can enhance the impact of emotional exhaustion on turnover
intention. This study concludes that instead of conflicting with customers, resulting in their emotional
exhaustion, these employees with mindfulness may deal with customer emotions, avoiding the
immediate negative impact of customer mistreatment, which is beneficial for hospitality enterprises,
particularly given the present state of competition in the industry. Even so, we find that these
employees with high-level mindfulness may recognize reality rather than become confused in such
circumstances and may choose to leave to find a new job. As such, there is still room for future
research into ways to cope with customer mistreatment without increasing the turnover intention of
such employees.
Keywords: customer mistreatment; emotional exhaustion; turnover intention; mindfulness;
hospitality employees; PSR framework
1. Introduction
Customer mistreatment is a reflection of poor customer behaviors [1], which include
speaking loudly, verbal abuse, making unfair demands, skipping a queue, and other disre-
spectful behaviors [2]. Employees who experience customer mistreatment may experience
emotional distress [3], emotional exhaustion [4], poor physical health [5], poor job perfor-
mance [6], and absenteeism [7]. Since employee turnover has received increased attention in
the hotel industry [8], we propose that if employees are frequently mistreated by customers,
turnover intention and work withdrawal may eventually increase [9]. For example, a cus-
tomer at a busy hotel restaurant becomes irate due to a delayed order. They raise their voice
and make unreasonable demands, causing distress to the server (hospitality employee).
This public conflict not only disrupts the dining experience but also affects the server’s emo-
tional well-being and overall job performance, potentially contributing to high turnover
rates in the hospitality industry. As a result, the study of negative customer–employee
interactions is crucial for the hospitality industry due to their increasing prevalence and
negative impacts on employees, as described above, highlighting the need to investigate
this issue and even provide solutions for hospitality businesses.
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 2 of 17

Previous research has found that several internal factors, including organizational fac-
tors [8,10], managerial factors [11], and individual personal factors [12], influence employee
turnover intention. We argue that external factors play an important role in influencing em-
ployee turnover [9]. However, the effects of external factors (e.g., customer mistreatment)
on employee turnover intention appear to be understudied.
Customer mistreatment, a type of poor treatment from customers, is regarded as an
external source that influences employee emotion, potentially leading to work withdrawal
behavior and a greater turnover of employees [9]. Thus, we argue that looking for ways
to mitigate the adverse effects of customer mistreatment is worthwhile because customer
mistreatment interfering with employee performance is a critical issue for the hotel indus-
try. Mindfulness meditation practices are deliberate acts of attention regulation through
the observation of thoughts, emotions, and body states that can be used as adjunctive
treatments for anxiety disorders [13]. Previous research has shown that mindfulness can
help individuals reduce emotional exhaustion [14,15], improve their quality of life [16], and
maintain good habits [17]. Furthermore, mindfulness is gaining traction in the hospitality
industry; for example, some hotels provide mindfulness training/advice to both employees
and customers [18,19]. As a result, we seek to explore the process of employees’ pressure,
state, and response to customer mistreatment while examining the moderating effect of
mindfulness and validating its way of mitigating the link between customer mistreatment
and employee anxiety.
Therefore, we used the PSR framework—pressure (customer mistreatment), state
(employee states affected by customer mistreatment), and response (employee performance
or other reactions)—with the moderating effect of mindfulness for further analysis. We
believe that this study may not only broaden the theory of the PSR model but also prompt
employees to utilize mindfulness to alleviate their anxiety; this may shed light on how to
deal with dilemmas with a gentle attitude and improve the actions of employees, thereby
improving the industry.
Based on the aforementioned concerns, this study aimed to fill gaps in the relevant
literature through two key objectives: Firstly, customer mistreatment [9] can negatively
impact employees’ emotions, resulting in emotional exhaustion [1] and influencing turnover
intention [20,21]. We proposed that emotional exhaustion may play a mediating role
between customer mistreatment and employees’ intentions to find new work. Secondly,
we wanted to see if mindfulness can moderate the effect of either customer mistreatment
or emotional exhaustion on turnover intention, potentially helping employees deal with
customer mistreatment. Thus, this study may explain how to connect several factors
(e.g., customer mistreatment as a pressure factor, emotional exhaustion as a state factor,
turnover intention as a response factor, and mindfulness as a moderating factor) by utilizing
the PSR framework.
Additionally, customer mistreatment may be an unavoidable issue for the hospitality
industry. Thus, learning new ways to deal with customer mistreatment while maintaining
employee performance is critical to the industry’s success.
We argue that this study may add to the existing body of knowledge. First, this study
not only addresses the critical need to manage the influences of customer mistreatment
in the hospitality industry but also highlights the previously overlooked issue of em-
ployee emotional exhaustion as a mediator between customer mistreatment and employee
turnover intention, both of which are crucial but rarely addressed in hospitality research.
Second, in contrast to prior studies that have explored factors such as global self-esteem
and age [6], following the insights of Garcia et al. (2019) [22], our research introduced
mindfulness as a moderator and treatment for employee anxiety related to customer mis-
treatment. Given the prevalence of consumer mistreatment in the hospitality industry, our
approach addresses the pressing need to develop novel strategies to preserve employee
performance and ensure the industry’s success. Third, based on the use of mindfulness as
a treatment for anxiety disorders [23], we found that mindfulness could be used to avoid
the immediate negative impact of customer–employee conflicts by mitigating the effect
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 3 of 17

of customer mistreatment on emotional exhaustion, indicating that employees with high

levels of mindfulness may be advantageous to hospitality enterprises, especially given
the industry’s current competitiveness. Fourth, unexpectedly, we found that mindfulness
increases the effect of emotional exhaustion on the of employees intention to leave. We
infer that these employees may identify with reality rather than becoming confused at
work, thereby deciding to resign or find a new position. Consequently, instead of using
other factors that have been shown to influence employee turnover intention in previous
studies [14,24], we show that customer mistreatment is a significant factor influencing
turnover intention and that mindfulness may not mitigate but rather enhance the impact of
employees’ negative emotions on their intention to leave, both of which are notions that
appear to be understudied.

2. Literature Review and Hypotheses

2.1. Customer Mistreatment
Customers and employees frequently interact with one another. However, in the
service industry, the frequent occurrence of customer maltreatment towards employees
(e.g., speaking loudly, verbal abuse, unfair demands, jumping a queue, and ill-mannered
behaviors) remains a source of concern. Furthermore, as one of the key factors influencing
employee emotions, customer mistreatment has numerous side effects on employees [4],
frequently resulting in strong emotional reactions among employees [25]. Moreover, pre-
vious research has shown that customer mistreatment hurts employees’ health [26] and
increases their emotional exhaustion [1].
Previous studies have aimed to address the behavioral impact of employees’ unpleas-
ant feelings produced by customer mistreatment. According to Huang et al. (2019) [27],
employee sabotage may be a response to customer maltreatment, although Baranik et al.
(2017) [1] argue that cognitive rumination may attenuate customer mistreatment and reduce
employee sabotage. Social sharing, such as talking to coworkers, is also a popular response
to customer mistreatment [4]. Customer mistreatment’s consequences on employees’ jobs
and careers have also been studied since customer mistreatment can change employees’
feelings and behavior. For example, relevant research has shown that when customers
mistreat hospitality employees, their service performance suffers [28]; prior research has
also shown that customer mistreatment negatively impacts restaurant personnel’s service
performance [22], lowers service performance among hospitality employees such as tour
guides and frontline staff [29], and, even worse, increases employee absenteeism [30].
Employees are not only harmed when customers are mistreating them, but the con-
sequences are likely to last a long time. According to Shi and Wang (2022) [4], negative
emotions caused by customer mistreatment may linger even longer the next day. Many
moderating and intervention factors have been proposed gradually because employees’
persistent negative emotions are likely to be detrimental to business. Relevant research
suggests that both self-esteem and age [6] alleviate the influence of customer mistreatment
on self-confidence threat. Overall, we believe that more research into how to effectively
lessen the negative influence of consumer mistreatment is required.
Frequent interactions between customers and service employees in the service indus-
try have given rise to an ongoing issue of unfavorable interactions, including behaviors
such as speaking loudly, verbal abuse, making unreasonable demands, queue jumping,
and ill-mannered conduct. This persistent problem of customer mistreatment has raised
significant concerns within the field [4]. It is worth noting that customer mistreatment not
only impacts employees’ emotions but also leads to a multitude of adverse consequences
for them [4]. As a critical factor influencing employee emotions, it frequently triggers
intense emotional responses among them [25]. Furthermore, research has demonstrated
that customer mistreatment can have detrimental effects on employees’ health [26] and
contribute to heightened emotional exhaustion [1].
Previous research has predominantly concentrated on the behavioral repercussions
stemming from employees’ unpleasant emotions derived from customer mistreatment [31,32].
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 4 of 17

While Huang et al. (2019) [27] argue that employee sabotage can be a response to customer
maltreatment, Baranik et al. (2017) [1] suggest that cognitive rumination might mitigate
the effects of customer mistreatment and reduce employee sabotage. Social sharing, such
as discussing their experiences with coworkers, is another common response to customer
mistreatment [4]. Moreover, the consequences of customer mistreatment on employees’
job performance and career prospects have garnered significant research attention, as it
fundamentally alters employees’ emotions and behaviors. For instance, pertinent research
has demonstrated that when customers mistreat hospitality employees, it negatively affects
their service performance [28]. Similarly, customer mistreatment diminishes the service
performance of restaurant staff [22] and leads to decreased service quality in hospitality
employees such as tour guides and frontline staff [29]. In more severe cases, consumer
incivility has been linked to increased employee absenteeism [30].
Importantly, the repercussions of customer mistreatment on employees are not short-
lived; they can persist over an extended period. According to Shi and Wang (2022) [4],
negative emotions triggered by customer mistreatment may carry over to the following
day [33]. Given the potential harm to businesses, numerous moderating and intervention
factors have been proposed. Relevant research suggests that both self-esteem and age may
alleviate the effect of customer mistreatment on self-confidence threats [6]. As such, it
is essential to conduct additional research to mitigate the negative impact of consumer
mistreatment on either employees or businesses.

2.2. Pressure–State–Response (PSR) Framework

The Pressure–State–Response (PSR) framework is widely employed in the field of
ecology [34]. This framework includes three main components: pressure, state, and re-
sponse [35]. The PSR framework is also a useful tool for explaining a system’s interaction
with external influencing factors by way of capturing the dynamic changes and primary
reasoning of events. For example, when people feel pressure from outside factors (P), it
may lead to changes in their state (S) that, in turn, lead to a reaction (R) that attempts to
relieve the pressure.
Customer mistreatment, as elucidated by Shin et al. (2021) [36], places considerable
stress on employees and depletes their resources, thereby subjecting service workers to
significant strain [7]. According to the PSR framework, customer mistreatment can be
regarded as an external force exerting pressure on employees. Emotional exhaustion, which
is characterized as stress-induced depletion [37], represents a state of both physical and
mental fatigue resulting from a deficiency in energy and resources.
Within the PSR framework, emotional exhaustion is treated as a state component
for employees subjected to the pressure of customer mistreatment. Previous research has
explored various response factors, including behavioral and revisit intentions [38,39]. In
our study, we have chosen employee turnover intention as the response factor. In Figure 1,
we present the conceptual framework that we used to elucidate the connections among
these factors. In the framework, customer mistreatment is the pressure factor, emotional
exhaustion is the state factor, turnover intention is the response factor, and mindfulness
is the moderating factor. After deciding to use this framework for the present study, we
proposed several pivotal hypotheses for further investigation.
Relevant research indicates that interpersonal mistreatment correlates with nurses’
emotional exhaustion [40]; customer mistreatment can deplete employees’ energy and
affect their emotions [41], and customer mistreatment contributes to cell phone service
workers’ emotional exhaustion [1]. In the service industry, which encompasses sectors
such as retail, healthcare, insurance, food services, finance, and higher education, customer
mistreatment leads to emotional exhaustion among employees. Moreover, customer mis-
treatment exacerbates employees’ emotional exhaustion as it subjects them to persistent
stressors and depletes their emotional resources [42], leading to heightened emotional
fatigue and a reduced capacity to cope with workplace demands [43]. Therefore, according
to the PSR framework, external pressure (P) can influence the system’s state (S). We believe
 Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 5 of 17

Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 17

that when customers mistreat hospitality workers, their emotions change, resulting in
emotional exhaustion. Hence, we proposed H1.

H4

Emotional
Exhaustion
(EE)

State

H1 H2
H5a H5b
Mindfulness
(MI)

H5c
Customer
Turnover
Mistreatment H3
intention (TI)
(CM)

Pressure Response

Figure
Figure 1. The
1. The conceptualframework.
conceptual framework.

H1. Customerresearch
Relevant mistreatment positively
indicates affects
that employees’ emotional
interpersonal exhaustion.
mistreatment correlates with nurses’
emotional exhaustion
Emotional [40]; has
exhaustion customer mistreatment
been found to enhance can deplete
turnover employees’
intention energy
in a variety of and
affect their emotions [41], and customer mistreatment contributes to cell phone service
fields. Cho et al. (2014) [20] showed that airline staff sometimes resign due to emotional
exhaustion.
workers’ McKenna
emotional and Jeske[1].
exhaustion (2020) [44] service
In the found that nurses with
industry, which extreme emotionalsectors
encompasses
suchexhaustion
as retail,are more likelyinsurance,
healthcare, to leave the food
profession. Alolafinance,
services, et al. (2019)
and[21] discovered
higher that cus-
education,
emotional exhaustion influences hotel employees’ intentions to leave. Thus, emotional
tomer mistreatment leads to emotional exhaustion among employees. Moreover, cus-
exhaustion or burnout may predict turnover intention [45]. Additionally, employees
tomer mistreatment
experiencing exacerbates
emotional exhaustionemployees’ emotional
are more likely exhaustion
to contemplate as ittheir
leaving subjects
currentthem to
persistent stressors
job [46] due and depletes
to decreased their and
job satisfaction emotional resources
diminished emotional[42], leadingleading
resources, to heightened
to
emotional fatigue
heightened and intention
turnover a reduced capacity
[47]. to copeaccording
Consequently, with workplace
to the PSRdemands
framework, [43].
theThere-
fore, according
change to thestate
in a system’s PSR(S)framework,
may trigger external
a behaviorpressure (P) Hence,
reaction (R). can influence
we inferredthethat
system’s
emotional
state (S). Weexhaustion
believe thatmaywhen
result customers
in turnover intention,
mistreat leading us to propose
hospitality workers,H2. their emotions
change, resultingemotional
H2. Employees’ in emotional exhaustion.
exhaustion Hence,
increases their we proposed
turnover intention. H1.
Previous
H1. Customer research haspositively
mistreatment shown that customer
affects mistreatment
employees’ emotionalcauses employee absen-
exhaustion.
teeism [7], work withdrawal [9], and even turnover intention. Diefendorff et al. (2019) [48]
Emotional
also stated thatexhaustion
staff in call has been
center found
services to aenhance
have turnover
high intention intention
to leave due to in a variety
being on of
fields. Cho et al.
the receiving end(2014)
of poor[20] showed
client thatfrequently.
treatment airline staff sometimes
Furthermore, resignmistreatment
customer due to emotional
exhaustion. McKenna and Jeske (2020) [44] found that nurses with extreme
can increase employees’ turnover intention by creating a stressful and hostile emotional
work envi-
ronment [49].
exhaustion The accumulated
are more likely to leaveemotional toll from mistreatment
the profession. can lead[21]
Alola et al. (2019) employees to that
discovered
seek alternative employment opportunities for relief [50]. Hence, based
emotional exhaustion influences hotel employees’ intentions to leave. Thus, emotional on the above, we
proposed H3.
exhaustion or burnout may predict turnover intention [45]. Additionally, employees ex-
H3. Customer
periencing mistreatment
emotional increasesare
exhaustion employees’ turnover
more likely to intention.
contemplate leaving their current job
[46] due to decreased job satisfaction and diminished emotional resources, leading to
2.3. The Mediation
heightened turnoverof Emotional
intentionExhaustion
[47]. Consequently, according to the PSR framework, the
According to the PSR framework,
change in a system’s state (S) may trigger the astate factor (emotional
behavior exhaustion)
reaction (R). Hence, wecaninferred
serve that
as a linkexhaustion
emotional between themaypressure
resultfactor (customer
in turnover mistreatment)
intention, andusthe
leading to response
propose factor
H2.
H2. Employees’ emotional exhaustion increases their turnover intention.
Previous research has shown that customer mistreatment causes employee absen-
teeism [7], work withdrawal [9], and even turnover intention. Diefendorff et al. (2019)
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 6 of 17

(turnover intention). In addition, emotional exhaustion may mediate the links between
customer mistreatment and job satisfaction [48], job demands and instigated workplace
incivility [51], and workplace ostracism and interpersonal deviance [52]. Furthermore, em-
ployees’ emotional exhaustion may serve as a crucial mediator in the relationship between
customer mistreatment and turnover intention. When mistreated by customers, employ-
ees often experience heightened emotional exhaustion [53], prompting them to consider
leaving their jobs in search of relief from these emotionally draining interactions [54]. As
such, we hypothesized that emotional exhaustion may mediate the link between customer
mistreatment and employees’ turnover intention by proposing H4.
H4. Employees’ emotional exhaustion mediates the link between customer mistreatment and
employees’ turnover intention.

2.4. The Moderation of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a deliberate and nonjudgmental focus on the present moment [55]. To
regulate attention, mindfulness meditation involves observing thoughts, emotions, and
body states [56]. Mindfulness may provide people with a sense of control and a pleasant
affective consequence because it involves conscious awareness, non-subjective judgment,
and present moment focus [56]. Individuals with high-level mindfulness might recover
from negative emotions more quickly due to their ability to recognize reality without
becoming confused [57]. Furthermore, relevant research has shown that mindfulness
positively affects psychological distress [58], experience [59], and long-term sustainable
behavior [57].
Previous research has shown that employee emotional exhaustion may be mitigated
by mindfulness [14,42]. People who practice mindfulness may analyze the current situation
before making decisions rather than relying on experience [17], and mindfulness may help
to moderate the link between environmental influences and one’s emotional state [60].
Additionally, by utilizing mindfulness, employees may develop better emotional regulation
skills [17], helping them cope with mistreatment more effectively and reducing the impact
of such experiences on their emotional exhaustion [61]. As such, we inferred that employees
with high-level mindfulness might be less emotionally exhausted by customer mistreatment,
thereby proposing H5a.
H5a. Mindfulness moderates the link between customer mistreatment and employees’ emotional
exhaustion.
According to previous studies, tourists who practice mindfulness are more likely to
modify their behavior because they may be aware of how their actions affect others [17];
mindfulness can stimulate an individual’s self-regulating activities by reducing stress,
likely resulting in fewer defensive responses [62], and mindfulness has been shown to
be associated with self-control but not impulsive actions such as physical and verbal
aggression [63]. Additionally, practicing mindfulness can enhance employees’ resilience
and coping mechanisms, making them less likely to consider leaving their jobs when
experiencing emotional exhaustion [64]. Additionally, employees who practice mindfulness
can better handle the emotional impact of mistreatment, lowering their intention to leave
as they become more resilient and adaptable in facing customer mistreatment [65]. As
a result, we developed hypotheses H5b and H5c because we expected the relationships
shown below to be attenuated for individuals with higher levels of mindfulness.
H5b. Mindfulness moderates the link between employees’ emotional exhaustion and their turnover
intention.
H5c. Mindfulness moderates the link between customer mistreatment and employees’ turnover
intention.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 7 of 17

3. Data and Methodology

3.1. Measurement Items
The scale of measuring items for diverse constructs was obtained from validated
and reliable multi-item scales. Customer mistreatment was assessed using eight items
proposed by Park and Kim (2020) [28], emotional exhaustion was gauged using the six
items discussed by Aryee et al. (2015) [66], employees’ turnover intention was assessed
using the four items discussed by Haldorai et al. (2019) [67], and mindfulness was assessed
by using the twelve items recommended by Hwang and Lee (2019) [3]. These items were
evaluated utilizing a five-point Likert scale. In addition, we adapted these items so that
they suited the context of our study.

3.2. Data Collection and Sampling

Concerning the severe impact of COVID-19, questionnaires were issued via Wenjuanx-
ing (https://www.wx.cn/, accessed on 5 March 2021), one of China’s largest and most
professional online survey platforms [68]. In addition, with the aid of tourism bureaus in
Quanzhou, Xiamen, and Zhangzhou, people in charge of hospitality enterprises helped
us fill out our questionnaire by asking the bureaus to send the questionnaire link to their
personnel. Sample responses were obtained via conducting an online survey between 1
March and 30 March 2021. After eliminating responses due to repeated IP filling, regular
filling, short filling time, and contradictory questionnaires, we then obtained 427 valid
samples (Table 1) for our investigation. Specifically, one questionnaire from the same IP
address was included in the study, and those with identical responses and surveys that had
been completed outside of a specific time frame (i.e., the time taken to complete the survey
should have been between three and thirty minutes) were considered invalid.

Table 1. The socio-demographic profiles of the respondents.

Characteristics of Respondents N % Characteristics of Respondents N %

Male 256 59.95 Catering industry 177 41.45
Gender
Female 171 40.05 Hotel industry 38 8.90
Less than CNY 3000 175 40.98 Travel agency industry 19 4.45

Monthly CNY 3000–6000 192 44.96 Scenic area industry 21 4.92

Occupation
income CNY 6001–9000 46 10.77 MICE industry 16 3.75
Over CNY 9000 14 3.28 Aircraft industry 10 2.34
Junior high school Express industry 31 7.26
58 13.58
and below Others 115 26.93
Level of
education Senior high school 197 46.14 Under 18 69 16.16
College graduate 166 38.88 18 to 35 321 75.18
Post-graduate 6 1.41 Age 36 to 45 27 6.32
Less than 6 months 87 20.37 46 to 65 7 1.64
Work 6–12 months 132 30.91 Over 66 3 0.70
experience Work
1–3 years 120 28.10 Over 3 years 88 20.61
experience

3.3. Methodologies and Software Utilized for Data Analysis

Subsequently, SEM, Process 3.4, and Amos 24.0 were used to analyze data and test
hypotheses. After confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), we checked the measurement model
to see if the constructs and items were valid and reliable. Following that, Process 3.4 helped
us investigate the structural model and identify the causal linkages between constructs,
and the SPSS process macro model 59 was used to examine the moderating effects [69].
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 8 of 17

Table 1 shows that there were more male respondents (59.95%) than female respon-
dents (40.05%) and that most respondents (91.34%) were younger than 35 years old; 38.88%
of our respondents were college or university graduates at the time of completing the
survey, and 44.96% of them earned CNY 6001–9000 at the time of completing the survey.
In addition, Table 1 shows that these employees worked in different sub-industries of the
hospitality and tourism industry, including the catering industry (41.45%), hotel industry
(3.75%), travel agency industry (4.45%), scenic area industry (4.92%), MICE industry (4.5%),
aircraft industry (2.34%), express industry (7.25%), and others (26.93%). Regarding their
work experience, 20.37% of them had less than six months, 30.91% of them had worked for
6-12 months, 28.10% of them had 1-3 years worth of work experience, and the rest of them
(20.61%) had work experience spanning over 3 years.

4. Results
4.1. Measurement Model Validation
Based on confirmatory factor analysis in Table 2, this study excluded items CM1,
EE3, TI3, and MI3-9 because their standardized factor loadings were less than 0.5. Cron-
bach’s Alpha showed that each variable’s Alpha was greater than 0.7, indicating sample
reliability. We used CFA to validate our results and prove that the SEM model fit indices
met acceptable standards (Hu and Bentler, 1999) [70], which they did, as shown by the
values of χ2 /df = 1.924, RMSEA = 0.047 < 0.08, SRMR = 0.047 < 0.08, CFI = 0.951 > 0.9,
and TLI = 0.943 > 0.9. Furthermore, we examined whether our results contained com-
mon method bias as defined by Podsakoff et al. (2003) [71]. All items were subjected
to exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The variance interpretation rate of this study’s ini-
tial factor was 26.62 %, representing the common method deviation without biasing our
revealed results.
The measuring model’s convergent validity was also examined. Two tests were used
to determine convergent validity. The first is that the standardized factor loading of each
item has to be larger than 0.5, and the second is that each construct’s average variance
extracted (AVE) has to be greater than 0.5 [72]. Table 3 displays each item’s AVE and
normalized factor loading. Table 2 also shows that the AVE values are all greater than 0.5
and the CR values are all larger than 0.7. Variable discriminative validity was achieved
because the AVE is greater than the squared correlations of these constructs. Thus, our
samples are consistent and valid.

4.2. Hypotheses Testing

4.2.1. Testing Direct Effects
Following the testing process of previous studies, we test the moderated mediation
effect after examining the direct effect [73]. In Table 4, we present the following direct
impacts using SPSS for regression analysis [74]. Table 3 shows that customer mistreatment
has a significant positive effect on emotional exhaustion (β = 0.3693, p < 0.001), supporting
H1; emotional exhaustion has a significant positive effect on turnover intention (β = 0.5731,
p < 0.001), supporting H2, and customer mistreatment has a significant negative effect on
turnover intention (β = 0.0904, p < 0.05), supporting H3.

4.2.2. Testing the Mediating Effect

This study bootstrapped 5000 samples using the PROCESS macro plugin specialized
for mediation and moderation analysis. Table 5 shows that in addition to the significant
direct effect of customer mistreatment on turnover intention (direct effect = 0.0947, boot
SE = 0.0412, BCI [0.0221, 0.0136]), the indirect effect of emotional exhaustion on turnover
intention is significant (indirect effect = 0.2156, boot SE = 0.0329, BCI [0.1535, 0.2824]),
supporting H4. This indirect effect reveals that emotional exhaustion mediates the link be-
tween customer mistreatment and turnover intention. Customer mistreatment significantly
affects turnover intention (total effect = 0.3102, boot SE = 0.0461, BCI [0.0000, 0.2196]).
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 9 of 17

Table 2. Confirmatory factor analysis.

Dimension Item Standardized Loading Cronbach’s Alpha

CM2 Customers made inappropriate remarks. 0.613
CM3 Customers cursed at you. 0.650
CM4 Customers used inappropriate body
0.722
language and gestures.
Customer Mistreatment
CM5 Customers became enraged with you 0.876
(CM) 0.762
because of trivial issues.
CM6 Customers complained for no apparent
0.725
reason.
CM7 Customers took their bad temper out on you. 0.759
CM8 Customers refused to listen to you. 0.729
EE1 My job has emotionally depleted me. 0.778
EE2 My job exhausts me. 0.746
EE4 I appear to have reached the end of my rope
Emotional Exhaustion 0.715
or have done enough. 0.834
(EE)
EE5 After a day’s work, I’m exhausted. 0.691
EE6 Working with others all day is extremely
0.625
exhausting for me.
TI1 I would prefer another ideal job to the one I
0.771
currently have.
Turnover intention TI2 I have seriously considered changing agencies
0.754 0.788
(TI) since I started working here.
TI4 I intend to look for a new job within the next
0.831
year.
MI1 I am capable of accepting my thoughts and
0.663
feelings.
MI2 I can concentrate on the present moment. 0.603
Mindfulness MI10 I can concentrate on one thing for an
0.748 0.712
(MI) extended period.
MI11 It is simple for me to focus on what I am
0.731
doing.
MI12 I am preoccupied with the future. 0.736

Table 3. Descriptive statistics.

Dimension Mean SD CR AVE CM EE TI MI

CM 2.9257 0.8650 0.877 0.505 0.711
EE 3.1396 0.8824 0.837 0.508 0.375 ** 0.713
TI 3.0476 0.9739 0.790 0.557 0.310 ** 0.611 ** 0.746
MI 3.6159 0.5670 0.826 0.488 0.071 0.016 0.055 0.699
Note: ** p < 0.01; * p < 0.05. Abbreviations: Customer mistreatment (CM), Emotional exhaustion (EE), Turnover
intention (TI), and Mindfulness (MI).
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 10 of 17

Table 4. Hypotheses testing.

Model 1 (EE) Model 2 (TI) Model 3 (EE) Model 4 (TI)

Variables
β SE p B SE p B SE p β SE p
Constant 0.6132 0.2573 0.0176 0.1834 0.2216 0.4085 0.5670 0.2578 0.0284 0.1614 0.2213 0.4662
CM 0.3693 0.0452 0.0000 *** 0.0904 0.0413 0.0291 0.3693 0.0455 0.0000 0.0934 0.0416 0.0255
EE 0.5731 0.0419 0.0000 *** 0.5679 0.0418 0.0000
MI −0.0046 0.0457 0.9199 0.0533 0.0390 0.1717
CM * MI 0.0372 0.0443 0.4014 −0.0718 0.0400 0.0732
EE * MI 0.0829 0.0382 0.0303
Gender −0.3617 0.0912 0.0001 *** 0.0026 0.0794 0.9737 −0.3442 0.0918 0.0002 *** 0.0138 0.0800 0.8631
Experience −0.0477 0.0433 0.2717 −0.0548 0.0370 0.1390 −0.0359 0.0437 0.4123 −0.0645 0.0372 0.0837
Age −0.0092 0.0803 0.9088 −0.0755 0.0689 0.2740 −0.0206 0.0809 0.7993 −0.0629 0.0689 0.3620
Education −0.0619 0.0677 0.3611 −0.0094 0.0582 0.8713 −0.0572 0.0680 0.4011 −0.0095 0.0579 0.8700
Income 0.1083 0.0641 0.0918 −0.0038 0.0552 0.9453 0.1015 0.0643 0.1152 0.0033 0.0549 0.9525
Job −0.0038 0.0147 0.7951 0.0320 0.0126 0.0113 −0.0017 0.0147 0.9083 0.0318 0.0125 0.0115
R2 0.1834 *** 0.3958 *** 0.1772 *** 0.4066 ***
F value 10.4690 34.2295 9.9794 25.8507
Abbreviations: Customer mistreatment (CM), Emotional exhaustion (EE), Turnover intention (TI), Mindfulness
(MI). *** p < 0.001, ** p < 0.01, * p < 0.05.

Table 5. Testing the mediating effect.

Bootstrap 95%CI
Types Coefficients Boot SE
LLCI ULCI
Total effect 0.3102 0.0461 0.0000 0.2196
Direct effect 0.0947 0.0412 0.0221 0.0136
Indirect effect 0.2156 0.0329 0.1535 0.2824

4.2.3. Testing the Moderating Effects

Table 4 demonstrates that attempting to alleviate the effects of customer mistreatment
via mindfulness can negatively significantly affect emotional exhaustion (β = −0.0872,
p < 0.05) but insignificantly affect turnover intention (β = −0.0633, p > 0.05). These findings
indicate that H5a is supported but H5c is not supported. In other words, mindfulness does
mitigate the impact of customer mistreatment on emotional exhaustion but does not affect
the impact of customer mistreatment on turnover intention. However, attempts to mitigate
emotional exhaustion via mindfulness positively significantly affected turnover intention
(β = 0.0899, p < 0.05), supporting H5b.
Our results show that, for hospitality employees with high-level mindfulness, the
influence of customer mistreatment on emotional exhaustion can be alleviated, and the
impact of customer mistreatment on employees’ intention to leave may not be significant.
We infer that these hospitality employees might gently handle customer mistreatment in-
stead of acting out and engaging in conflict with customers, thereby alleviating customers’
negative emotions and avoiding the immediate negative effects of customer mistreatment,
which may benefit hospitality businesses, especially in the industry’s present competi-
tive environment.
However, we unexpectedly found that the impact of emotional exhaustion on turnover
intention can be exaggerated for hospitality employees with high-level mindfulness. We
deduce that even though mindfulness is likely to result in one disengaging from negative
appraisal and emotion [14], these employees may identify reality instead of becoming
confused in such surroundings, so they may alleviate their negative emotions [57] by
leaving or finding a new job [75,76].
Figure 2 shows the results of whether our proposed hypotheses are supported.
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 11 of 17
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 11 of 17

Support

Emotional
Exhaustion (EE)

0.3693*** -0.0872* 0.5679***

0.0899*
Mindfulness
(MI)

Not support
Customer
Turnover
Mistreatment 0.0934***
intention (TI)
(CM)

Figure 2. Results
Figure concerning
2. Results concerningthe
the hypotheses.
hypotheses. ******
p <p 0.001,
< 0.001,
** p** p < 0.01,
< 0.01, * p < *0.05.
p < 0.05.

5. Discussion
5. Discussion
This study investigated the relationship between customer mistreatment, hospitality
This studyturnover
employees’ investigated theand
intention, relationship
the moderatingbetweenrole ofcustomer mistreatment,
mindfulness. hospitali-
Firstly, our re-
ty employees’
search confirmsturnover intention,
that customer and thesignificantly
mistreatment moderating role of employees’
influences mindfulness. Firstly, our
turnover
intention,
research which is
confirms primarily
that customermediated by emotional
mistreatment exhaustion [28,77].
significantly This underscores
influences employees’ turn-
overthe importance
intention, of external
which factors like
is primarily consumer
mediated by behavior
emotional in understanding turnover
exhaustion [28,77]. This un-
intention, as previous studies have mostly focused on internal or personal factors [42,78].
derscores the importance of external factors like consumer behavior in understanding
Furthermore, our findings reveal the crucial role of mindfulness in mitigating the
turnover
impactintention,
of customerasmistreatment
previous studies haveexhaustion.
on emotional mostly focused Employeeson internal
with highor personal fac-
mindful-
tors ness
[42,78].
levels can effectively regulate their emotions when dealing with mistreatment from
Furthermore,
customers, our findings
thus reducing reveal
emotional the crucial
exhaustion [53,61].role of mindfulness in mitigating the
impact of Interestingly,
customer our study uncovers
mistreatment an unexpected
on emotional result: mindfulness
exhaustion. Employees appears
withtohighen- mind-
hance the relationship between emotional exhaustion and turnover
fulness levels can effectively regulate their emotions when dealing with mistreatment intention. Employees
with high levels of mindfulness might be more attuned to recognizing when their current
from customers, thus reducing emotional exhaustion [53,61].
situation is untenable, leading them to actively seek alternative employment opportuni-
Interestingly,
ties our study
[17]. This surprising uncovers
finding highlightsantheunexpected result:
need for further mindfulness
investigation appears to en-
into strategies
hance the relationship
to address between emotional
customer mistreatment without exhaustion
inadvertentlyand turnover
increasing intention.
turnover Employees
intention
withamong
high highly
levelsmindful
of mindfulness
employees.might be more
This research attunedtoto
contributes recognizing
a deeper when their
understanding of cur-
rentthe complex is
situation interplay between
untenable, customer
leading mistreatment,
them to actively employee
seek well-being,
alternativeand turnover
employment op-
intention, emphasizing the importance of mindfulness as a valuable coping
portunities [17]. This surprising finding highlights the need for further investigation into mechanism in
the hospitality industry.
strategies to address customer mistreatment without inadvertently increasing turnover
intention among Remarks
6. Concluding highly mindful employees. This research contributes to a deeper un-
derstanding of the complex interplay between customer mistreatment, employee
6.1. Conclusions
well-being,Sinceand turnover
customer intention,
mistreatment, emphasizing
one of the main sources theofimportance of has
work stress [79], mindfulness
received as a
more attention in the service industry, in
valuable coping mechanism in the hospitality industry.this study, our primary objective was to investi-
gate the influence of customer mistreatment on hospitality employees’ turnover intention
through utilizing emotional exhaustion as a mediator and mindfulness as a moderator.
6. Concluding Remarks
These variables have received limited attention in the literature, and we aimed to shed
6.1. Conclusions
Since customer mistreatment, one of the main sources of work stress [79], has re-
ceived more attention in the service industry, in this study, our primary objective was to
investigate the influence of customer mistreatment on hospitality employees’ turnover
intention through utilizing emotional exhaustion as a mediator and mindfulness as a
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 12 of 17

light on their significance in the context of the service industry, making several noteworthy
contributions to the existing literature.
First, our research departed from the conventional focus on internal organizational
and personal factors influencing turnover intention. Instead, we discovered that customer
mistreatment significantly affects employees’ turnover intention, marking a critical depar-
ture from previous studies that have primarily examined internal factors [48]. This novel
finding underscores the importance of considering external factors like customer behavior
in understanding turnover intention, thereby enriching the literature.
Second, in alignment with previous research [1,53], our study validated the impact
of customer mistreatment on employees’ emotional exhaustion. Moreover, we introduced
emotional exhaustion as a mediating factor between customer mistreatment and turnover
intention. By applying the PSR framework to our research context, we extended its ap-
plication beyond the ecology field, highlighting how external pressures such as customer
mistreatment can lead to state changes and subsequently influence employee turnover
intention. This extension of the PSR framework to other fields represents a noteworthy
contribution to the existing literature.
Third, our research revealed that employees with heightened mindfulness can effec-
tively counteract the impact of customer mistreatment on emotional exhaustion. Instead
of reacting by engaging in conflict and/or exhibiting signs of emotional distress, these
mindful individuals adequately manage customer emotions, thus preventing the imme-
diate negative consequences of mistreatment [1]. This innovative finding offers a fresh
approach to addressing customer mistreatment in the hospitality industry, with the poten-
tial to greatly benefit businesses in the highly competitive service sector. It highlights the
importance of mindfulness as a valuable tool for enhancing both customer service quality
and employee well-being.
Fourth and unexpectedly, our study uncovered that mindfulness enhances the im-
pact of emotional exhaustion on employees’ turnover intention. We conclude that these
employees may recognize reality instead of being confused at work and leave or find a
new job instead of staying at their current place of work. We believe that this finding is
related to either the fact that individuals with high-level mindfulness are more likely to
disengage from negative appraisal and emotion [14] or that those who practice mindfulness
meditation are more able to investigate external possibilities by adapting their behavior [80],
such as by applying for new jobs [75]. Thus, mindfulness can aid employees in recognizing
reality, quickly moving away from negative emotions, and exploring new options, all of
which appear to be understudied and even undisclosed in the relevant literature.
In conclusion, our study contributes significantly to the literature by delving into the
dynamics of customer mistreatment, emotional exhaustion, mindfulness, and turnover
intention in the context of the service industry. These findings offer valuable insights into
employee well-being and retention, emphasizing the importance of considering external
factors and mindfulness interventions to enhance employee resilience and retention in a
highly competitive environment.

6.2. Research Implications

6.2.1. Theoretical Implications
We discovered that emotional exhaustion mediates the link between customer mistreat-
ment and employees’ intention to leave and that mindfulness can enhance the influence of
emotional exhaustion on employees’ turnover intention. This study not only expanded on
other factors affecting employees’ turnover intention but also broadened the application of
the PSR framework from ecology to hospitality management.
Our thorough investigation of the adverse influences of customer mistreatment on
service industry employees (e.g., emotional exhaustion, employee stress, and decreased
service performance) emphasizes the need for the effective management of customer
mistreatment at work. Furthermore, this study may contribute to a better understanding of
the influence of customer mistreatment on employee anxiety, stress, and coping behavior
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 13 of 17

with the aid of mindfulness by providing valuable insights into the complex interactions
between customer mistreatment, emotional exhaustion, and intention to leave and the
moderating effect of mindfulness for hospitality enterprises.
While customer mistreatment has been shown to hurt employees in nursing, health-
care, cell phone service workers, and other service industries, we discovered that it also
harms hospitality employees, increasing their intention to leave. As consumer mistreat-
ment has become more common in the hospitality industry, we argue that, in addition to
applying the PSR framework, addressing customer mistreatment issues from either more
theoretical perspectives or based on the theoretical foundations of other fields in future
investigations is critical, significantly broadening the scope of this study.

6.2.2. Practical Implications

By applying the PSR framework, we showed that customer mistreatment can affect
employees’ turnover intention through emotional exhaustion. Our findings suggest that em-
ployees’ emotions can affect the hospitality industry’s growth since emotional exhaustion
can boost turnover intention. Since employee emotions affect job performance, life quality,
and personal growth [51,54], managers should consider the emotional state of employees
who deal with various situations wherein they are forced to interact with consumers. Thus,
aside from learning about the mediating role of emotional exhaustion, understanding more
processes and even causes (e.g., mediators) would be advantageous for these businesses.
Thus, we advise that the relevant parties investigate whether the influence of customer
mistreatment on employee intention to leave is caused by other processes.
Furthermore, the influence of emotional exhaustion on turnover intention can be in-
tensified by employees with high-level mindfulness since they are likely to disengage from
a negative emotion and/or seek external possibilities like new jobs. However, employees
with high levels of mindfulness may alleviate the influence of customer mistreatment on
emotional exhaustion, lessening the immediate negative impact of customer mistreatment
and helping rather than harming hospitality businesses.
Moreover, managers should assist employees in dealing with customer mistreatment,
given the detrimental impact of customer mistreatment on the development of the hospi-
tality industry. Managers, for example, may conduct situational simulations to improve
coping skills by allowing employees to act as customers and simulate customer mistreat-
ment [81], hold sharing meetings to teach employees how to release their negative emotions,
and invite experienced employees to share their experience in dealing with customer mis-
treatment. Managers can also use management skills like empathy, listening, and coaching
to help their employees manage their emotions.
Finally, because higher-ranking employees may not face customer mistreatment as
frequently as guest-facing employees, we propose that if high-ranking employees act as
guest-facing employees, enterprises may develop more measures to deal with customer
mistreatment, thereby benefiting their business. We assert that the preceding suggestions,
viewpoints, and even philosophy are primarily based on the following proverbs: “suffer
and grow strong and no pain, no gain” [82].

6.3. Limitations and Future Research

This study’s limitations are multifaceted. Firstly, the reliance on a cross-sectional
approach and internet-based questionnaires in the context of COVID-19 constrains our
ability to establish causal relationships and fully grasp the pandemic’s impact. Future
research avenues should consider a longitudinal, qualitative design that incorporates in-
depth interviews and follow-up studies to comprehensively unravel the intricacies of how
customer mistreatment affects hospitality employees over time. Moreover, expanding the
study’s scope to encompass a broader spectrum of outcomes (e.g., encompassing phys-
ical, psychological, and occupational facets beyond emotional exhaustion and turnover
intention) would provide a more holistic perspective. Furthermore, future investigations
could focus exclusively on hospitality employees with mindfulness meditation training,
Sustainability 2023, 15, 14288 14 of 17

allowing for a deeper exploration of the role of mindfulness in mitigating mistreatment’s

effects. Lastly, exploring alternative moderators from managerial perspectives could un-
cover novel strategies to bolster employee well-being and enhance the performance of
hospitality enterprises.
As a result, we argue that providing guidelines on how to deal with customer mis-
treatment with a gentle attitude and mindfulness training for employees is likely to reduce
conflict between employees and customers, even if these employees may recognize re-
ality rather than becoming confused in such circumstances, avoid the emotional effects
caused by customer mistreatment, and find a new job. Given the hospitality industry’s
competitiveness, the aforementioned approach may be beneficial to the hospitality sector
by helping to avoid the immediate adverse impact of customer mistreatment. Nonetheless,
we believe that there is still room for future researchers to find ways to deal with customer
mistreatment without increasing employee turnover intention.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, J.Y., Y.N., Y.F. and Y.C.; Software, J.Y. and Y.N.; Investiga-
tion, J.Y., Y.N., Y.F. and Y.C.; Methodology, J.Y. and Y.N., Writing—original draft, J.Y., Y.N., Y.F. and
Y.C.; Writing—review and editing, J.Y., Y.N., Y.F. and Y.C. All authors have read and agreed to the
published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research article was supported by the Youth Project of National Social Science Foundation,
China (20CGL022), and the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan (NSTC 112-2410-H-032-047).
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are
available from the first author upon reasonable request at 15980301687@163.com.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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