A person-centered analysis of how hospitality employees cope with customer incivility

Purpose Customer incivility is a pervasive stressor in hospitality organizations, yet prior research has largely examined coping strategies in isolation. This study aims to examine how frontline hospitality employees combine coping strategies in response to customer incivility and how these configurations relate to well-being and service performance. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and Conservation of Resources theory, two studies used latent profile analysis. Study 1 identified coping profiles, while Study 2 replicated them and examined their antecedents and outcomes. Findings Four profiles emerged and were replicated: Problem-Solver, Balancer, Super-Coper and Drifter. Higher incivility intensity increased the likelihood of disengaged or moderate coping, whereas supervisor support promoted more active coping profiles. Practical implications Service organizations can develop targeted coping training and strengthen supervisory support to help employees respond effectively to customer incivility. Originality/value Extending prior profile-based research on emotion regulation, this study identifies broader coping configurations across five strategies. This study also shows how resource-related conditions are associated with these profiles and how the profiles differ in employee vitality and response performance.