Research shows stress for those in customer service often results from dealing with the adverse emotional reaction of customers. You can influence reactions for the better and reduce your stress. Try this emotional intelligence (EI)-boosting exercise to observe this dynamic up close. For the next couple of days, observe the emotions of your customers. Notice how and when these emotional reactions change and whether they are positive, negative, or neutral. Consider your role in influencing these changes. Spend another three days attempting to influence your customers' emotional states so they remain positive. Then analyze: Did you experience less stress over those three days? If yes, you have increased your EI because you have discovered and consciously used your ability to identify emotional states in others, and you can determine how to improve the quality of relationships with this information.