The rapid growth of digital platforms has largely transformed service interactions, but the experiences of informally employed and vulnerable workers remain underexplored, particularly in the context of customer incivility. Drawing on the cognitive appraisal theory of stress and the process model of emotion regulation, this research examines how food-delivery couriers navigate customer incivility through distinct emotion regulation strategies—suppression and reappraisal—and their divergent effects on work outcomes. Utilizing multi-time and multi-source data from couriers and their coworkers, findings reveal that customer incivility combined with suppression amplifies negative work rumination, leading to decreased helping behavior toward coworkers and heightened exhaustion. In contrast, coupling incivility with reappraisal fosters constructive coping by enhancing coworker support and alleviating exhaustion through open communication about incidents. This research contributes to the literature by integrating emotional regulation pathways with the unique challenges faced by gig economy workers. Practical implications highlight the need for digital platforms to implement supportive measures and foster equitable environments for vulnerable workers, thereby promoting social justice in service interactions.
