Look I work in retail..I get that I have to greet customers politely, make small talk with them..generally do the whole “Polite but distantly so” routine. I get that and 9 times out of 10…I AM THAT PERSON. Heck give me the right customer and I will talk your ear off! I love to talk to people, I love learning new things, I love discussing things. Hell I love it when my older customers take a moment and tell me a story from their life. It makes the day interesting and I get to know a person a little bit. I have regulars who will wait in my line because I’m always all smiles and always, ALWAYS have something to say.
The one day I don’t have anything to say though, it’s not because I’ve decided to suddenly become rude, or am willingly ignoring you. It might just be because I’m sick and my throat is sore and scratchy and my voice is coming and going. Yanno that thick nasally accent you’re hearing me with…thank you sinus infection! I’m not a robot..I’m human and prone to getting sick. Getting sick means I’m not always 100% on top of my game..which means that I might not have been able to greet you, ask you how you were, and tell you to have a nice day as I handed you your receipt….not because I’m rude or don’t like you..but because my throat is giving me that “Shut up now or you won’t be talking for another week’ signal..which means I have to stay quiet. I love my customers..I really do, these past few days when I’ve been able to actually show up at work, I’ve had more than one customer ask me if I was ok…which in all honesty means a lot to me. I’m not used to people taking notice of me.
So for all of the appreciative people out there..Thank you for taking a second to look at your cashier, customer service desk rep, aisle worker or manager and actually see a human being instead of a robot. For all of the people out there that simply see a cashier, or retail worker…or somebody doing a job you consider beneath you or in a “servant” sort of position..take a moment to imagine yourself in their shoes dealing with somebody like you…and if you wouldn’t want to deal with you…why make them?
mecchanicalwriter 