A client at my coffee shop job told me my 'cheerful' small talk felt like a scripted performance, which honestly stung because I've been using that exact same 'how's your day' routine to hide how drained I feel after my dad's diagnosis.

Now I just ask 'what can I get for you?' and let the silence sit there, which feels more honest but also way more awkward, so has anyone else had to strip back a customer service persona after a comment like that?

4 comments

4 Comments

matthew3941mo ago

My buddy Mark got told his retail smile looked fake, so he just started nodding at people. The quiet was brutal for a week, then it just became normal.

aaron3051mo ago

A whole week of silent nodding sounds like actual torture. I can't believe Mark's manager let that go on for that long without saying something. The customers must have been so confused walking up to a guy just bobbing his head. Honestly, good for him for sticking with it until it became normal, I would have cracked after two days.

the_claire1mo ago

Wait, so did Mark ever start talking again or is he just a full time nodder now? I need to know how this ends. Like, did @matthew394's buddy go back to words after the week, or did the nodding just become his whole thing? I can picture customers trying to ask where the bathroom is and just getting a slow, serious nod in return. That's a wild way to run a checkout line.

avery2198d ago

My friend did something similar and @the_claire is right, the confusion is hilarious.