Can't believe I said it.

[Food Lady]

Some of you may know I do not like people telling me how to feel. Today lunch rush was horrendous, even more so than the usual Monday, due to a convention south of us that draws people from the world over. Places are just overly busy everywhere here, especially the mall and food places. I already had to deal with it at the retail yesterday, so today wasn't fun. Had some guy telling me to smile or some such. We bantered a bit (my way of telling him to buzz off in a not-so-mean way) until finally I just said, in an almost-whisper: "People don't work here because they want to."

[jjllbb]

haha! It is so true! Don't be ashamed. Anyone who TELLS people in our position to smile need to be let in on some of these things. Wake them up so maybe they'll see us as people too.

I was cashing my check at the bank recently and the teller saw it and said "Oh! Toy Company! It must be so much fun working in a toy store!"

I accidentally blurted out you'd think so, wouldn't you?. He stopped smiling.

[Spider Jerusalem]

Heh, it's funny and it's true.

I have the same problem. I try to be friendly (until the customer irritates me), of course, but when you're stressed out, you don't feel like pasting a big smile on your face all day.

I've heard the "you need to smile more!" crap from several customers. I usually handle it by scowling at them and saying, "I'm smiling inside."

[Anakah]

I hate that!! I hate hearing: wow, it must be fun to work with money all day! haha ha. I want to scream and pull my hair out. I do like my job but after awhile you get sick of looking/touching money. I'm touching thousands of dollars all day that I don't get to take home. Yay! Grrr.

[Food Lady]

I hate that!! I hate hearing: wow, it must be fun to work with money all day! haha ha.

"Yes, and the billions of germs are a bonus."

[Skeksin]

The Joker said it well:

I'm only laughing on the outside,
my smile is skin deep, if you
could see inside I'm really crying
you might join me for a weep

[Jay 2K Winger]

When someone tells me to smile, I usually just deadpan, "I AM smiling." That or I give them a big, wide, cheesy-fake grin, then return to dour "meh, when's my break?" frown mode.

[VComps]

...what's so wrong with smiling? Maybe I'm just old school, but I think it's part of our job.

Not to mention that multiple studies have shown that smiling (even when you're not feeling all that great) actually elevates your mood slightly.

[SteveZim1017]

...what's so wrong with smiling? Maybe I'm just old school, but I think it's part of our job.

Not to mention that multiple studies have shown that smiling (even when you're not feeling all that great) actually elevates your mood slightly.

so would smacking a customer, but apparently thats unacceptable, at least according to my boss. (who knew? I for one plead ignorance!)

[ArcticChicken]

...what's so wrong with smiling? Maybe I'm just old school, but I think it's part of our job.

It's not smiling that's the problem, it's being ordered to smile.

Sometimes, smiling just isn't an option. If someone had ordered me to smile right after my Grandma died, I'd have punched him in the face.