SMILE!!!

[downforit2008]

A lot of times for me, it isn't even the customers. It's some stupid associate or supervisor, which while passing me, looks over and says, "You should SMILE! Today is a beautiful day!"

I glare at them in reply and usually say nothing. Why? Because usually, it's 7:30 in the morning and I had been tossing and turning half the night with little sleep, so I'm barely awake as a result. Not to mention that my hours were getting cut at the time and I barely have enough money to have lunch for a couple of days, so i'm constantly worried about how to get by. Or a family problem has me stressed out and I'm still reminded by some employee to SMILE.

I want to say, "Mind your own damn business!" Hell, I still might one of these days.

[Food Lady]

Yes, it is utterly awesome, and so true!

It hits the nail on the head. For YEARS I have been wondering why the "smile!!" thing bothers me soooo much. I have said to people that it's a form of dominance because I'm female and I ONLY EVER have gotten it from men. I have said this and people--women--have disagreed with me. Now I see I was right. There's no reason why a stranger, esp. some man I don't know, gets to tell me how to feel.

[Mytical]

Hmm makes me wonder what it means when people tell me to smile then.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

It means that they are assholes and evidently want you to know this fact.

[Buglady]

EDIT: This is awesome. I bookmarked because of it's awesomeness.

I love you. And the blogger. This is getting sent to everyone I know...

(I particularly liked the bit about having a migraine and trying not to vomit or pass out before getting home, only to have someone say "smile!!". I've had that happen, more than once, and I really wished I could puke on the guy's shoes. Looking straight at them did alarm them into shutting up; my pupils actually go different sizes during a migraine. Probably means I'll die, but oh well.)

[Crime Scene Scarf]

Urgh, I hate this!

My natural expression looks angry. It's because I squinted so much before I got my glasses, I have deep lines that make it look like I'm scowling. When I concentrate, it looks even worse. My boss seems to think I should be grinning like a maniac at all times while working, and some customers are just weird.

I work at a store selling women's underwear. I don't appreciate greasy, skeezy men leaning on my cashdesk and saying, "smile!" while I handle the leopard print thongs they're buying for their significant other.

Bonus points to those who wink. Bonus bonus points to those who then point out my co-worker, who has a naturally happy expression, and saying I should look more like her.

[Athaelia]

I was working at "America's Drive In" as a carhop when my friend was murdered. The day after receiving the news, I had to go in to work..I was getting through my shift okay, and hanging in there. I was doing my job well and even welcomed the distraction of work to escape the misery for awhile. Though I wasn't cheery, I was pleasant and got my shit done.

Right before I clocked out, Bitch Manager called me to her desk. Apparently, a customer called and complained ...not about her food or the service...but her carhop didn't smile

Bitch Manager automatically assumed it was me and proceeded to attempt to give me a lecture, about how she hasn't seen me smile all day, etc.

Now, I'm usually outspoken and stand up for myself pretty well, but I guess my emotions about my dead friend got the best of me. I was completely silent. That's when my Cool Coworker stepped in: "You wouldn't be smiling either if your friend was murdered yesterday, would you? Now, I served that c*nt of a customer and no, I didn't fucking smile! So, unless you want to be working alone this afternoon, I suggest you apologize to Kelli. NOW!"

I got a half-hearted apology from Bitch Manager and proceeded to stop showing up the next week, as did Cool Coworker, totally fucking over Bitch Manager's shifts by leaving her totally understaffed.

[katie kaboom]

I have this problem too, and it is one of the things that pisses me off most about working retail. I don't have a naturally happy facial expression either. I smile when I have a reason to. Period. End of discussion. And if i'm not smiling I can guarantee you someone telling me to smile will be sadly dissapointed because then I just end up looking even more pissed off than I did to begin with.

And you really can't win with people. Whenever I'm at work and I am smiling I get some obnoxious fucktard in my face asking me why i'm smiling.

[Carsomyr]

Just because my face isn't glowing like I've swallowed a bucket of Jack o' Lantern mushrooms, doesn't mean I'm unhappy. Trust me, you'll know if I'm feeling particularly miserable or angry.

Luckily, I haven't had this since I've started working in customer service. When I was a young teenager, though, I got it a lot. When I was 13-14 in particular my Girls' Brigade captain (you know, that place you go to where you get all kinds of emotional support? oh wait...) loved to try to bully me into smiling. I wished then I could smile hard enough to stab her with the corners of my lips.

Since then I've learned that if I just sort of raise my eyebrows nobody complains. Heck, I could have a massive frown on my face, scrunch up my nose and I'm pretty sure that it would still work.

[Rapscallion]

People in Europe and Asia think we are crazy for insisting that people smile all the time,

That as well, yes...



Rapscallion

[Sunshine]

Can I just say that I was happy to know that it wasnt just me getting this? =)

[Dreamstalker]

The men in my dad's family always look stern and sober in pictures. I've inherited that trait also. I never look like I'm smiling

Same here (my great-grandmother who I resemble a lot was never seen smiling in photos). My 'camera smile' looks okay, but still creeps some people out.

On Christmas Eve during a crazy busy rush (luckily we were closing soon and I was bagging for one of the 'cool cashiers' who knew my system) SM was wandering around the front end going "Are we having fun yet?" (yes actually I am, a very cool customer bought me a coffee).

SM: (claps me on the back) "Smile! Isn't it fun (sarcasm) working on Christmas?"
My response (in my best perky happy voice): "My on-command smile causes small children to scream in terror and dogs five miles away to start howling. Do you really want that during the holidays?"

[Teskeria]

I have always just looked at them and said "no". It seems to puzzle them. Even as a teenager I have always looked solemn and frowny. The contrast between my face and my 'CS voice" really does puzzle people.
Now that I work on the phones, it frustrates those trainers that are always talking about how you have to smile so they 'hear it in your voice'. Because I can put that perky smiley voice on and off like a well worn shoe.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Can I just say that I was happy to know that it wasnt just me getting this? =)

Believe me, no, unfortunately, it's not just you.

Teskeria: "no" is a perfectly legit answer. It's a whole lot nicer than mine, but it's perfectly legit. And reasonable. It puzzles them because they can't fathom that you aren't some remote control puppet.

[manybellsdown]

Of course you can't win, because there's that other thread on here where the customer posted a complaint online about the clerk because she smiled and was friendly to everyone and so it was clearly some sort of scam.