I cashiered yesterday. I had a couple in their late 40s or 50s. I asked, per usual, if they had any coupons. It's a courtesy reminder, but people never get this (which is fine if they're just confused & not sarcastic; I explain it). This lady was sarcastic; she repeated the question back to me when all I needed was a yes or no. Some people even say--shocking, I know--"No, thank you for asking.
" But this lady seemed to be on the offensive a bit. (Perhaps sick of the question? Deal with it--I have to ask). So my strategy is to play dumb about their annoyance and explain that no, we don't usually have coupons in the store. Professional and polite, no? But hubs decided to be all controlling and say, "Well, a smile would be nice." He was all jokey, but seriously, the subtext is, You will like my wife's joke and smile about it because the customer is always right. I chose to follow the proverb, "A wise man overlooks an insult." I did smile and wish them a good day because it's my job. But I don't like passive-aggressive control games.

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