I'm not smiling because I'm in the middle of four things

[Food Lady]

I HATE working in the cafe now. I had cookies in the oven I was trying not to burn, something else in the other oven, and was getting together a large order that required several items to be cooked separately in the one non-baking oven. (Does that make sense?) This guy walked up and asked a question about the pizzas, which I answered, and started to walk away, but then decided he wanted a cookie. This was fine. He was interrupting me, but I had the 30 seconds to serve him. He remarked that I was busy--note that he KNEW I was busy--and I said I was. OK, so far the conversation was fine. Then he said I looked unhappy. So now we were getting into unnecessary/invasive territory. So I politely acknowleged he was right, and let him know why--that I was running a restaurant by myself. At this point, if I were the custy, I would've offered something like "Oh, I'm sorry; I hope you're done soon," or "I hope it gets better." I would've shown empathy, you know, esp sinced I'd pushed the issue....

[Food Lady]

...sorry, have to continue here. So instead, after I'd served him, I turned around to grab food out the oven--it will burn if you leave it in that 700F to 800F oven--and he told me I should smile. Gah!!! I don't even remember what he said after that, I was so annoyed.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

There really is only one answer to someone telling you to smile, and that answer is "fuck you in the neck." Unfortunately, you probably can't say that at work.

What you can do it practice and perfect giving someone a withering, pitying look that makes him feel like the idiot he is.

You have my sympathies.

[Food Lady]

Thank you. It's just that even though I didn't do anything wrong, I was made to feel I did. I hate how that makes me doubt myself.

[rose_metal_nz]

My only response to "you should [insert obvious here]" is "Working on it" in as distracted voice as possible. That guy was a bit of an assclown

[Ghel]

I'm reminded of Ivanova's line from Babylon 5:

"Then if you'll excuse me, I'm in the middle of 15 things, all of them annoying."

[Sheldonrs]

Tell him "Shut the fuck up and leave and THEN I'll smile!"

[NateTheChops]

Sir, I'd love to smile. But you see, due to an incident you may have read about recently, I actually send the very wrong message when my lips begin to crook upwards. If I'm not careful I could wind up with an arm full of thorazine and that's only if they get to me before I blackout and... sir? Sir? Do you still want your cookie?

[RealUnimportant]

"Smile? I wish I still could, but since the accident..."

[Teskeria]

Food Lady, if you have/had kids, take 3 seconds when a man says something like that and think of a 3 year old doing/saying something he knows he shouldn't. Then give the idiot your best Mom 'I didn't really hear that, did I?" look. Makes 90% of men back off feeling like they've been disciplined. Doesn't work on women who are good mothers, and a few men.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

There really is only one answer to someone telling you to smile, and that answer is "fuck you in the neck." Unfortunately, you probably can't say that at work.

I prefer "fuck you with a honey badger on PCP."

[Divra]

When someone tells me to smile, I make this face.



Very few people tell me to smile more than once.

[Jay 2K Winger]

When someone tells me to smile, I make this face.


Very few people tell me to smile more than once.

Bwahaha, I love it. That's one of my usual responses.

Other comebacks to the "Smile" command--

"They don't pay me enough to smile."
(deadpan, wooden expression) "I am smiling."

[Zoom]

I smirk and people think it is a smile.

NO! IT IS A SMIRK! I SECRETLY DETEST YOU ALL!

I am being paid to be an actor and pretend to be all nice. But I won't really smile.

[MoonCat]

I prefer "fuck you with a honey badger on PCP."

I so need to remember this one....