Being told to smile by passengers...

[AirHostess]

There is nothing more annoying than a passenger telling me to 'smile, it might never happen!' I usually end up making up a tragic story as to why I'm not smiling to shut them up. I am also asked why I don't look happy. Well geez, that could be because I'm tired, jet-lagged, ill, have stuff going on at home, am job-hunting etc. I've also been told to 'leave personal problems at the door.' I do my role in an efficient manner just because I don't look happy like I've just popped a few pills or smoked some crack does not a bad flight attendant make.

I am not a naturally smiley person. I have perfected a fake smile without any teeth that I've been told looks very air hostessy and superior

Do y'all smile at work? My job is primarily for safety. I take safety and security seriously. I do the in-flight service to the standard required. However I am not particulary smiley or friendly. I am polite, not rude but don't really engage with conversation with passengers. If a passenger feels the need to converse with me I chat to them. But I don't go out of my way to talk to people.

I'm sure someone will comment on the service standards I expect from CS staff. Well as long as the staff does their job in an efficient manner, is reasonably polite to me...that's all I expect.

Being a leftie I don't call passengers sir or madam or anything and don't expect to be addressed like that by service workers.

[katie kaboom]

Here's the thing about smiling....I'll do it if i want to. But, if i DON'T want to and if a customer, not asks, but TELLS, me to smile, I would rather rip my arm off with my own teeth than smile for them. You do not bark orders at me and get away with it. I am a human being, not your puppet. If i am not smiling you have no idea why i'm not smiling. Therefore, butt out and don't worry about it. I cannot stand people who do that.

I once had someone come up to me at a bar when i was in the middle of a sip of beer and ask me to smile. How about, shut your mouth and let me drink.

[Becks]

Do y'all smile at work?

Yep.

The bosses and customers seem to have expectations.

It's easy for me, except when I'm PMSing.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

I'm a naturally cheerful person, so I'm always smiling and perky, unless I'm tired/hungry/REALLY upset.

Hungry is the dangerous one. It makes me irritable.

[MsFabulous]

I always smile - when I'm in a customer's line of sight. I quite like not exhausting my facial muscles all day thankyou very much hehe... Even despite the fact that I near-constantly get people saying I look sad/grumpy/upset/worried/whatever. This is my normal face people! Gosh!

Sadly, as far as the public goes, I am a trained monkey. Even when I'm out doing my own shopping, or on a walk in the park, my face will automatically and without any input from my brain, form a friendly smile if I see anyone looking at me.
I can't wait til I've been out of the public sector long enough to make mean faces at people looking at me

[artifical sweetner]

when i worked at the deli customers always (especially older men) told me to smile and not look so miserable.

F U !!

[katie kaboom]

when i worked at the deli customers always (especially older men) told me to smile and not look so miserable.

F U !!

Yeah, what is it with older men and insisting we smile at all times? And you know, now that i think about it, i don't see them do this to male employees, only female employees. God, now i'm even more annoyed about it!

[Iced Coffee Man]

I only smile in a definite manner with good reason.

[sms001]

, now that i think about it, i don't see them do this to male employees, only female employees.

I've had it said to me - but you're right, it is almost always older men saying it. Funny thing is:

I'm a naturally cheerful person, so I'm always smiling and perky...

I AM often this way, and get told off about that too! "Gah, I hate morning people." or "What are you so damn cheerful about?" etc.

Long story short folks, it isn't really about your mood, it's about their control - many customers just want you to act the way they expect you to act at that moment and aren't shy about saying so. It's poor social skills uninhibited by fear of repercussion. They know you aren't going to bite their heads off for their asinine remark.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

I AM often this way, and get told off about that too! "Gah, I hate morning people." or "What are you so damn cheerful about?" etc.

Long story short folks, it isn't really about your mood, it's about their control - many customers just want you to act the way they expect you to act at that moment and aren't shy about saying so. It's poor social skills uninhibited by fear of repercussion. They know you aren't going to bite their heads off for their asinine remark.

I've had that, too. One CW is a little passive aggressive about things (nothing huge), but she kinda sorta not-really complained about how chipper I am all day.

BALLS to you, I say!

[AnaKhouri]

I am not a natural smiler. Partially my nature, partially a condition that causes the enamel on my teeth to be pitted and discolor easily.

The other day I was checking this woman out. She was yapping with her friend the whole time. I was perfectly polite, but it was early, I hadn't slept well, my feet and back hurt, my allergies were killing me and I had a headache. I figured since they hadn't once spoken to me during the transaction that they wouldn't notice anyway.

As they were walking away (sans 'Thank you') one of the women said, "It sure would be nice if you smiled once in a while."

It sure would be nice if you acknowledged my presence at any point during our transaction, but you didn't, did you?

I should have told her my robot cashier programming didn't include smiling. Instead, I turned and conjured up the most ghoulish, horrifying corpse-grin I could.

She paled and left quickly.

[Peppergirl]

It's been awhile since I worked in a face-to-face capacity with customers, but I *hated* when they pulled that 'you need to smile' bullshit with me.

I have a very pouty mouth, so even if I'm not upset or mad or sad, I naturally look like I am, even though I'm not. I used to hate being told to 'cheer up' and 'smile'. Not just by customers, but random people in general.

Thank god I work in a call center. If they ever get video phones, I'm in trouble.

[Ree]

When I get very intent and concentrating on my job, I don't smile, and have even been accused of frowning.
I am actually very quick to smile and laugh easily, but I just am not a smiley person.

That was one of the things brought up in my little "heart-to-heart" warning letter a couple of weeks ago.
I supposedly don't leave my home situation at the door, and go around looking stressed and tired.
My sister's boss asked her about me, and if I was alright, because he said every time he's in the store, I always look like I'm upset.

Customers have complained about me when I was working in the deli at the grocery store years ago, because they said I always looked bitchy.

Other customers will say, "Smile," or some other lame thing.

[Kiwi]

Hey Im a smiley person by nature ( my nick name growing up was cheerbug for heavens sake!) and even I have days where I just don't want to or can't smile.

If you are doing your job in a polite and efficent manner then people should just STFU!

Do people have so little control in their lives that they must pick up on the slightest problem with those who can't defend themselves for fear of their jobs?
Since when did customer = bully?

[Soulstealer]

My work won't force me to smile thankfully. They pretty much don't care so long as I don't outright glare at someone and call them an idiot (unless I put the phone on mute first ) Which is good since I'm not naturally smilely either, I'll smile if something funny happened before hand, if it's someone I know and like, if someone is really cute, or because I feel like it and that's how I like it.