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Friday, August 15, 2008

Friendly, Not Overlyfriendly, Please.

I really prefer my service industry personnel to be friendly, but not over friendly. I mean that. I have issues with people that are just needlessly over friendly.

I was out shopping with a friend today, and she convinced me that I should go into Macy's with her to shop.

Let me stop here to say that I am not a Macy's shopper. It is not in my price range. Not even in my price hemisphere on a general basis. However, my friend has been telling me for years, and I mean years, that they have great clearance sales on kid's clothes. My usual reply is, "MmmmHmmmm" and then I keep walking. However, I decided to go today. Low and behold she was right! I found some kick butt deals, and this is coming from someone who would admit to buying kids clothes at KMart, if we still had one.

So, anyway, I bought a top of crap. When it is $3.99 a piece, and your daughter needs school clothes, it is ok to buy a ton. I go to check out, and wait what seemed like forever for just 2 other people to pay.

Now, it wasn't that the people has a lot of stuff, or that I was just so impatient that it seemed like forever. This time, it was the cashier. She was overly, and I mean overly, friendly. In fact, I would say that she hoped right over the line from friendly to annoying an kind of bothersome. No one could just pay and leave because she kept wanting to have a real conversation with people. She wanted to actually tell you about her family, her friends, who she buys clothes for her self, that cousin Sue called her today and told her that she bought and outfit for JR, so now she has to pick something out for cousin Sue's kid after work, and on, and on, and on. It took forever, I tell you. And all of us in line were uncomfortable, and irritated.

Its ok to tell me that you have kids too, but don't tell me that you can't wait for school to start, because your kids have been driving you crazy. I'm sorry that your grandmomma wouldn't let you play video games, and that has affected the way you raise your own children, but in all honestly, that has no bearing on our business situation. That is what this is; a business transaction. Plain, quick, and simple. Business.

For whatever reason, I get people like this all the time. I don't know if it is because I smile, and try to be polite to everyone, but that doesn't mean that I want to hear your life's story.

So, overly friendly people, take note. If I do not know you personally, I do not want to know when your lunch break is, what you are having for lunch, what your children do that drives you crazy, how badly you want to quit your job, how many other jobs you have had, how many times a day you talk to your mother, how many days it has been since your boyfriend went to jail, what he did to get put in jail, (seriously had someone at a retail establishment lay those on me), if you actually believe in dragons (that is a real one too), or anything else as such!

What I want you to do, is be courteous. Say hello. You can make small talk, but I mean small talk. One comment about my children will suffice. When I ask how you are doing in response to your courteous efforts, give me a one sentence answer that is either positive or apathetic if you are having a bad day, but don't be negative. Lie if you must. That should suffice for all non essential conversation, except, of course, for the obligatory, "Thanks you"s, and "Have a good rest of the day"s. Really, nothing else is needed, warranted, or wanted.

I would much appreciate that.

Then, when I reply with a "You have a good day, too", I will actually mean it.

Thank you for your co-operation, from here on out.

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