The quiet guy at the coffee shop who always smiles

I was at The Daily Grind on Elm Street yesterday, getting my usual black coffee. There's this older man who works there, always has a huge grin and asks everyone how their day is going. I saw him on his break, sitting alone in the back corner, and his face just looked so tired and sad. He was staring at his phone, not smiling at all. It hit me that he probably has to act cheerful for eight hours straight, even if he's having a bad day. How do people who work with the public all day keep that up without feeling totally drained?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade51724d ago

Yeah, it's like that everywhere now. I see it with cashiers and bank tellers too, that switch from customer service smile to blank face the second they think no one's looking. Makes you wonder how much energy that takes.

grays1324d ago

Ever tried it for eight hours straight?

seth_shah24d ago

Worked retail for years and you learn to build a wall between the public face and your real self. It's not even acting after a while, it's just muscle memory. The real trick is finding small ways to reset during the day, like that quiet minute in the back. You have to let the mask drop when you can or you'll burn out fast. People don't realize how much focus it takes to be "on" for that many hours straight.