From when I was a little girl my parents always teach me (and sometimes even forced me) to say hello to people, specially grown ups, to shake their hand or even kiss them if applied, so I guess I'm pretty used to encounter people and greet them. I know you cannot do this with everybody that you encounter during the day, but at least those that you make eye contact with you should, right?
Let me explain when I coming from with this:
I work at a gallery which is part of a souvenir/apparel shoppe building located right in front of the waterfront in downtown George town, Grand Cayman. This is probably the most touristic zone of the whole island (besides the beach), so daily I have to deal with at least 98% of tourist customers.
The gallery is located on the second floor of our building, so as soon as people come up and are at the top of the stair (if there's nobody around), they can see me sitting at my desk usually catching up on my emails, sending my orders, etc...
So as soon as I see them I try to make eye contact and greet them: -"good morning/good afternoon, welcome to the gallery"... Very few people actually acknowledge my greeting and reply to it nicely. But most people act like I talked to them in some weird alien language and their heads might just explode if they look into my alien eyes. So instead they just look down, keep on walking and ignored me before they even dare return the greeting....WTF?
It's not like they need to come right at me and give a kiss or even introduce themselves, but c'mon I am the first person they see up here, and sometimes it even happens with people that are walking right by me and they still don't return my greeting, how rude!
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| photo source iStockphoto |
Another scenario is when people are looking at the art and I approach them and say: -"If you have questions or comments about our art, please I'll be glad to help you, so let me know"... Some people react immediately and they say: "Oh, we are just looking and not buying anything". To this I wish I could reply: -"well, it doesn't mean that if you ask me a question or give me your comments I will force you to buy anything". I only wish I could, LOL!
To me by being polite and greeting people you share good energy with them, it's so much more pleasant when people take a second of their very busy minds to share a hello, a smile and maybe even a few minutes to have a random pleasant conversation with a stranger...
Think about, try it and you'll see how much brighter and nicer your interaction with other would be, and if you already do it, know that your greeting or just a smile could make somebody elses day happier!
Happy Tuesday!
5 commented; now it's your turn!:
You are not kidding!! - but unfortunately you are not alone about this seemingly weird human behavior. Just had the same reaction in a shop this afternoon and I wondered if it is some brain cells missing :-) It's genuinely bizarre!! Would love to be at the end of your bright smile and goodmornings :-)) they don't know what they're missing out on!
OK. I'm in sales and I've worked retail before. i don't think most people mean to be rude - more than likely they are 'afraid' you will sell them something. most people are terrified of sales people and in protecting themselves from imagined problems, will often be - well you aid it - rude. People don't think about their shopping behavior from your point of view and so they can't learn to behave differently. unless, of course, they read your blog. :)
you are right. how we treat staff/sales people in shops needs some work.
Sunshine, bring your husband and come to Branson,MO and we will show you hospitality! Do you work in the Margarita building?
Kim, you are so right, we always need to remember to see both sides of the story, or in this case, of the interaction with others... Still, people should be happy & relax 'cause they are on vacation but instead they make me feel like they are defensive and rude, people need to chill! I am still going to be treating them with kindness and politeness.
Andrea, thanks and right back at you!
Powderkeg, I would like to visit Branson, MO or anywhere else, I love to travel and meet new people, have other plans right now but I will keep it in mind, thanks for the invitation. BTW, the Margarita building, do you where Margaritaville is? If so, no I don't.
I've actually been there, and guess I'd say that they're intimidated (and rude). "I just want to look, and you'd better just leave me alone!" If the gallery were on the first floor, behind the gift shop, people would naturally gravitate there from the shop. It wouldn't matter that you were the only one in that space; you would be seen as just another sales person. Upstairs, they are afraid you'll try to sell them something. Yeah, it's stupid and people are weird. (And you're so nice)
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