

As a service worker, I have a fair few regulars who I know will brighten my day when I see them. It really doesn’t take much; a friendly demeanour, a smile, a joke or two, it all goes a long way to make me feel like we’re having a human interaction rather than me being a machine through which you order food & drinks. I’ve been doing this type of work for years but I still get flabbergasted at people who answer “latte to-go” when I ask them how their day is going.
That being said, something that annoys me (not saying you do this, you sound sweet and self-aware) is when people try to chat us up when we’re clearly busy and in a rush. I don’t want to be rude, and I would love to chat if I had time, but when I have a mountain of tickets to get through I’m not going to be a particularly engaging conversation partner :P
EDIT: I just want to add;
Joy is rebellion. Kindness is radical. Optimism is counterculture.
Love this. it’s basically my motto at work. It’s kinda silly, but even something as simple as getting service from a friendly person can make a difference in someone’s day. Last year, I had a couple come in the café I worked at, chatted them up a bit, made them laugh. Come to learn they’re from out of town, and I ask “what brings you to these parts?” only for the lady to break out into tears and tell me they were here for her mother’s funeral. In between her sobs, she said they wanted to go out for breakfast to clear her thoughts from her grieving, and that she truly appreciated the kind and thoughtful service my coworkers and I gave them.
I went into the back and cried a bit after that, but it truly feels nice to make a positive difference in someone’s day. I think about her a lot when I have a rough day at work, it helps keep me focused on trying my best. You never know what someone’s going through.
This is giving me [email protected] vibes