Manager tells 21-year-old retail worker to "just smile more," she obliges by smiling non-stop for her entire shift, horrifying a Karen customer: 'For the rest of my shift, and every shift after, I smiled'

Everyone who has worked retail, food service, or customer service has heard this one. It's an age-old and renowned phrase uttered by many a manager everywhere, that is supposed to fix all of the company's issues. Usually, it comes from upper management, who have visited the store unannounced and been confronted with the fact that the weary and underpaid minimum-wage workers weren't thrilled to be there. Often, it's not even that they weren't given good service and "greeted" as workers in this field are required to greet customers, it's simply that they weren't smiling enough. 

See, this type of management seemingly expects you to be running around with a maniacal, almost inhuman smile on your face at all times, so there's never a moment of doubt that you are happy to be present at your job and in the service of the customer. 

When this young 21-year-old part-time worker and full-time student was pulled aside by her manager, "Craig," and told that she should "literally just smile more," she took his feedback on board like a good worker should. From that moment on, no matter where she was or what she was doing in the store, she had a smile on her face, the widest and biggest smile she could possibly manage. This proved to be disconcerting to customers who were startled by her strained smile and made frequent mention of it. Soon, other workers joined her smiling efforts, which eventually forced the manager to amend his previous order. 

Like what you see? Follow our WhatsApp channel for more.

Author image for Brad Dickson Brad Dickson
Advertisement

Stay up to date by following us on Facebook!

Tags

customer support customer service workplace-stories talesfromretail retail karen-customer customers karen-customers tales-from-retail
Scroll Down For The Next Article

Also From FAIL Blog

'Update: The HOA found this post': Petty HOA emails resident about birthday party, apologizes after homeowner shares their email with 6,000+ people online

'Update: The HOA found this post': Petty HOA emails resident about birthday party, apologizes after homeowner shares their email with 6,000+ people online

Trending Now

Customer skips long line and heads straight to register, cashier makes her regret it: 'She stormed off'

Customer skips long line and heads straight to register, cashier makes her regret it: 'She stormed off'

01
Supervisor refuses to let employee enter their shared office to take their bag at the end of the day, employee enters anyway, leading to an office dispute: ‘I have the right to access my own belongings’

Supervisor refuses to let employee enter their shared office to take their bag at the end of the day, employee enters anyway, leading to an office dispute: ‘I have the right to access my own belongings’

02
Neighbor repeatedly demands 24-year-old student remove the dandelions from the yard of his rental, so he blows the seeds into the neighbor's yard: 'My wife and I can't even sit out and enjoy our back yard, because of all those stupid dandelions!'

Neighbor repeatedly demands 24-year-old student remove the dandelions from the yard of his rental, so he blows the seeds into the neighbor's yard: 'My wife and I can't even sit out and enjoy our back yard, because of all those stupid dandelions!'

03
Employee reports 2 remote coworkers who fail to complete their daily tasks because they're too busy babysitting their children and grandchildren, upper management threatens RTO mandate in response: ‘The company is not paying them to be a SAHM’

Employee reports 2 remote coworkers who fail to complete their daily tasks because they're too busy babysitting their children and grandchildren, upper management threatens RTO mandate in response: ‘The company is not paying them to be a SAHM’

04
'Social etiquette at a waterpark: am I wrong?': Family of 5, 8, 14, and 15-year-old kids confronted by waterpark guests who want to take their chairs

'Social etiquette at a waterpark: am I wrong?': Family of 5, 8, 14, and 15-year-old kids confronted by waterpark guests who want to take their chairs

05
‘This would not only violate the terms of a 55+ community HOA, but is also a very delusional’: 42-year-old woman pushes her mother-in-law to purchase a Florida retirement home in her name for her to rent, then stops speaking to her after being told no

‘This would not only violate the terms of a 55+ community HOA, but is also a very delusional’: 42-year-old woman pushes her mother-in-law to purchase a Florida retirement home in her name for her to rent, then stops speaking to her after being told no

06
Advertisement