Posts Tagged ‘grocery store’
Yesterday (actually the evening before), I started a new smiling experiment. I have summer break now and am spending a lot more time around family. So this will be mostly an experiment around my wife and kids. Mostly my wife as my kids are busy doing their own thing much of the time.
My wife immediately responded in a very positive manner. Like night and day compared to the few days previous. And frankly, with this new experiment, I have been trying to be a bit more considerate as well. But, as I mentioned before, it is difficult to brew up a disagreement with someone if you are smiling at them and they are smiling back.
On this first day I made a quick stop at our local grocery store. I gave the lady that has known me for near 15 years a big smile and greeting by name. I think she was a bit shocked since she seems to regard me as a perfect stranger. It was a nice way to kick off this new smiling campaign.
My youngest daughter, just turned 8, is now a “Daddy’s girl”. She has been since the end of the Original 30-Day Smiling Experiment. She is so responsive to a smile. And I am happy to say that I never stopped smiling at her even at the conclusion of that experiment. So some of it “stuck”.
At any rate, I am liking this already. Stay tuned!
I stopped by our nearby small town auto parts store today. This store is owned by perhaps the most unsmiley person on the face of the earth! There was even a time once where this owner’s unfriendly behavior (and unwillingness to serve me) caused me to leave the store. So this would be the acid test. Would smiling work? I noticed that another fellow was also working, I think it was the owner’s son. Fortunately, however, I got “Mr. Unsmiley” to serve me. He found the small part I needed and literally tossed it across the counter, almost like he was angry about selling it (no kidding)! I persisted in smiles and we struck up a little conversation about the possible problem in my vehicle. I then thanked him for the good service with a big smile. And you know what? He smiled back! I think this was the first time ever I had seen him smile! The Smile Back Principle worked! What this made me realize also was
If you are smiling, it will be easier to find something complimentary to say. And if you find something complimentary to say, you will find it easier to smile.
I also visited the local grocery store. The checkout clerk (younger fellow) seemed more than happy to joke around after I greeted him with a smile and a joking comment about a product at the checkout. I think people in this type of job greatly appreciate a smile.
More smiles at work with coworkers and students. I guess the one interesting thing I noted was that one student seemed to be joking around more than usual during the break, lightening up the mood. At any rate, I am glad for anything to lighten the mood up. Otherwise, I had a lot to cover this day and it was difficult to get too much smiling in. I tried. Once again, one should always smile when you can, because many times you just can’t.
On this day I paid a visit to the dentist. Before I could even think of smiling, the receptionist greeted me with a great big smile. Folks in the waiting room, on the other hand, seemed a bit downcast. I was able to greet one waiting guy with a smile, but no chain reaction of cheer followed. Once in the dentist chair, I was greeted by a very friendly dentist and assistant. In fact, the two dentists at this facility are both very friendly and smiley all the time. And I think it rubs off on all the staff working for them because everyone at this particular office seems very friendly. This is perhaps one of the reasons our entire family, our inlaws, and just about everybody we know, choose this dentist. A tip for business owners or management, especially those dealing with the public:
When top management smiles, support staff smiles. The entire organization becomes more productive, worker turnover decreases, and customers will flock to your place of business.
I also stopped at a grocery store on the way home. Both the clerk and bagger were receptive to smiles.
On this day I paid a visit to our local rural grocery store and hardware store. I don’t know what it is about this grocery store, but it tends to be about the “un-smiliest” place I can think of, short of perhaps a waiting room in a doctor’s office. There is one clerk at this store that will rarely smile at me, nor greet me, and I have been visiting this store for over 15 years! And even the manager can be that same way! I have come very close to confronting the owner on this issue in the past, but I figured that perhaps I was not trying too hard myself (and now I think that indeed that this was the case). At any rate, there were some new, younger, staff working this Saturday afternoon and they also had somber expressions. I put on the smiles at most everyone. One middle aged woman customer kept looking back at me, wondering what I was up to, although I was trying not to look too goofy. But then something kind of neat happened – the clerk broke into a joking mood and several of the employees joined in. Smiles all around! In fact, it was to the point where my father-in-law, who came with me, commented on what “a smiley bunch this was”. My father-in-law, like everyone else, does not know I am conducting this experiment. So I guess this day taught me that
smiles, given away in abundance, can even get un-smiley people to smile back.
In summary, to get a smile, you must often first give a smile. Call it the Smile Back Principle.
Otherwise this day, I visited the local hardware store, which is always filled with smiles. There are at least two very nice, very friendly, joking, fellows working there – I think this always creates a pleasant atmosphere for everyone working and shopping there. I always enjoy visiting this store. Smiles were returned but generally smiles are always returned here so it was difficult to notice any difference.
No big events at the home front. My wife smiled her beautiful smile back at me, as usual. 
