Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Just Because You Fake It ...

Ok. First let me start off by saying a few introductory things. To FJ and all the others who got bored reading Part I and Part II of my LiveBridge trilogy. Sometimes my posts are really long, sometimes they are really short, and sometimes they are just right. LOL. Those obviously weren't the times they were just right. Long and probably boring to people who weren't there (and maybe even those who were). As for Part III, I think I redeemed myself there.

When I was talking to Anthony on FB he said something about the guy on the toilet (but not exactly what he said in his comment on the post) and I said that the guy was probably faking it. "Buyers are liars" after all. That is when he literally handed me the title of this post by saying "Just Because You Fake It, Doesn't Mean Everyone Else Does Too". LOL.

Well, that brings me to another work related story. But relax. The LiveBridge stories have concluded for now. This story relates to my time as a semi-pro slurpologist at 7-Eleven. It was a dark and stormy night. Wrong story. LOL. Back to the real story.

It was policy to greet each and every customer as they walked through the front door and the electronic bell rang to announce them for two reasons. One was, of course to be friendly and let them know that we appreciated their business. The other reason was more practical in nature. It let potential shoplifters know that we saw them come in and were on the ball.

Anyway, I greeted this one man who came in with a friendly hello as soon as my Pavlovian bell told me it was time to do so. He did his shopping quite quickly as I remember or may have just come to the till for something. We chatted a little. A conversation that I no doubt initiated based on some icebreaker.

Perhaps the chat was a little longer than I first mentioned. Or not. Either way, at the end of it, he was suitably impressed with me to say that I was extremely friendly and he might have even said something along the lines of me being one of the nicest clerks he had ever met.

That's when it happened. I screwed up. Big time. He asked me how I could be so friendly in such a job. Trying (but obviously not succeeding) at being funny, I actually said "I'm faking it!". You should have seen the look on his face immediately after I said that. Totally deflated. He took me completely seriously. Maybe I was a little serious when I said it. And he clued into that.

But mostly I was joking. No matter. After giving me such a nice complement, he was as I said, totally deflated. I tried to tell him I was kidding. But it was no use. He couldn't be cheered up. It was such a startling transformation in mood it brought to mind the way a guy would look and sound if you told him point-blank that you were faking it in bed! LOL. It was that severe.

So never again, I hope, will I ever be so cavallier with my humor when someone is trying to be complementary. It sure didn't pay off that day. And after about 20 years I still remember this. I am hanging my head as I type this. LOL. Ok, maybe not but I do still regret it and feel bad for the poor guy who was just trying to be nice.

Carmen

P.S. This is my 50th Post. Yay! I think I may just wait a bit with the submission to the blog review "I will ^*&%$ tear you apart" as I am thinking of proofreading all my entries first. I know, I know. What a chickenshit. What can I say. It's true.

P.P.S. This second post "in one day" was because I hit a wrong button and posted a blank post initially. I thought of Anthony's comment dovetailing with this story and thought ok I'll post again. I say "in one day" in quotes because I am actually finishing this today ...

... P.P.P.S - LOL On Earth Day - Thursday, April 22, 2010. So instead of bogusly saying wishing you an early Happy Earth Day I will just come clean and say plain old Happy Earth Day and don't forget the hour without power.

The C.A.T.

3 comments:

  1. It seems the client didn't have sense of humour. But the client is always right LOL.

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  2. Funny you should mention that FJ, I used to have a saying when I worked there. It was "The customer is always right...except for when their wrong...and their always wrong" LOL

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