I used to work as a retail manager at a convenience store, and being not a morning person, I found it tough to start my day at 5 a.m. Still, knowing how dreadful early mornings can be, I made it a point to greet my customers cheerfully, crack light jokes, and wish them a wonderful day to brighten their mornings.
One day, a regular customer came in. I greeted her with my usual cheerfulness, only for her to snap at me. She snarled that she hated my upbeat attitude and couldn’t stand me telling her to have a wonderful day. She then demanded that I never smile or banter with her again. Surprised but professional, I apologized for my cheerfulness and assured her I would respect her wishes—immediately and permanently.
From that moment on, I treated her exactly as requested. While I continued to be my cheerful self with other customers, when she approached the counter, I dropped the smile, went stone-faced, and completed our transactions without a word. The second her transaction was done, I’d turn to the next customer with my usual bright demeanor.
About a month later, she came in at her usual time and complained about how much she hated that I wouldn’t banter with her anymore. She said it left her feeling miserable all day. Calmly, I reminded her of her earlier demands and explained that she was getting exactly what she’d asked for. I also reminded her that I had said this change would be permanent.
Despite her complaints, she kept coming back every morning. I stuck to my word. I’d cheerfully banter with other customers, but as soon as it was her turn, I’d drop into my neutral, no-smile mode, only to brighten back up once she was gone. She looked more miserable with each passing day.
The irony is, had she just asked me to tone it down or said she wasn’t in the mood for cheerful banter that day, I would’ve happily adjusted. Instead, she got exactly what she demanded. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
