Saturday, October 2, 2010

Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

I have noticed that simply smiling at people makes all the difference in the world.  Today I was at this store called Primark, which must be the most economical clothing source in London.  This assumption can be confirmed by the swarming crowds that are constantly filling the store.  Even on a weekday morning, there are more people shopping here than you would ever see in an American store, but on a Saturday morning, even a rainy Saturday morning, it resembles Macy’s on the day after Thanksgiving. 
Well, this was exactly the state of things this fine Saturday morning, as me and two of my friends buffeted our way through the crowds.  I had been there the previous Wednesday and bought a couple of things without trying them on, because even then the line for the fitting room was about 30 women deep and I had neither the time nor the patience to wait, and I now had the task of returning my ill-fitting merchandise.  
As I got into the queue at customer service, I encountered what one would expect in such a situation.  A bunch of really crabby, really hot people standing in line.  I watched as person after person approached the attendants, and I noticed one thing that all of these people had in common: not one of them was smiling.  Now granted I completely understand the lack of excitement, given the conditions, and I was not necessarily in the mood to be jovial myself, but still when looking around the room it was a little disheartening to realize that not one of these people were happy at the moment.  
I continued to watch each person in line as they approached the associate that was going to be assisting them, and still not one smile broke the lips of either customer or employee.  So, as I came to the front of the queue, and the sign flashed for me to step up to register 5, I looked the girl behind the counter in the eye, and gave her my most winning smile.  She kind of looked at me for a second, probably not sure whether I was totally right in the head, and gave me a smile back.  
As she returned my merchandise, I happily talked to her about something or other, and she graciously joked and laughed in return.  She completed the transaction, told me to have a wonderful day, and also gave me a great tip about where to have lunch in the area.  
As I re-entered the fray to find my friends, I couldn’t help wondering what that room would have been like if everyone would have just put on a smile.  Even though we were all hot and sweaty, tired, and slightly damp from the rain, the whole atmosphere would have been different.  People would have been chatting in line, and the sales associates would not have given them attitude.  The line probably would have moved quicker too because everything just seems to go more smoothly when ego and irritation are kept to a minimum.  You can’t be upset with a stranger who is smiling, it just makes no sense.  So, at least for me, I shall always try to remember to adorn my face with a bright smile, because there are just so many things to be happy about, and a smile shows that this girl is determined to find them.    
    

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