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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/messyjessie0 on 2025-08-12 21:03:47+00:00.
I (21F) work part-time at a retail clothing store while I’m finishing college. It’s your typical mall chain: overpriced basics, weird music, and managers who think “the customer is always right” even when the customer is actively shoplifting. One day during my shift, my manager Craig (40s, always smells like Axe and insecurity) pulled me aside and said, “Hey, I noticed you don’t smile much. You should really smile more—it makes customers feel welcome.” I said, “You mean be friendlier?” He said, “No, literally just smile more. Even when no one’s talking to you. Just keep a smile on.”
Okay, Craig. You want smiles? You got it.
For the rest of my shift—and every shift after—I smiled. But not like, normal smiling. I smiled wide, with too much teeth. I smiled while folding jeans. I smiled while sweeping. I smiled while telling a Karen we didn’t have her size. I smiled at customers until they asked, “Are you okay?”
One guy legit said I looked like I was about to snap. Another asked if I was in a cult. A little kid started crying when I greeted her at the fitting room. Coworkers caught on and joined me. We started calling it “Smile Mode.” By the end of the week, it looked like a haunted mannequin showroom. Craig finally told us to “tone it down.” I asked sweetly, still smiling, “Oh, I thought you said to smile more?”
He didn’t bring it up again.