Aquarelle
Starcrossed Seafarer
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2010
- Messages
- 3,144
- MBTI Type
- INFJ
- Enneagram
- 4w5
- Instinctual Variant
- so/sp
I was listening to the radio this morning, and they were having a debate about "greeters" and small talk with employees, specifically at the bank, but also more widely at any type of business - department stores, the cell phone store, Walmart, etc.
So on the one side, there was Bill. Bill said he hates when people at the bank pretend they're his friends - like when the greeter says, "Hi, can I help you?" and you have to say "No, thanks," but what you're really thinking is "I'm going to the bank! I can see where the tellers are, I can see where the line is... I don't need your help, and I don't want to talk to you!" Or when the teller starts trying to make small talk: "How was your weekend? What did you do?" Bill wants to say, "None of your beeswax!"
Bill's wife, Melissa, said she couldn't understand this attitude, and she didn't think ANYONE else would feel this way. She likes the personal contact, and even said that if she goes into the bank or wherever feeling crabby, and the Greeter greets her pleasantly, it brightens her day.
To me, this was a pretty obvious Introvert/Extrovert issue... I totally agree with Bill - if I have a question, I'll ask, otherwise I don't want to talk to employees at the bank or the department store. I want to get in, do what I came to do, and get on with my life. And especially if I'm cranky, a stranger talking to me is NOT going to brighten my day!! (Unless they happen to be a really exceptional stranger.)
So I'm curious, dear readers.... is it an Introvert/Extrovert thing? Please respond to poll and elaborate, if desired.
So on the one side, there was Bill. Bill said he hates when people at the bank pretend they're his friends - like when the greeter says, "Hi, can I help you?" and you have to say "No, thanks," but what you're really thinking is "I'm going to the bank! I can see where the tellers are, I can see where the line is... I don't need your help, and I don't want to talk to you!" Or when the teller starts trying to make small talk: "How was your weekend? What did you do?" Bill wants to say, "None of your beeswax!"
Bill's wife, Melissa, said she couldn't understand this attitude, and she didn't think ANYONE else would feel this way. She likes the personal contact, and even said that if she goes into the bank or wherever feeling crabby, and the Greeter greets her pleasantly, it brightens her day.
To me, this was a pretty obvious Introvert/Extrovert issue... I totally agree with Bill - if I have a question, I'll ask, otherwise I don't want to talk to employees at the bank or the department store. I want to get in, do what I came to do, and get on with my life. And especially if I'm cranky, a stranger talking to me is NOT going to brighten my day!! (Unless they happen to be a really exceptional stranger.)
So I'm curious, dear readers.... is it an Introvert/Extrovert thing? Please respond to poll and elaborate, if desired.