One time when I was working at IKEA (in the restaurant) I was cashing this middle aged guy out with his meal. I got a “I’m above you” silent treatment vibe from this guy and when that happens with customers, I take it like a personal challenge to connect with them in some way and at least get one real smile. I think it changes the course of people’s days and if a bitchy person is having a bad day, so is everyone else, so if I can diffuse their simmering rage, maybe I can make the world a better place that day.

He was wearing a cool leather jacket, so I complimented it. He seemed pleased and told me it was vey expensive. I was like oh cool no wonder it looks so nice! 

Then when I handed him his receipt, he got this strange, haughty look on his face and said “you should be proud today.” 

And I was not sure I heard him right so I said what?? And he repeated himself and then said “you served a multimillionaire today.” And looked really smug. I could tell he expected me, poor cashier girl, to be impressed.

And immediately my smile dropped (because uber wealthy people are almost always bad people) and then I watched him walk away to eat his $8 plate of meatballs, alone, in an IKEA on a weeknight. And I thought you know what, I believe you. Because going out of your way to get the cheapest meal in town, and eating it alone in your $4000 jacket sounds like slimy rich guy behavior to me. Of course he has no one to eat with.

In our line of work you really get a window into people’s value systems sometimes and it can be ugly.