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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/Shadva on 2024-12-25 06:45:19+00:00.

I used to be a retail manager at a convenience store and as such, I (NOT a morning person) would have to be at work at 5am. Knowing how I myself felt about having to be awake at that hour, I would do my best to be cheerful and make my customers smile by lightly joking a bit and telling them to have a wonderful day as we finished our transactions.

One morning, one of our regulars came in, and I greeted her brightly as she approached the counter. She snarled at me that she hated my cheerful demeanor and that I always told her to have a wonderful day then demanded that I NEVER so much as smile at her again. I apologized for my cheerfulness and told her that I would immediately, and permanently, comply with her wishes. I proceeded to do exactly that.

From that day forward, I’d treat other customers in my normal, cheerful way, but as she’d approach the counter, I’d stop smiling and bantering and drop into my natural Resting Bitch Face. I would complete our transaction, then cheerfully turn to the next person in line and continue my banter.

After about a month of this, the woman came back in at her normal time and complained about how much she hated that I wouldn’t banter with her like I did the other customers and how miserable it left her feeling all day. I reminded her of her previous demands and that she was getting exactly what she’d demanded. I also reminded her that I’d said that my lack of banter with her would be permanent.

She continued to come in every morning at her usual time and I continued to banter with the other customers, but would stop even smiling as she’d approach the counter, then turn to the next person in line and continue the banter. She continued to look miserable.

Had she simply asked me to tone it down a bit, or said she just wasn’t in the mood for banter that day, I would’ve adjusted accordingly. Instead, she got exactly what she asked for.