Actions might speak louder than words, but they aren't polite substitutes.
I recently entered an office building and uttered a pleasant "good afternoon" greeting to the Receptionist. Before I could explain the purpose of my visit, she interrupted me with what looked like a "zip your lips" gesture. It took us three exchanges of the same greeting and gesture before I realized my face mask wasn't properly strapped across my mouth and nose.
I would often observe the Cashiers at marts where the till's digital display faces the customer. They ring up your tab and just pause, twiddling their thumbs after entering the last item. Apparently, that pause means it's the customer's turn to focus on the display. If you charge a credit card and they pass you a pen and slip of paper, that translates to "please sign on the dotted line".
Yesterday, I couldn't find pancake syrup at the grocery. I saw an attendant shelving goods in the aisles and asked for help. He silently descended the stepladder and started walking away. I figured that was warehouse/grocery language for "please follow me". As I struggled to keep apace, I started a monologue about having searched in the section with syrups and sweeteners, but without luck. Then, he paused... and pointed. Problem quietly solved.
Let's remind our frontline staff of verbal assurances like "welcome to our store", "sure, I can", "your total is", "here you go", and "thank you".
Head-nods, signage, gestures and actions won't suffice. In fact, they can be a tad impolite and borderline insulting if the customer isn't able to make sense of your environment.
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