“It can brighten someone’s day”: Walmart customer encourages more people to smile at store greeters. Turns out, this was a controversial thing to say

A woman encourages other shoppers to smile at store workers after her Walmart greeter thanked her for acknowledging them. However, not all shoppers agree.

Should shoppers smile more at Walmart store greeters?

In a video with around 4,000 views, TikToker Kara (@karaandlife) sits in her car after shopping at Walmart.

"Can we normalize smiling at the Walmart greeter?" she asks. "Cause mine just thanked me for smiling at him this morning. Doesn't everybody do that?"

@karaandlife #karaandl #walmart #walmartgreeter @Walmart #fypシ ♬ growth - Gede Yudis

The suggestion sparked a round of discourse in the comments of her video, with some agreeing with the sentiment. Others took the opportunity to express their frustration with the position or complain about how the greeters act.

For the unaware, Walmart greeters stand just inside the entrance of the store and are tasked with welcoming shoppers in as they enter. They also check receipts as shoppers leave to deter theft. (Being "friendly" is likely not a part of the job's requirements.)

What do viewers think of the TikToker's suggestion?

In the comments, many viewers agree with Kara's suggestion.

"My Walmart doesn't have greeters anymore, but I have made friends with the lady at self checkout because I speak to her when I walk in and when I leave. It's not hard at all to be nice," a commenter writes.

"I started smiling at people again because it can brighten someone’s day. Idk when we stopped, but we need to start again. I even make small talk with cashiers because those little acts of kindness matter," another says.

Despite the seemingly harmless suggestion, some shoppers push back against smiling at the greeters.

"I get so overstimulated in Walmart, I'm in survival mode. I’m sorry," one says.

"I don't cuz the greeters and I have beef," another writes.

"Yeah, I did it one time, and the RUDENESS of people," a third adds.

Posters on the subreddit r/Walmart suggest the title "Greeters" is a misnomer, as the workers are actually part of asset protection. Several point out that the greeters don't seem friendly or open to polite social interaction.

"Even when I say hello, I hope you're having a great day, and then, upon exiting, oftentimes I will say, Have a great day and they stare at me like, perhaps they've taken an overdose of Quaaludes," one writes.

However, many Walmart workers in the comments say they would appreciate a smile and a quick "hello."

"I mean, I work for Walmart, and I always try to lock eyes with people to greet them and smile, and people always avoid eye contact. I'm just a happy girl, I wanna talk to people," a worker shares.

"I always give my biggest smile to workers. Also, I work at Walmart, so I understand. Never know if someone’s having a bad day," a second writes.

The Daily Dot reached out to Kara for further comment.

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