An open letter to the owners, managers and employees of Greater Baltimore’s convenience, retail and fast food establishments.

Just to review. Standard business greetings include “Hello”, “May I help you?”, and “How are you?”. Arched eyebrows and an impatient stare do not constitute a proper greeting.

When asking your customer for payment, in addition to pronouncing the sale price in a demanding tone, consider adding “your total is”, “that comes to” or “please”. Do not assume that they have read the total from the register and revert to the arched eyebrows and impatient stare.

When making change and transferring the goods to your customer you might want to let them know that you appreciate their business and hope to benefit from their future patronage. “Thank you”, “Come Again”, and “Have a nice day” help to convey this message. Complete silence or “There you go” do not.

A certain amount of eye contact is appropriate; it shows your interest in the customer and your recognition of them as a fellow human being. The fact that you are talking on the telephone or to a co-worker during the entire transaction does not excuse you from this minimal civility.

Lastly, your patrons know that your job is difficult that does not pay well, don’t prove that you deserve to be doing it.