This summer will mark the fourth year I've been in the customer service industry and it's easily become something I love. I'm a people person so I don't have trouble talking to endless customers and trying to make their time in my store the best part of their day. My managers often say I have a knack for customer service because of my easy smile, cheery voice and good eye contact.

While it makes for a great customer experience, many people like to abuse my willingness to put the customer first, men in particular.

Please do not try to flirt with me while I'm at work.

While it may be funny or I may be portrayed as a vain person for saying his, I often feel harassed and scared by some of the experiences I've had with men of all ages in my customer service jobs.

Just because I'm paid to stand behind a counter and be nice to you does not mean you can take advantage of my position to boost your self-esteem or love life.

While you may see it as a compliment to hit on me when I'm in an unflattering uniform or even something that will pass the time on my long shift, you're wrong. I feel trapped between upholding the excellent customer service I'm required to provide and what I see on the news about women being attacked for simply saying no to a flirting man.

My most recent uncomfortable experience led to the customers who witnessed it asking if I was OK and if they needed me to call the police. One man, after making sure I was OK, called the store about 20 minutes later to make sure I "hadn't been snatched or harmed."

The grocery store is not your personal playground to test out your flirting techniques on an innocent cashier. It's not a place to force your number on her or beg her to reciprocate the creepy interaction you're trying to force on her.

It's not a place for you to corner a girl half your age and enact your sick pedophilic fantasies on her while she's trying to work.

After telling some people about these interactions, they ask why I don't call my manager or simply refuse service. It's not that easy. The world has conditioned women to accept what comes to them no matter what, either for fear of their life or simply because of the image women are supposed to have in this society.

I believe in my own strength and ability to defend myself, but when placed in a position where I'm cornered and trained to give perfect customer service, it's hard to do anything more than accept the harassment.

Do not flirt with me when I'm at work.

Take your groceries and go. Create a dating website account and get your kicks there. My job is for nothing more than a brief customer service experience.