Working at a grocery store, I see and speak to hundreds of people throughout the day. There are very sweet customers and very rude ones. I try my hardest to be extremely nice to everyone no matter what BS they throw at me. Here's why!
The other day a lady came through my line and she was acting like any other customer would. I asked her how she was doing and I wasn't ready for her response. She told me that her mother had just passed away. That right there tells me that none of us know what is going on in each others lives. We automatically assume that they are just being that way because they're a mean person. Yes, we aren't supposed to take our pain and anguish out on anyone else, but in that case, I'll just take it with a grain of salt. It is super important to be nice because anything could be going on!
Here is another example. Another lady went through one of coworker's lines and he asked her if she was okay. She told him that she just found out that she has breast cancer. She wasn't being mean or anything, but that was still unexpected.
The point is, we never know what other people are going through. They may be all smiles or attitude on the outside, but on the inside they could be destroyed.
No matter what happens, we should always try to remain as nice as possible to customers because you never know what other people are really going through.