perky clerky take 2

ok, so with the holiday shopping in full swing, I thought I would revisit my earlier posting called "perky clerky' (see August archives) and while hitting the mall tonight in an attempt to make a big dent in the ho ho ho list, I decided to try a different tactic with the happy greeters that stand at the entrance of each and every store to welcome us in.  Instead of secretly dreading their insincere 'hello how are you', tonight I walked in with a whole new attitude and when the perky salesgirl greeted me with "Welcome to insert-store-name-here!" in that bubbly voice, I came right back with my 'oh-so-perkier' voice and said "Thank you, I feel welcome!!" and then when the 'can I help you with something?' followed, I was right there with my pleasant answer of 'not at the moment' or 'sure I'm looking for.....'  and guess what?  They were actually helpful and I ended up with a few new happy friends that made my shopping a little bit better, as much as I hate to admit it!  So the moral of my Christmas story is that it's all about how we react to things that can make the difference in our experience.  I am a jolly holiday example of it and I am a changed shopper!  I might just try the same tactic on the next telemarketer that calls the house, though for some reason, I'm skeptical that it will go as smoothly.