So, part of my job involves answering the phone and helping people over the phone with buying tickets for movies, explaining how our theater works with all the dine - in and what not, explaining movie plots...you name it, I've probably been asked to help with it.
But. It always throws me off when the person who has called me asks me "How are you doing today, violinp?" (I have to give my name when they call) To me, it feels super - intrusive, and is not relevant to anything in this interaction. It's business, and the guest isn't supposed to care about me. Yes, I know we're all people and we're supposed to care about each other (and if I were on the guest side of things, I would go out of my way to be polite and such to an employee of such an establishment). However, it feels weird for them to even ask, because of the aforementioned non-relevancy and because it stops me in my tracks and messes up my flow of where I'm going - I try not to have emotion involved when I'm at work, because that's not the point of work.
It was super jarring today, when this happened:
*phone rings*
Me: (Welcome spiel)
Male Guest: Hi, violinp! How are you today?
Me: Oh...fine. What can I -
MG: Happy Valentine's Day!
Me: *freezes for a second* Okay...thank you...
MG: Oh, did I offend you?
To be honest, I wanted to say "Yes! You did! That was super weird to do to a stranger!" But of course, I didn't want him to be upset or possibly feel bad, so I told him it was fine...and then he went on a tangent about how you never know how to greet someone these days, especially with the Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays thing...and I was just standing there feeling really awkward, trying to get back to the actual point of his call.
We eventually did, but it was so awkward and...it's not that I think these people are rude necessarily, but it feels really...off? To be this chummy with an employee you've never met and don't have a pleasant business repartee with (I have regulars who I like and will joke with in person).
Am I wrong? Are these people the normal ones? Or are they being over - friendly to the point of awkwardness?