Source: yoshan | © PIXTA

What could happen if you order a smile along with your fast food in Japan [Manga]

While free smiles may not be available at McDonald's in many countries, it's on the menu in Japan. It's part of their customer service. In fact, you can even order it for takeout and delivery.

The idea is that customers who see the smiling faces of the staff will feel good about using the restaurant.

Manga artist すがぬまたつや Suganuma Tsuya (@sugaaanuma) posted a manga on their Twitter account about one man's experience ordering a smile "to go" at a certain fast food restaurant which may make you think twice...

A Smile To Go

Reproduced with permission from すがぬまたつや Suganuma Tsuya (@sugaaanuma)

TOP PANEL: Man: "One cheeseburger and a smile to go please" / Staff: "Yes, sir!" | BOTTOM PANEL: SLAM

Reproduced with permission from すがぬまたつや Suganuma Tsuya (@sugaaanuma)

TOP PANEL: Staff: "Sorry to keep you waiting." | BOTTOM PANEL: Staff: "Here's your cheeseburger and a smile to go." BULGE BULGE (angry veins) / Man (to himself): "Looks like they're out of smiles."

While this is obviously a work of fiction, it makes you wonder what could happen if you catch a staff member on a bad day when you order your smile. How genuine are customer service smiles anyway and do they truly reflect the emotional state of the person showing them to you? It's only natural to wonder about this, especially in Japan, where customer service plays such an important role.

The funny manga elicited numerous comments, such as:

  • "I'm not sure if they ran out of stock or just ran out of patience."
  • "It looks more like a death mask but I guess that just goes to show how much effort she put into it."
  • "It's one of those things you shouldn't be ordering too casually."

By - grape Japan editorial staff.

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