[flurdy]

Norwegian living in the UK. I remember my dad when he moved over here just found the whole initial greetings and small talk with his UK colleagues really funny. And even funnier to watch his mostly Swedish colleagues struggle with the same tennis ball banter at the start of every conversation. Instead of just getting to the point straight away.

I was young enough to adapt quickly, but still I struggle with insincere greetings such as in some shops here now have US style greeters at the door. Find it hard to respond to their "Hi/Welcome/How are you" as I know they do not want a conversation, so why interfere with my personal space...

[eternalban]

   HELO flurdy
   WTF personal space!

:)

Small talk is a protocol. There is information exchange. Possibly the Finns are trying to out do the machine but even machines agree small talk is necessary :)

[kirkules]

Are you saying TELNET is necessary because it is a protocol?

[jaclaz]

Even if it is by now rather dated, the classic about England [0] "strange" things for a foreigner remains "How to be an Alien" by George Mikes, JFYI:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_be_an_Alien

[0] In England everything is different. You must understand that when people say ‘England’, they sometimes mean ‘Great Britain’ (England, Scotland and Wales), sometimes ‘the United Kingdom’ (England Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), sometimes the ‘British Isles’ (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) – but never just England.

[QuantumGood]

In many situations, people benefit from working together. Skill at connecting with people accrues benefits to the persons with that skill. Of course, more simply, management wants:

• Visitors with unique needs or problems checked for; • Visitors who prefer interaction made more likely to be repeat customers; • Determination of employee skill level at interaction; • A touch point for visitor questions or concerns; • Business branded as being interested in their customers; • Control over setting of social morays; • etc. etc.

[jiveturkey]

> US style greeters at the door

don't worry, everyone hates that. i mentally flip them the bird.