Some employees take their boss’s criticism too seriously.

If you had a boss tell you to “smile more,” would you, or would you decide to take it to the extreme?

This woman was working in a retail store when her manager told her to “smile more” even when no one was talking to her.

So she decided to take his request literally in the most unsettling way possible.

Read the full story below to find out what happened.

oh i’ll smile alright

I (21F) work part-time at a retail clothing store while finishing college.

It’s your typical mall chain.

Overpriced basics, weird music, and managers who think “the customer is always right.”

Even when the customer is actively shoplifting.

This woman was asked by her manager to “smile more.”

One day during my shift, my manager Craig (40s, always smells like Axe and insecurity) pulled me aside.

He said, “Hey, I noticed you don’t smile much. You should really smile more. It makes customers feel welcome.”

I said, “You mean be friendlier?”

He said, “No, literally just smile more. Even when no one’s talking to you. Just keep a smile on.”

So, she did… all the time!

Okay, Craig. You want smiles? You got it.

For the rest of my shift—and every shift after—I smiled.

But not like, normal smiling. I smiled wide, with too much teeth.

I smiled while folding jeans.

I smiled while sweeping.

I smiled while telling a Karen we didn’t have her size.

Customers noticed and started asking if she was okay.

I smiled at customers until they asked, “Are you okay?”

One guy legit said I looked like I was about to snap.

Another asked if I was in a cult.

A little kid started crying when I greeted her at the fitting room.

Her coworkers also caught on and smiled a lot during their shift.

Coworkers caught on and joined me. We started calling it “Smile Mode.”

By the end of the week, it looked like a haunted mannequin showroom.

Craig finally told us to “tone it down.”

I asked sweetly, still smiling, “Oh, I thought you said to smile more?”

He didn’t bring it up again.

Lol. That’s funny! Let’s check out the comments of other people on Reddit to this story.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

Here’s a similar story from this man.

When they pay me for my breaks, I’ll smile, says this person.

This person gives their honest opinion.

Finally, people are loving the story.

Sometimes, following your boss’s rules can get creepy!

If you liked this post, check out this story about an employee who got revenge on a co-worker who kept grading their work suspiciously low.