Pexels/Reddit

Some people are born with a face that says “ask me where the batteries are.”

A Target shopper was approached by a fellow customer who thought she worked there, and she politely cleared it up.

Less than an hour later, it happened again in the electronics section, where she’d been absent-mindedly browsing in a shirt that was nowhere close to red.

Curious, and a little thrown, she asked the second customer what made her seem like an employee.

So when the customer answered that it was her body language, it made her question everything.

Keep reading for the full story.

Left my matching polo at home…

When I was shopping at a certain US-based big box store that has red as its main color, I was briefly approached by a woman who asked if I worked there.

I said no, I was a shopper, and she apologized and moved on.

It kept happening, but something didn’t add up.

Later on, during the same trip, someone else approached me as I was absent-mindedly looking in the electronics section.

I immediately thought, “Oh no, did I make the classic mistake of wearing a red shirt to this store?” And I quickly looked down at my shirt. No, a completely different color.

The shopper decides to probe further.

Because it was the second time someone had made this mistake in less than an hour, I was confused enough to ask the person, “No, what about me makes it seem like I work here?”

In hindsight, it probably sounded more accusatory than I meant it. I was just genuinely curious.

Turns out, the clue was a lot more abstract.

The person was flustered and said something vague like, “Oh, I didn’t know. It was just… the way you were standing…” And quickly hurried off.

Maybe I was just giving off too much “I don’t want to be here” energy that day…

Who knew you could stand like you work retail?

Redditors chime in with their thoughts.

This commenter shares what must have been going through these other shoppers’ heads.

Some people just give off a vibe that they know what they’re doing.

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There’s even a term for it, according to this user.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who alerted their manager after seeing a customer sign the wrong name on a credit card slip.

This user experiences a similar phenomenon.

Getting mistaken once is a fluke, but twice is clearly a pattern, and this shopper was determined to get to the bottom of it.

“Resting retail face.” Symptoms include blank stares, slow browsing, and unpaid overtime.

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Author

Benjamin Cottrell

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.