To think of you work in a people facing role you should keep up your oral hygiene??

[FoodWoes]

Was at the bank yesterday and an assistant came out to try and encourage people to use the machines to deposit money to try and get the que down.

The fellas breath was atrocious. Seriously.

I understand we all have off days. Coffee breath. Maybe a little under the weather sometimes, sore throat? but it was SO bad.

I could feel myself trying not to react or step backwards as I didn't want to be rude but I felt physically sick.

Surely his teammates must have noticed this?
Would they not be allowed to bring it up?

I feel terrible for them and him too.

I think I would want someone to tell me so I could make the changes I needed to rectify it. He may not be aware?

It's a minefield of possible offence but christ, he moved on to the next person and they DID physically recoil.

Is part of a customer facing role making sure you don't have smelly breath? They make sure you look spick and span in most other ways?

You're obviously right - people should take care of their hygiene and not assume because they look ok that their breath doesn't smell.

It's difficult though because I'd really struggle to tell a colleague if their breath wasn't great (though I might have a mint and offer them around).

Maybe he had a cold or a bit of a throat infection and normally has acceptably smelling breath (just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt!)

Irrespective of someone's job, everybody should have good hygiene. I worked in a customer facing role for many years and I had customers who had coffee/smoke/food breath and I had to be ok with that because they were the customer. It was disgusting.

As a side note, someone knocked at my door canvassing for Labour during the last local election. The smell of BO almost knocked me out, it was like a week's worth of not washing. I was in a hurry so didn't talk to him but if I'd had the time I would have told him you shouldn't knock on doors when you smell so bad. I couldn't have had a conversation with him even if I wanted to as the smell was so disgusting.

Oh yes. I had the BO thing recently too. Their uniform was that awful polyester stuff it clung terribly.

Also got in an uber yesterday and was pretty sure the driver had been farting in it 🤮

though I might have a mint and offer them around Great. Another use of English for me to get used to. If someone offers me a mint they're really saying "Your breath smells". Took me long enough to understand that "Well, mustn't keep you!" means "I'm bored of this conversation now - please go away".

What if someone offers me a humbug? What are they saying there?

@MereDintofPandiculation it doesn't necessarily mean your breath smells.
I'd offer them to the group close to me - I work in a team of 6 so I'd offer one to everyone so it wasn't obvious that I was singling someone out.

But I'd also offer you one if you caught my eye while I was putting one in my mouth/if you spoke to me while I was getting one out. Even if your breath didn't smell.

@MereDintofPandiculation Humbugs are sweets rather than mints in my opinion, so that just means the person offering you one is boring in their choice of sweet treat

I think it's embarrasing for people to bring up. I have good oral hygiene and go to the dentist for a clean regularly, but I have bad breath. I only discovered it on uni placement when in surgery and I had a mask on, and smelled ot myself. I had to ask my husband if I did have bad breath, and he said I did but he never brought it up because he didn't want to hurt my feelings or embarrass me. I don't know how long I've been walking around with bad breath because no one told me. It's not something that I'm able to help, but I am more conscious now and try to keep out of people's personal space to minimise their discomfort.