Kissing hello (professionally, sort of)

[BrokenToy]

Do you? It’s something that occurred to me last night; I work in hospitality so it might be a bit industry specific but whenever I greet other landlords/managers or regular customers or other bar staff from the locality we ALWAYS kiss hello, often with a big squeezy hug as well. These aren’t always people I know particularly well outside of a work setting.

I do it with family but not really with friends from other walks of life.

How do you all feel about it? YABU get away with yourself, I hate it. YANBU this is totally normal in my circles and expected.

Just a random Sunday musing really.

Just me then. I’ll get my coat.

🤣

Not normal in my sector that’s for sure but it sounds nice 👍

Not normal for me, I'd hate it.

Sounds awful 😄.

Are you up North?

No! Terribly strait-laced South East.

It just popped into my mind last night after the fifteenth hug that perhaps this was more predominant because of the job I do. 🤣

It happens a lot but I dislike it. I have noticed that it must be the norm in hospitality because I've lost count of the number of restaurant proprietors and staff who assume it is expected if you have spoken with them on a previous visit on a subject other than the actual food.

Haha yes!

Oh hello dear friend who was telling me about your dog three months ago the only other time we’ve met, lovely to see you mwah mwah 🤣

One of the few benefits of the awfulness of the pandemic was reducing such interactions (kissing, hugging, handshakes) with people who are not your husband/wife/partner. Especially older men.

I can’t believe social kissing is still going on after covid. It kind of shocks me tbh. I used to be a social kisser/hugger, but now there are very few people I’ll embrace.

Yes, I really hope we're moving away from all of this after the pandemic. A lot of people (particularly women) don't like it at all.

Double kiss with everyone at the club every time there is a home match. Surrey

Definitely doesn’t happen anywhere I’ve worked, thank goodness!

We’ve even stopped the handshakes since Covid.

Really not a fan of touchy feely strangers tbh.

Aha! Not just me then.

I agree with @balalake. A side benefit of Covid to get rid of pretentious (in my industry) work kissing, can’t stand it.

I don't live in the UK. Yes that's how we great everyone

In my part of the UK it just isn't done. Hugs with (some) very good friends (if you haven't seen them for ages) but everyone else and colleagues are handshakes only.

Pre-Covid a thing I loathed about visits to London Head Office was the constant kissing greetings - even people I had only just met used to launch in for a snog. And some would double or even treble kiss. Hated it.

I've found a benefits of the pandemic is that it put a stop to all that and now if anyone tries for a greeting kiss you can use Covid as an excuse without being rude.

I would be mortified if a colleague hugged or kissed me! It would be so inappropriate!

Personal space, man!!

I’m a media wanker and we all hug and kiss. Missed it over covid - glad it’s back!

Yes! I really like it.

It’s not the norm in my industry but I have had it happen once. I was new in my role and the only woman, it took me completely by surprise and it made me really uncomfortable. After this I always ensured that I kept my distance and stuck my hand out first with any interaction with unknowns. Thankfully Covid has put a stop even to handshakes these days.

Wherever I've worked in the U.K. it seems to have been no greeting beyond spoken "hello" with colleagues, meetings with external people were hand shakes or, sometimes, air kisses but then whenever you had a work dinner (whether with colleagues only or external people) it was air kisses all around. I still remember the mortifying experience when I was very junior, flustered a bit by this and went in the same direction as my male boss and we almost got each other on the lips. As others have said, luckily this seems to have stopped post Covid.
When I worked in Germany years ago I quickly realised that I needed to get to work 15 mins early each morning as not only did they start very punctually at 8am but you had to have shaken hands with everyone before you did so.

This is definitely a thing in some industries and would be really inappropriate in others! It’s normal in mine, typically the double cheek air kiss.

handshakes and hugs are very prevalent in biker world group situations without the kisses though