Service with a stare? Brace yourself for the 'Gen Z gaze' at the coffee counter

If you've ever approached a service counter and been met with a wordless, deadpan stare, you’ve likely encountered what social media has dubbed the “Gen Z gaze.” And it’s causing quite the generational divide.

What is the Gen Z gaze?

The term went viral on X, where users, mostly from older generations, have been voicing frustrations about the growing number of young customer service workers who skip the usual greetings and instead meet customers with stony silence.

One post that racked up over 1.7 million views read:

“So sick of the new style of customer service where people just stare at you when you walk up to the counter.”

The complaints don’t stop at cashiers. One user described a restaurant experience where a hostess simply stared at them without saying a word before leading them inside:

“Now — is she showing me to my table? Checking for availability? Quitting on the spot?”

Others chimed in, sharing how walking into a business now feels awkward—like the customer needs to apologize for being there.

“Why do more and more workers just hit you with the fluoride stare like it’s unnatural that a customer would walk into a place of business?” asked one commenter.“At doctors’ and dentists’, front desk people act like they don’t know what a doctor even is.”

Gen Z speaks out

Naturally, some Gen Z service workers pushed back against the criticism. They defended their behavior as a byproduct of grueling jobs and daily encounters with difficult customers.

One user wrote:

“No disrespect, but if you had to deal with the insane amount of absolutely f–king braindead people you’ve ever met in your life for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, you would do this too.”

Still, others argue that while the job may be tough, basic courtesy shouldn’t be optional.

“I remember the first time a friend told me she didn’t think customers were ‘owed’ friendliness. Just a mind-boggling mindset.”

“The quality of service is so pathetically low now. It pisses me off because I’ve done these jobs and know there’s no excuse.”

Another worker even recalled being hugged by a customer simply for being polite:

“She said it made her so relieved to not deal with negativity for once. I was just being normal!”

It's no secret that in-person interactions makes the younger generation, aptly called the "iPad generation," uncomfortable. They're hungry for conversations, but they're deeply unprepared to face people.

They would much rather text, than pick up the phone. It's no wonder their in-person communication skills are poor.

But what made it worse was the COVID-19 pandemic, when many were still in school and did not get to meet people as much in person.

“Reduced [in-person] interactions have particularly affected Gen Z,” one platform stated, explaining how the pandemic increased their difficulties with reading social cues and spontaneous conversations.

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