An in-person front desk worker issued a PSA to remote workers in a viral video, telling them to have at least one conversation before they enter a public place so they can extinguish any nervous energy.
In a TikTok posted on Wednesday, Alec Flynn shares that he works at the front desk of a climbing gym. He says people who work remotely “need to have at least like one more conversation or interaction before you come to a public place.”
“Because you’re coming at [hospitality and retail workers] with just the most insane energy,” Flynn says in his video. “You either are complete cat mode or you’re golden retriever energy. There’s no in-between.”
Flynn does an impression of both energies: “Cat mode” is when someone is overly timid and awkward, and golden retriever energy is when a customer is overeager.
On Thursday, Flynn’s video had almost 900,000 views on TikTok.
@alecflynn ♬ original sound – Big Al’s Toybarn
As reported by Forbes this year, approximately 13% of people work completely remotely, and 28% work a hybrid model.
While many are familiar with remote workers’ benefits, some say that it has been a detriment to their well-being: The BBC reported that remote work can lead to feelings of loneliness and mental health crises, due to increased screen time and less social interaction.
Commenters on Flynn’s video acknowledged that they have strange energy when talking to someone for the first time after working alone at home all day.
“I’m painfully aware I’m cat mode,” one commenter wrote. “I fear we’re too far gone.”
“My lack of eye contact these days is brutal,” another admitted.
One person defended being weird to service workers.
“No, no. You ARE my ‘one other interaction,’” the person wrote. “Before I have to go [talk to] people with people who know me.”
