Chipotle Observation

On October 29th, 2016 I observed four different individuals at a restaurant known as Chipotle located off of Happy Valley from 7-8pm. Since it was a Saturday night, I thought there was going to be lots of people to observe, however, this was not the case. Thankfully, there were still enough people to observe I just thought there were going to be so many people that it was going to be difficult to focus on one individual. I proceeded to sit down, retrieve my pen and paper, and scan the room. When scanning the room, I asked myself who am I going to watch? Will it be an employee or customer? Will I be able to adequately observe them with the loud volume of the music? I then took a deep breath, grabbed my pen, and focused on the first person …show more content…
They were both casually dressed in simple t-shirts and blue jeans. From what I could tell, they seemed as though they were talking about their day. While they were talking they were engaging in eye contact but continued to eat their food. They did not talk with their hands since they were busy eating, however, they showed that they were paying attention to what the other person had to say by keeping eye contact. They are very emotional while they talk, nor are they in close proxemics of each other, nonetheless they seem as though they care deeply for each other. They are patient with each other because only one of them spoke at a time. The two of them genuinely seem to care about what their spouse had to say. More importantly, they seem like a simple couple. They are casually dressed, are not eating at a fancy restaurant, and their wedding rings are simplistic. Overall, they seem to truly love each other and enjoy each other’s …show more content…
Furthermore, observing these participants in Chipotle reinforces how important nonverbal cues are due to the fact that I was unable to hear anything being said because the music volume was too loud. Being able to view their nonverbals permitted me to observe and interpret the type of person I think they are. In addition, being aware of the importance of one’s verbal and nonverbal cues allow people to understand that everything they say or do defines who they are. People make sudden assumptions about others during first impressions and if someone wants to make a good impression they need to show that they are engaged in the conversation through direct eye contact, straight posture, open arms, and in a reasonable proxemics from the individual they are communicating with. Likewise, verbal and nonverbal cues are important to be aware of in relationships. A partner will soon be able to tell is their significant other still loves them, is upset, or happy through the verbal and nonverbal cues articulated. In short, in order to make a good impression and maintain a strong relationship it is imperative to be aware of the verbal and nonverbal cues being expressed and withheld by both