The odd thing is - odd, because I wouldn't have imagined it before living here - the interaction appears totally genuine, not false or assumed.
It may be genuine, but it's also automatic. In the beginning, you have to remember to ask and be friendly. After that, it just comes out naturally when you see a new customer at the counter.
I can't tell you how many times (in the South and Southeast US) I've been called "dear" or "hon" or "honey" or "sweetheart" or "darlin'" (you have to leave off the final 'g') or something similar by waitresses. Guys usually say "pal" or "buddy" or "hey, man" or even "dude" or something else equally manly.
That's one thing I've had to get used to when I moved to the South. I get customers and retail personal calling me hon, honey, darlin... From customers and retail people, I don't mind. What annoyed me was when a brand new coworker, whom I had never met but was calling out for the day, called me something along those lines. It was all I could do not to fire back that I didn't know him from Adam and I wasn't his darlin'.
