participant > I do count time talking with them as cheated, and talk accordingly. Maybe you didn’t gather that from my first post.
I apologize I did not re-read the post post-spellchecker! I meant exact opposite: “chesed”, no “cheated”. You have human beings in need of interaction. Maybe some of them live alone and come to this place looking for connection, especially now when some people WFH and lack usual interaction. Find out what kind word or advise you can give them, while thinking Gemora or work in your head. Maybe you can turn them towards a better outlook to life. There was a discussion here a couple of months ago about an Iraqi boy who was suddenly approach by a Jew to help as a shabbos goy and was kind to him, and he remembered that for decades.
I had this happen recently. A person I worked with, who has a very commanding personality was railing about how someone in business did not talk appropriately with him. I suggested to him that if he is really a baal middah, then he should be able to control it, and accept that he does not need to command every not very important interaction. It took him a long time to process this new idea.