It is becoming a customer service world, people expect "more". I like the fact of walking into a business and get greeted with an introduction as to who they are, It makes me feel like I now have an "in" and have a chance of making a better deal.
With our students many of them look at the staff as their "new" family, if I am walking down the hall next to someone I will strike up a conversation, YOU might be just the person they feel they can connect with if they need any type of help or just want to talk to someone.