Really?

        Have you ever been to a store and after making your purchase heard the cashier morosely tell you to “have a wonderful day?”  Okay, that’s a stupid question.

        But have you ever been tempted to say “I don’t think you really mean that?”

        They don’t care how the rest of my day goes, and really, why would they?  I don’t particularly care how their day goes either, so it’s not like I’m blaming them.  Our interaction is completed, the rest of my day has nothing to do with you and vice versa.  I’m simply not a big fan of absurdities in the social contract.  You pretend to wish I have a good day, I pretend to hope that you do too...

        I’ve worked with people for many years now and in quite a few different settings.  I know that the corporate idea is that you thank people for their business so that they will come back and spend more money.  It’s a simple and painless way to increase sales.  Except that it doesn’t really work.  If you want to get my sale it is far more important not to be a douche during the entire process before we part ways.  The goodbye is near the bottom of the list of things I care about, and way below the hello.

        But really, if you’re going to tell me to have a wonderful day, please don’t sound so defeated.  Because while I already know you don’t mean it, that just makes it worse.