How often do you hear this on a given day?

If you are similar to myself and have an average of 3-4 interactions per day at a retail or food establishment, the chances are that you hear these words quite often.

The cashier at the grocery store fires off the statement as you collect your bags and shifts abruptly to the next waiting customer before you even have time to respond.

The attendant at the fast food drive through shoots off a rapid “have a good day” in between checking and confirming the next patrons size of a fry order.

The manager who, when unable(or unwilling) to resolve a concern in the store insists, tone dripping with sardonic syrup, that the customer have a great day.

The dead-eyed associate at the mall store robotically stammers through the requisite “sales items” during your visit.  You reject the solicitations of your email, phone, and gift card offers. The associate never meets your eyes with their own.  The pale fleshed automaton hands you a receipt, her eyes flicker upwards fractionally, and she bids you a good day.

You spend 2 hours attempting to resolve a billing issue with your local/global whatever provider and receive empty reassurances that your refund will show on your statement in 1-2 billing cycles.  As the conversation concludes you are asked if all of your concerns have been resolved, which of course they haven’t been resolved.  Regardless, your will to continue holding and talking to various people re-explaining your scenario over and over has expired. Ergo you yield and say “Sure, I guess I’m good.” To which the sign off is inevitably “Ok, well on behalf of company XYZ, have a great day!”

“Have a great day” or “have a nice day” are phrases that have become so commonplace that they are practically worthless.  Everyone hears these words with such frequency that they have lost any sense of verity that they may have once intended to impart.  At this point I am so tired of hearing these insincere utterances that I would prefer to hear “Take care” or “See you soon” as I don’t feel that these phrases are necessarily direct company downloads part of the orientation process requisite of each new hire.  I might even believe it if I heard “Thanks for coming in today.”  Though I am aware that these phrases may still be rote I believe that not falling back on “Have a nice day” feels a little more genuine.

Many times upon hearing the aforementioned  and abominable phrase (you know the one) I wish to retort, “Do you really mean that?” At which point I fully expect a dumbfounded “Huh? What did you say?” The person would of course be required to draw themselves away from their next engagement, be that another customer, cell phone, or idle banter with another employee.  I would repeat my query placidly.  And I would anticipate anxiously the response.  Would it be “I have to say that.” Or “Um, well, that’s just something I’ve gotten used to saying to everyone.” Would it be the ignorant approach “I don’t really know what you mean?”  Would it be an outright lie “Of course, I really  hope you have a good day.”  Or would I receive a pandering “I reaallllyyy hope you have a great awesome super day sir. Really I do!”

Could it be that possible that you have an interaction when spending your earnings (possibly through the process of telling people to have a good day) that is genuine.  Maybe the associate with converse with you in a friendly honest manner.  Maybe he/she will listen intently to what you are looking for and have an excellent selection and recommendation to meet your needs.  Perhaps that same person rings out your purchase and while doing so explains the reasoning behind a few of the questions during your checkout.  You may actively listen and decide that giving your email isn’t such a horrible thing and that you may be helping out that individual in the job in which they are involved.  They might look you in the eye; they might smile warmly, radiantly, and honestly.  And, they might say “I hope you have a great day!”

And maybe you will believe them.

Humbly yours,

J

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