The Medway Handyman wrote:

Actually, if you can't answer the question 'How are you today?' by replying
'Wonderful' then you are a miserable git I'm afraid.


Sorry Dave - I understand what you are saying. But when I have just
taken my very ill partner round the store and we are desperate to get
home that sort of politeness does not come easy.

If a real person simply being themselves happens to tread on my toes in
their attempt to interact with another human, I will try to shrug it off
and reply pleasantly. I think I usually do so. An inept but real attempt
can still be appreciated. But when some customer care consultant has
devised the one and only way of first talking to a customer, and it is
cunningly devised to have no real answer, I simply feel processed and
manipulated.

--
Rod