Am I weird?

[essayel]

You see, I'm front of house staff in a museum. I meet and greet people all day long and I NEVER ever say 'have a nice day' when they leave because I feel it's such a cliche and nobody British believes that you mean it. Instead I say things like "I hope the weather clears up for you' or 'remember, it's LEFT at the traffic lights because right takes you into the one way system and, believe me brother, you don't want to go there' or something else relevant to whatever we've been talking about. But lately I've had a few people who have very pointedly said 'have a nice day' to ME with the kind of slow patient cadence that suggests they are trying to teach me how it's pronounced.

Am I being incredibly bad mannered by not wishing people a nice day? Has that little phrase become such an accepted part of every public transaction that it's essential? Are overseas visitors going away thinking, "that woman answered all my questions and drew me a map to White Castle but she didn't wish me a nice day so OMG maybe she doesn't give a damn about me"? Am I ruining people's days by not hoping they have a nice one?

I'd better make it clear that I have NO plans to start trotting out that trite little phrase because I'm perverse like that, but I might just try to be a little bit nicer to them before they leave to make up for it.

Comments

[irishkate.livejournal.com]

God no - don't start saying it.

I'd have to come and shoot you.

Just go one being yourself and all the sane tourists will know you care.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

I'd hand you the gun, hunny!!

[metallumai.livejournal.com]

I think it's a stupid phrase, made more so by its use in sarcastic ways on television: Clint Eastwood shoots the baddies and leaves the onlookers open-mouthed, and strolls away muttering "Have a nice day," in a voice like grit being scraped under a door.

I say keep on being your pertinently helpful, friendly self, and when they say it to you, just go "Oh, thank you, what a good idea."

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Sarcasm, yes!! When I was visiting and someone said it to me I double took, assuming they were being sarky. Nobody in the UK says it and means it. The companies that insist upon it little know how their customers go away bristling!

I'll take your advice I think and grin a lot.

**huggles** I miss you

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

Oh no, *please* never use that phrase! As you say, nobody believes you mean it anyway, and it's much more meaningful to say something specific to each person.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

it's much more meaningful to say something specific to each person.

Absolutely. Personal service wins hands down over corporate pap!

[wulfila.livejournal.com]

If there is no specific reason for someone to wish me a nice day, it sounds meaningless, and admittedly, I am often annoyed that, in order to be polite, I have to wish those who use it (mostly shop assistants over here) a nice day as well when leaving. So you are probably only doing most people a favour by not using it.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

I'm saying "And you too," to people who say it to me. But it's not a phrase that trips easily off my tongue.

[celticangel76.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on where you live really. Here, in the south, many people say it when you're leaving a store and they actually do mean it. Or at least sound like they do. I think we're so used to hearing it that when we don't we notice. Of course around here the people that don't say it are usually the ones that don't speak a word to you at all and just ring up your stuff and send you off without even looking up at you.

But if it's just not done there then by no means should you start! :)

[essayel.livejournal.com]

It didn't used to be done here at all, but some American owned companies, like MacDonalds, required it at one time and it was picked up as a kind of jokey way of dismissing someone - a little along the lines of 'don't let the door hit you on the way out'. I would much sooner say, "I hope you enjoyed the exhibition, thanks for coming to see it".

[katbeseroc.livejournal.com]

I think you should wish people a nice day in highly unusual ways. Have some fun with it. Say things like, "May evil become confused on the way to your house."

[essayel.livejournal.com]

*grins* Yeah - 'may the fairy of misfortune never do a whoopsie down your chimney' - or something.

[aunty_marion]

May the Great Bird of the Galaxy bless your planet.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

That's probably what happened to Jupiter.

[yakalskovich]

I think it's because these people are uninventive; even though you wish them all sort of specific good things, all they can think of answering is that.-

[essayel.livejournal.com]

I think it's just a formula. As Kel says, people are so used to hearing it that it throws them a bit when they don't.

[aisforamy]

I'd say if someone says it to you, then you should say something to the effect of, "Why thank you! You too!"

But you're friendly, and that should be more than enough. I would probably just say, "Thank you for visiting today!" or something equally inane--which is why I don't have your job!

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Inane isn't all bad, actually. Most people just want their existence acknowledged politely, and there are times, since I'm usually answering the phone, serving in the shop and doing paperwork as well as meeting and greeting, that a smile and "No, it's free entry" is about as much as I can manage. If there's time they get the full spiel, of course.

[casfic.livejournal.com]

I hate it when people say that phrase to me. It's so insincere. I remember the first time a shop assistant said to me 'how are you?' (it was in America), I did a total double take. I think I just stared at them in bemusement - why should they care? They don't know me from Adam. It also invites an insincere response from you. Bleh.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

If you want to confuse someone give them an honest answer - "I have this horrible pain all down my left leg but the good news is that my diarrhea is clearing up. Where's the loo, by the way?

How's life?

[casfic.livejournal.com]

Let's just say, when I was over in Dublin at the weekend, seeing my beloved, we were looking at rings... :D

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Squeeeeeeeeeeee!! That's brilliant news

[mcgonagalls-cat.livejournal.com]

(If you want to make someone really become unnerved, answer them honestly and in depth. Use great detail about whatever is bothering you in your life at the moment. Most of them will go wide-eyed and wander off, especially if it is cloying enough.)

[(Anonymous)]

*grin* I didn't see Sally's before I posted. I guess devious minds tend to think in similar ways....

(It helps if you stand too close to them when you're answering, too. *evil grin*)

[casfic.livejournal.com]

Oh that's a good one! I'll remember that.

[britalone.livejournal.com]

When the phrase is trotted out time and time again by someone you can hear that it's insincere. But just now and then someone will say it to you and you feel that they mean it. So I spose it's how you say it that counts. Just say what comes naturally to you and if it feels right, then say "have a nice day" because you will mean it.
Does that make sense? :o)

[essayel.livejournal.com]

I must admit to having said "Have a nicer day" to someone who'd been bitching about their holiday being naff. Yes, it makes perfect sense. :)

[writerofictions.livejournal.com]

When I worked at Buffalo Wild Wings I never said 'have a nice day'. Because people ignored me 95% of the time anyway. Instead I'd say things like "enjoy the rest of your work day!" (because mine was stupidly easy) or "hope the rain clears up! Drive safely!" (because I didn't care because I wasn't out in said rain).

Have a nice day is vastly overrated.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Those replies are nicely weighted! Hope your current job is a bit less fraught than that one sounded.

[mcgonagalls-cat.livejournal.com]

As to the headline question ~ Of course you are.


As to the grating phrase ~ You have Stepford Tourists! EEEKKK! The ones who want it are robots! They are trying to take over! Resist!!!



How's your summer (weather-wise) going? The US is being too hot where it never is and too chilly in other places... too wet some places, too dry others... But we win! We have been getting bizarre winds that never happen this close to the mountains... blowing over trees (straight over, not twisted around like in tornadoes, though those have been occuring also) and weird stuff like that.

.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

OMG signs and portents!! No we're just having our regular July monsoon season. I hope August is a little more pleasant.

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't ruin my day. I'd much prefer the things you do say.

I have to admit that when we visited the US, the constant "Have a Nice Day"s and "You're welcome"s started to drive us nutty. We're Brits. We feel safer with remarks about weather or traffic...

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Nice safe impersonal subjects, but then much of the US has climate rather than weather - unlike our lottery.

As policy I'm supposed to answer the phone with "Boro Da, Amgueddfa Y Fenni, good morning/afternoon, Abergavenny Museum" and only narrowly missed 'chi moin helpu, can I help you' as well, but there's never been a pronouncement about face to face greeting and farewelling.

Charlie, I hope I never ruin your day.

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

You could never be a day ruiner. And I might have to ring the museum just to hear you...

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Oh I don't DO it! I'm just supposed to say it. Like the time they tried to get me to wear a receptionist uniform [polyester short sleeved blouse, polyester pencil skirt and blazer, striped cravat, court shoes in a building where the winter temperature regularly drops to 13 degrees C!] it's a nice idea but just not practical. However, I'm amenable to a command performance.

[erised1810.livejournal.com]

oh but yo usoudn fine to me in yoru way of wavign peopel off. 'd love it if someone refreshed my mind o nsomething. especialy if they're hookign in on stuff we talked about before i left. can't remember heraing mcu h'ahve an iceday' or 'enjoy yoruself' or something alogn those lines. it feels much more typical for me in england to hear someon comment onthe stuation itself. Like 'yes ,alas it's agodo idea to bring that rai ncoat' or somethign like that. soudns much better .because after a while it soudns the way the cshiersi nthe supermarkets sound (*at least over here). lie kthe ywent thorugh the whole script in trainign drills nd now the ycan sa yit in their sleep.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Exactly, scripted politesse never rings true!!