…I say, “I’m good, thanks, how are you?” And I look at the person and smile.
My best friend mutters “okay” or “fine” and doesn’t even look up.
What do you say?
On a Happy Day: Good thanks, and yourself? Thats a nice blouse/shirt/dress etc…etc…
Sad Day: Ok and you?
Bad Day: Alive. You?
Disgustingly happy day: Great! Thanks for Ask’in!! :):)
Mostly I have variants of Phlosphr’s replies. On days when I’m semi-comatose, I might respond “OhmyGodI’msosleepytoday!Ijustcan’twakeup!”, but I almost always try to smile and make eye contact, except if I’m having a downright crappy day.
I’m with twickster on the smile thing, and I usually get one back. If I don’t, no biggie, 'cause the cashier might be the one having a rough day. I’ve worked in retail once upon a time, and I know it isn’t easy standing in one place for hours dealing with people who often treat you as if you’re a robot. OTOH, when I run across a really beastly clerk like the one in the record store the other day…grrrrr.
Hey Phlosphr - you stole my chipper happy day reply.
Great! Thanks for asking, and how are you today?
Fair to middling most days.
And how are you?
I get myself in the habit (usually) of answering such questions automatically with something like “I’m great.” or “Never been better.” Even if I’m in a foul mood, there’s no sense in broadcasting it to the world if I can’t help it.
I don’t ask back, though. I’m not particularly interested in having a conversation with a store clerk.
I walk right up, let my face beam with a light that outshines the sun, smile and take the initiative to say “Good Morning! It is a good morning, isn’t it!” in an upbeat lilt that would make Zig Ziglar puke his toenails out.
Ok, I don’t lay it on that thick, but I am usually the first one to say something like “Morning, how are you doing?” and then playing it by ear based on how the clerk responds. I really like hearing what people outside my life have to say. On a few really crummy days where the clerk asked, I’ve answered with "ehh… I’m doin’ ", said as an honest acknowledgement, not as a dismissive or pitiful gesture.
When asked by a salesdrone, I always ask them how they are doing, and they /always/ say they are doing well, and I tell them “good” in a very positive sincere, way. Then they move on, just as I wanted.
At the register, I’m often asked if “I found everything I was looking for today”; I usually tell them I was unable to find that “Big Bag of Cash” that I was looking for in the store. Nobody seems to know where it is.
I’d go into (mute) shock. I’m English for heavensake I don’t do personal conversations (no matter how bland) with strangers.
If I’ve wandered into another country where they do this sort of thing I might manage an ‘OK thanks’ but I certainly wouldn’t ask back.
No matter my mood, I usually hear myself say “Not bad, and yourself?” before I know I’ve said it.
On a good/average day, I say, with moderate enthusiasm, “Good, thanks! How are you?”
On a so-so day, “I’m alright,” but with a half-smile so I don’t sound like Eeyore. Usually I’ll add a “…thanks. How are you?”
On a lousy day, the clerk gets an “Oh, y’know…could be better, could be worse. Thanks for asking, though. How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you.”
Rarely do I ask how they are doing. Never thought of it, I guess.
My automatic response is
“Life is a cruel joke played on me by the universe.”
I immediately follow this up, by saying in my most cheerful voice
“So! How’s by you?”
As in “how is yourself?”
“Dressed and awake…”; but I may use the life is a cruel joke line next time.
On a good day, usually something like “Pretty good. How are you?”
On a less good day, “Not too bad,” and I might not ask back.
A lot of the time I don’t look directly at the person, though. I’m not trying to be impolite, it’s just a habit, I suppose. It makes me kind of nervous to talk with strangers sometimes, even when we’re just exchanging salutations.
Depends on my mood and how cute the clerk is but even in my worst mood, I generally mumble some sort of reply. I’ve been on their side of the desk and know how big a pain in the ass having to talk to customers can be.
As a clerk, I always tell the customer I just gave it away 10 minutes ago.
And I try very hard to smile, even though that joke was only funny once. In 1972.
Myself thinks it works okay.
I usually just say “I’m good, thanks” and smile. I usually don’t ask them how they’re doing because I’m sure half of the time they aren’t even expecting it. Their reply would likely be “Oh, me? Uh… well… I’m good, I guess. Thanks, yeah.”