I'm not really that good at listening to customers, especially if they start telling me everything that they have to do.
Case and point, the customer in front of me keeps telling me that they have to go to the store and then they have to call a housekeeping service and then they have to do more banking. And to try and get rid of them, I told them that my manager is looking for me. Like, calling for me at the moment. Or that I have to send an urgent email to another department, like fraud.
I will tune out customers who tell me that they have to visit their uncle in the hospital because I just can't... care about that uncle being in the hospital. Like, I tread very lightly when I have to ask, "How are you?" because I will get those people who will sigh very heavily. And I know in that case...
In this case, I have to wonder if people know that I'm obligated to ask how their day is because if I don't, I will get reprimanded for it. Like, what's so difficult to understand about that pleasantry?
Now, let's shift this scenario on its head. When I talk with my friends, there is definitely some intense caring on my part. I would not ask my friends how they are doing unless I really wanted to know. Like, if you're an acquaintance of mine, irl, I'll ask you, but I'm looking for the short answer. I'm looking for, "Good, going to the beach today." Not, "Well, my dog died, my girl left me, my car was repo'ed." That's not at all what I need to hear when I ask you about how your day is.
Does it reflect poorly on me that I don't like hearing all this excess stuff when I ask you how your day is? Because I completely understand that I should care. A normal human being does care about this kind of stuff, even if they don't fully care or are faking. I just can't find it in me to, though. I can't even fake caring about something I don't.
I don't know. Maybe I'm making something of it when it's really nothing. I'm just curious what your thoughts on this is.