Have you had a nice day sir/madam?

Anyone else getting fed up with the cheery inquisition you have to endure from checkout staff in supermarkets these days. Somewhere some suit at head office with a diploma in something useless has come up with the idea that customers wish to be engaged in a happy, chatty way as they pass gaily through the checkouts.

It starts with asking if you want help with your packing. The fact you might only have one item does not seem to matter. I bought just a newspaper a couple of weeks ago and when asked the obligatory packing question was sorely tempted to say yes.

Next you are asked what sort of day you have had, what you have done, when you are going on holiday and a whole host of other questions all asked with a fixed smile and wide eyes - presumably that is also part of the training

Now most days even I am not interested in what I have done so why some stranger would care defies logic but logic was probably not in the training manual. It has become the shopping equivalent of the Church of England's shake hands bit where we are drawn into the happy, feely world of marketing whether we like it or not.

I don't mind chatting, I don't mind shaking hands it is just I prefer to do it on my terms, for real and not from a manual. Have a nice day and peace be with you.