I'm a journalist
and I do a lot of radio work and one of the first things you're taught is "do not say hello how are you?" when the announcer introducers you because it chews up valuable time. As a consequence when people ask me on the phone how I am I have the same reaction as you. I fucking hate it.
So...
I tell them. In detail. Every time.
Hello, how are you?
I'm really bloody busy actually and getting further and further behind because people just keep calling all day with problems they could easily sort out themselves, useless chit chat or to tell me things I already know. Plus I've got a bloody headache from this office's stupid air conditioning, I really don't want to be here (and so on and so on).
Eventually, people who call you on a regular basis catch on and stop asking.
( difficultchild, Tue 13 Apr 2010, 9:15, Reply)