When "Have a good day" is Callous

"Have a good day."

I say it. You say it. Customer service representatives say it--sometimes mindlessly, which may feel callous.

A low-speed "bump" into a trailer hitch transformed our car into mangled origami. The car limped to a public parking lot. 

We called the insurance company.  The agent asked some questions and ended the conversation with "Have a good day."

Ding, ding, ding, ding. The alarms rang  in my head. Our car was disabled in an accident and it needed to be towed. So how good a day did she think I was having? 

Empathetic communication would have been "Gee, I'm sorry."  "That's tough, but we're going to ..."

Five hours later the first towing company said "it can't be loaded because the electrical system is dead. We have to arrange for a special wrecker which has a fork lift type system." He politely finished, "Have a good day."
Really? 

More phone calls followed. The car was totaled. We'll have to replace a car we've for a short time and was a great deal. Or would have been, had it survived.

Bill calls these events "life taxes." Expensive garbage you have to deal with because you're alive and privileged enough to have "stuff."

The financial fall-out of the accident is a pain in the patootie. But Bill is unharmed, so I shouldn't fuss.

While I was still fuming I stopped to talk to my 76 year old neighbor.  I asked after her husband's health. He's 87 and in a care center "disappearing before my eyes" she said. I grabbed her hand and we both cried. 

Chatting with her sure put my complaints into perspective. She reminded me I was having a good day.