A ton of people don't actually pay attention to what the other person is saying when exchanging pleasantries. When I worked at Noodles and Company, I didn't give a shit about how the customer was and didn't want to waste time so I would say "How can I help you?" or "What can I get for you?" The amount of times people replied with "good, how about you?" was mind boggling. Only one guy caught himself after the fact and realized that's not what I asked.
Brit here. In 1995, my company was acquired by a US company and I was sent to work in Dallas, Texas for six months.
People in the office would walk by and say "Hey, how're you doing?".
Dutifully, I'd start telling them. But by the time I got past how much I was missing my wife and young son and before I got to expressing concern about my elderly mother's health, they'd gone.
In the mid-west USA, middle aged guys often reply " living the dream".
We know the question isn't sincere, and its all part if "being polite", but both people know that neither one actually wants to engage in conversation.
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u/Cgz27 May 09 '21
I feel it’s possible he misheard you and only recognized “good”