"I'm sorry you feel that way." - Dumbest comment ever thought up.

I hate psychobabble and the latest commercial catch phrases that don't mean a hill of beans. My all time most hated customer brush off comment is, "I'm sorry you feel the way." I believe that phrase was first used by psychologists to placate clients and now used by every person working on the planet who doesn't have enough sense to say something meaningful.

This week I called Time Warner Cable about the change to a blue screen with white letters. There is a reason that print is usually black on white - so you can read it. White letters on blue - give me a break. Even with a fairly large TV I have to get about a foot away to read what's on now.

I told the tech support guy (since they did not have a button push option for feedback or raise cain) that I can't read the menu now that they made it blue with white letters.

Tech guy says, "I'm sorry you feel that way."

Do what?

I did not make a statement of feeling. I made a statement of fact. It is a fact that I can't read the screen. It is not some feeling I have.

Why is the guy really sorry?

He is probably sorry that:

1. I called.
2. Another tech guy did not get the call.
3. He works the night shift at Time Warner Cable.
4. He said that about "sorry you feel that way" and got an ear full.

OK. I did tell him that I figured he did not make my TV screen blue and that he had been told to tell customers that he's sorry they feel that way. So, I cut him a break. But I did tell him that saying he's sorry I feel that way is not fixing the problem and not making my evening.

Maybe customer service training should include some logic. If someone says, "I think the shows on tonight are boring," then it might make sense to say, "Sorry you feel that way." On the other hand, if someone says, "It's raining outside," then, "Sorry you feel that way" makes no sense at all. And, that's how most customer service reps use that tired phrase - randomly and illogically.

If you don't like my post, then - "Sorry you feel that way." Well, actually not. I wrote it. I own it. If you don't like it, then there is a back button. I would be sorry you went away but not, "Sorry you feel that way." I respect my readers more than that. And, I figure that folks can see the world through different colored glasses without offering fake validation that doesn't make anyone feel any better and doesn't fix the blue menu screen with white letters on my TV screen either.