Don't you hate to hear this?

If you're in business it pays to pay attention to the words you use with your customers.

Writing in The New York Times, Stanley Fish notes:

There is a class of utterances that, when encountered, produces irritation, distress and, in some cases, the desire to kill. You hear or read one of these and your heart sinks. Everyone will have his or her (non)favorites. Mine is a three-word announcement on the TV screen, “To Be Continued,” which says, “I know that you have become invested in this story and are eager to find out how it ends, but you’re going to have to wait for a few days or a week or a month or forever.”

Here are others. What others do you hate?

• Sold out.
• Closed for Private Party
• Back in an Hour
• Not in Service
• Use Other Door
• Register Closed
• This may hurt a little
• Your call is important to us
• I’m sorry, but I don’t recognize your response
• May I put you on hold for a minute?
• Your card has been denied
• To return to the menu
• Please listen carefully as our menu options have changed
• Invalid user name
• Assembly Required