You're welcome...

If someone says ‘thank you’ to you, what is your immediate response? A friend and I were recently enjoying a business dinner and he pointed out that, whenever someone said ‘thank you’ to the server she would respond with ‘uh huh.’ The bus boy said ‘no problem.’ 
This goes in line with other responses like “oh yeah” and “sure.” So what ever happened to “you’re welcome?” Or, even better, “my pleasure.”

The world seems to be getting less polite for some reason. But, for those of us who serve others, the difference of a simple phrase can really make an impact. Your words are important, not as important as your actions, but a close second for sure. 

My friend and I are not the only ones who have noticed this. There’s a training system in customer service for which I happen to be a trainer and this is a component of that training. So the fact that an organization that does customer service training and has studied the issue notices this as well says something. 

Phrases like “no problem” bring up the word problem. That’s a big negative word. Is doing your job really a problem? Apparently for some. 

What is your response when someone says, “thank you?” Perhaps it’s time to adjust your speech. It really can make a big difference, especially in the service industry and particularly if someone is paying attention. 
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Oh, and thank you for spending time with this blog.