I don’t get why so many people respond to ‘Thank you.’ with ‘No Problem.’ today.
I doubt that many of them felt that the act I just thanked them for was, in fact, a problem. Maybe it would usually be a problem, but not this time. Or maybe a problem with other people but not me. Maybe it’s a generational thing, as many restaurant servers, store clerks, admin assistants, etc. are young … certainly, younger than me. Could even be my steady evolution into a curmudgeon!
While saying ‘No problem.’ is really no problem, it doesn’t add anything positive, either. It just ends the conversation on a dull, if not lame note. So turn this situation into a teachable moment the next time you overhear a staff member respond with ‘No problem.’
Suggest that ‘You’re welcome.’ would be better. Even better is to respond with what they teach everyone at the award-winning Ritz Carleton hotel chain to say every time – ‘My pleasure … ‘.
So, if this simple little act makes sense to you, then consciously turn ‘No problem’ into ‘My pleasure.’ Anyone have a problem with that?