No problem .
You ’ re welcome .
Happy to help .
HOW TO RESPOND TO “ THANK YOU ” IN BUSINESS
by Ky Ekinci | Office Divvy
Let ’ s admit it : We all walk around with ready-to-go formulas in our heads to communicate with others . We learn this because we need openers and closers for conversations , acknowledgments that events have occurred and reflexive formalities to keep communication moving .
When I first arrived in the United States , I got settled in Massachusetts . I found the people super friendly . I walked to school every day and encountered a dozen people asking me how I was .
They ’ d say “ how you doin ’?” and I thought they were initiating conversation .
I ’ d stop walking , smile back , answer the question , and kindly inquire how they were : “ I ’ m doing well , how are you today ?” As you can predict , as I answered their question I watched the same friendly person walk away briskly without pause .
This was really puzzling . Are these people friendly , or are they not friendly ? What ’ s going on here ?
A few days into this dynamic , I realized that their version of “ how are you ” is not a question – it ’ s a greeting ! It is equivalent to a standard “ good morning ” or “ good day ,” and is the verbal version of a smile , wave or head-bow . And all it required was an automatic response .
So I learned fast enough to respond to a stranger ’ s “ how are you doing ” with the same “ how you doin ’,” “ hi ,” “ good morning ,” “ good evening ,” etc .
There are dozens of situations that trigger these commonly accepted auto-responses . And one of those is how to acknowledge someone who is thanking you . How to respond to “ thank you ” is a very common , frequent and big one , is it not ?
It is perfectly okay to have an automatic-response to “ thank you ” in most situations . However , in a business setting , especially in a customer-service dynamic , I believe intentional behaviors should replace these reflexive formulas we use to communicate .
When someone says “ thank you ,” it may come easy to respond with a “ sure thing ,” a “ no problem ,” or the most common , a “ you ’ re welcome .” Although these responses are not impolite , they may be too casual or perceived as problematic . Speaking of problematic , let ’ s take “ no problem ” for instance . Among the Gen Y and Gen Z demographic , “ no problem ” is becoming an automatic response to “ thank you .” The response often underlyingly suggests the existence of a problem that wasn ’ t even there to begin with .
Alva Noë in her NPR article , “ A Case Against the Phrase ‘ No Problem ’” says :
Saying “ no problem ” in place of “ you ’ re welcome ” always strikes me as self-defeating . I thank you for your service , or your gesture , or your generosity , or your kindness . So why are you even mentioning problems ?
“ Negatively constructed responses ” similar to “ no problem ” aren ’ t new . The Merriam Webster article , “ What ’ s the Problem with ‘ No Problem ’?” dates “ don ’ t mention it ” to 1777 and “ not at all ” to 1861 .
Regardless , when one wants to project intentionality and care , “ no problem ” should be avoided because it should never be suggested that there might be a problem at all .
In a 2013 interview on CBS Sunday Morning , TV executive and radio personality Bill Flanagan explains why he takes exception to “ no problem .”
Mr . Flanagan suggests giving up “ no problem ” as a response to “ thank you ,” but he sees no fault with “ you ’ re welcome .”
However , there are also several issues with “ you ’ re welcome ”
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