Growing up, I was taught that the proper reply to being thanked was, “You’re welcome.”
Growing up, I was taught that the proper reply to being thanked was, “You’re welcome.”
Not “no problem.”
Not “thank YOU.”
Not “no worries.”
On most on news shows, the host thanks the guest. The guest never says, “You’re welcome.”
Thanking people is now optional. Written thank you notes are dinosaurs. But I’m not fussy. An email or text will do. Anything rather than nothing, leaving me wondering if my gift was received. Amazon is helpful in this regard. I can track the package and see a photo of it delivered to the front door.
Thank you, Amazon.
You’re welcome.
RetroFlash/100 words
I invite you to read my book Terribly Strange and Wonderfully Real and join my Facebook community.
Laurie LevyBoomer. Educator. Advocate. Eclectic topics: grandkids, special needs, values, aging, loss, & whatever. Author: Terribly Strange and Wonderfully Real.
Characterizations:
funny, well written
I agree; getting that “you’re welcome” should be so simple, but often is not. It comes in some other form, as you defined in 100 words. It is a troubling habit that has taken hold these days. Sloppy. Embarrassed? I don’t know, but let’s remind people of “you’re welcome”!
Agreed. We need to start a campaign, especially for all of those TV guests who can’t say those words.
Another “old school” sort about these things, Laurie. I feel the exactly same way. “You’re welcome” is not broken. We shouldn’t try to fix it.
And if I say “thank you” to you for this terrific RetroFlash, I know what you will say in return.
You got me, John. You’re welcome!
Thanks for this pithy response to the prompt!
You’re welcome!
I hear you, Laurie! I just send a note, something along the lines of “Just wanted to make sure you got the gift I sent…let me know!” (Nothing like a little passive-aggressive guilt trip, right?) Then I always get an effusive thank you…well, the text version with air kisses and hearts. It’s better than nothing!
I sent a similar email or text to one of my nieces wanting to know if she received a birthday gift for one of her kids. She actually sent me a picture of a thank you card that she was still trying to write. Never received it, but her intention were good, right?
Yes, Laurie, it’s almost impossible now to receive a “you’re welcome” verbally or in writing. I must confess that with nervous clients I occasionally will respond with “No worries, everything is fine” to something such as “Can you check that the newsletter went out? Thank you.” But I try to make it the exception.
We are old fashioned gals, Marian.
I agree that “you’re welcome” is often the perfect response. I don’t worry too much about informal alternatives (“no prob”, “cool”, “awesome”, “okay”), although they sometimes grate. Other types of responses can be problematic though: I used to get flustered if I were thanked, and start to explain why it was nothing, or qualify it somehow. I learned that type of response was not gracious acceptance, but actually demeaned the thank you that was offered.
Totally agree.
I found your last comment really insightful, Khati. Attempts to deflect gratitude or praise are common yet don’t do justice to either what we did or the other’s genuine response. That’s why I fully agree with Laurie about “you’re welcome,” yet it’s so rare these days! On every interview we watch on TV, the stock response to “Thanks for being here” seems to be not “You’re welcome” but “Thanks for having me.”
Laurie, you had me with your title. That has been one of my pet peeves for years. I dislike the “no problem” response and wish people would just say “you’re welcome.” (Another one is when you offer something to someone and instead of saying yes or no, they say “I’m good.” To my kids I will say “I know you’re good, but do you want this or not?”)
I forgot about “I’m good.” That’s another response that gets to me.
Yep! Me, too!!
Old-fashioned gals!
Yep Laurie, if not much else, these past months I’ve been VERY. thankful for Amazon – just today they delivered 2 USB adapters, 2 cases of Muscle Milk, and a copy of The Great Believers, next month’s book club read!
Thanx again Amazon!
I loved The Great Believers. Hope you enjoy it as well.
On behalf of Amazon, Dana: You’re welcome!
Laurie, I finished the book this morning and just got off a Zoom book club meeting where we had a very good discussion.
All liked the book altho I found some fault – I prefer more description and interior monologue and less dialogue, and thought one of the plot lines distracted rather than added to the author’s polemic message, but glad I read it.
How did you like the Chicago setting?
I think the setting made the book more appealing to me — Chicago and especially Northwestern University. Not a perfect book but my friends and I here liked it.
👍👍👍