I have no Problem saying "You're Welcome"

[redlevel]

Good grief!

Stuff like this is way down the list of things that irritate me.
I do wish those of you who say "your welcome" would say "you're welcome" instead.

 

[xHUSKERx]

I fail to see why "no problem" is so frowned upon. I say both "no problem" and "You're welcome". I say "no problem" to simply convey to a person that it was no trouble at all and I was happy to do something.

On the subject of manners becoming rarely displayed, considering I work with children everyday (teacher and coach) if they simply do anything I need to say thank you for I am happy. Manners and courtesy are a thing of the past which is sad, any day I don't get told to F off is a good day.

 

[timn8er]

The reason so many of us cringe when we hear 'no problem' instead of 'you're welcome' is that it's another sign of how our society is devolving socially, losing our manners en masse. Like drooping pants, backward baseball hats, and the coarse language one hears in everyday discourse now, it just doesn't seem right.

Here's another modern irritant: I got a phone call a week or two ago from a strange number. (Turned out it was the dealer from whom I bought a car 4 years ago.) When I answered the call, a woman asked for me by my first name. I immediately asked her if she knew me personally. When she said no, I politely informed her that I prefer to be addressed as 'Mr. XXXXX' in conversations with strangers. I've worked with the public for 40 years, and I cannot imagine addressing someone I don't know by his or her first name...

Oh, I am so with you on that one. I can't stand it when someone assumes familiarity or pretends to know me because they have my name on a list. I will sometimes say "he recently passed, do you want to talk to his brother Dave?" There is usually a pause on the other end of the line, then they might decide to go for it. "Sure, let me talk to Dave." To which I OF COURSE reply: "Dave's not here!" which probably means nothing to the twenty something telemarketer, but i get a laugh out of it!

 

[Rastoff]

When I wish to tell someone who thanks me for my assistance that it was 'no problem', I say "don't mention it" or "it was my pleasure".

What's the difference?

 

[Gyrene6891]

When I use No problem it is as follows; "You're welcome, it was no problem for me." I'm 63 and really could care less if you do not like the way I speak...

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Was you're welcome always a widely used response to thank you here in America?

From what little I have read, the phrase became popular during the 20th century. What was customary before that?

 

[PA Reb]

Too many people letting little things bother them. Its no worse than "what's buzzin" or "that's hip" from the 50s and "burn rubber" or "big daddy" from the 60s. I'm a 60s and 70s child and often answer a thank you with a polite "not a problem". At least its a friendly acknowledgement. "Take a pill" people !

 

[PA Reb]

The reason so many of us cringe when we hear 'no problem' instead of 'you're welcome' is that it's another sign of how our society is devolving socially, losing our manners en masse. Like drooping pants, backward baseball hats, and the coarse language one hears in everyday discourse now, it just doesn't seem right.

Here's another modern irritant: I got a phone call a week or two ago from a strange number. (Turned out it was the dealer from whom I bought a car 4 years ago.) When I answered the call, a woman asked for me by my first name. I immediately asked her if she knew me personally. When she said no, I politely informed her that I prefer to be addressed as 'Mr. XXXXX' in conversations with strangers. I've worked with the public for 40 years, and I cannot imagine addressing someone I don't know by his or her first name...

Look at it this way my friend ~ When I sat in front of the television way back in 1964 to watch the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, my parents sat there with their mouths hanging open in complete shock and disbelief while I sat there with my mouth hanging open mesmerized! I also remember coming home from the barber shop with a new Beatles cut which I thought was cool and my mom immediately sent me back and called the barber before I got there with explicit instructions on what my hair should look like when I got home - buzzed. when my kids wanted to go see the Smashing Pumpkins or Pearl Jam, I took them although I couldn't at first see what was so great about them (Pearl Jam is indeed great!). Today, when I address a senior, I use Mr. or Mrs. or "not a problem" and never had anyone show disfavor. Its nothing more than the passing of the torch from one generation to the next!

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

The reason so many of us cringe when we hear 'no problem' instead of 'you're welcome' is that it's another sign of how our society is devolving socially.

Or maybe it's just old men cringing at their decaying reflection in the mirror and then believing that what is changing around them is also decay. Any chance of that?

 

[joeintexas]

For some reason or other that phrase has never bothered me, as long as I get a civil response and it is sincere I really have never thought much about it. Hey, hi, hello, thank you, no problem, you're welcome, say it with respect and I have no problem with it.

 

[tork'd]

I'm speechless!!"
oh wait...
will thou forgivith me as i am without words

 

[gm272gs]

I thought I was a curmudgeon.

The Hispanic woman who hands me coffee at McDonald's says:
"Haaaa a nighhhhhdaaaaay" and I just say thank you.

 

[Comrad]

What's worse for me is "not a problem" guys. My wife and I are two old farts, do we really look like "guys" I know I do but the last time I checked the bride still had her lady parts.

 

[waffles]

The reason so many of us cringe when we hear 'no problem' instead of 'you're welcome' is that it's another sign of how our society is devolving socially, losing our manners en masse. Like drooping pants, backward baseball hats, and the coarse language one hears in everyday discourse now, it just doesn't seem right.

I realize that the demographic here is skewed towards older white men, but really? "No Problem" isn't "hey eff you old guy", it's a polite well intentioned response. This is why I cringe. There's a very real, recent history of "manners" being a thing that would catch you an asswhupping if you didn't defer to "superior" racial groups, dress a certain way, and only reply yes sir or maam. While you're lamenting the lack of manners, and wishing you could go back to the old days of white picket fences and high cinched up trousers, remember that what was familiar to you was a nightmare to others.

These backwards hat and drooping pants wearing kids aren't without manners, they're responding in a polite way that's different, but not even contradictory to the way you were brought up. English is an evolving language, especially American English, and that's in large parts thanks to the melting pot and diversity that people seem so willing to shun.

 

[BrianE]

because they're stupid, ignorant or just plain lazy. It really cheeses me off.

This comment is ignorant, actually.

Someone says, "no problem" and this means they're stupid?

If someone called me stupid, they would not like my response (...and that response would not be, "you're welcome").

 

[Comrad]

I know and have contact with lots of other people that aren't old white men and there are a great number who are well aware of and use correctly good grammar and polite responses. There are an equal number who are ignorant. Once we tolerate ignorance we no longer have any standards. English grammar is not an evolving discipline. It's either correct or it's not.
Maybe we can evolve safe firearms handling too as long as we are relaxing standards.

 

[waffles]

I know and have contact with lots of other people that aren't old white men and there are a great number who are well aware of and use correctly good grammar and polite responses. There are an equal number who are ignorant. Once we tolerate ignorance we no longer have any standards. English grammar is not an evolving discipline. It's either correct or it's not.
Maybe we can evolve safe firearms handling too as long as we are relaxing standards.

Unfortunately, the last few hundred years of English do show quite a bit of evolution.

And safe firearm handling is a great example! How many of us have pictures of relatives on hunting trips in the 40s and 50s, all with fingers in the trigger guard? How about all those surplus police holsters that we snag at gun shops with purposefully exposed trigger guards? It could just be that we're in the internet echo-chamber, but what was considered safe with firearms has changed within most of your lifetimes (though I suppose so did the answer of many to the question of whether or not firearms are "safe" at all).

 

[Pilgrim]

Sorry if I offended anyone, but I still feel it's what I said, and it's probably like some others said too, I meant no insult to anyone here.

When a cashier says 'no problem' and then says 'have a good one' (and they almost always go together), it's only because they feel they must say something....even if they don't mean it. It's the shortest thing that they can say without completely ignoring you. There's hardly ever eye contact, they'll actually be looking elsewhere most of the time, no smile, or even an indication that you're still standing there. It's a sign that they do not want to be there and are only putting up with you, the customer.

You could have a machine handling whatever the clerk is doing with a recording speaking to you and experience a more friendly checkout.

That action from a cashier or clerk, or whatever is either due to:

1)laziness - just don't care
2) ignorance - never taught the proper way to interact with people by parents or how do the job properly
3) stupidity - can't grasp the concept.

I was basing my answer on the above scenario. I agree there are other reasons and scenarios where the phrase might be less annoying.(But still not the best response)

Sorry to upset a few of you.

 

[JackM]

Nothing against waiters and waitresses--my wife was a waitress way back when and she, like most, worked hard at it. But while we're discussing civility in general, when did it become the norm for a waiter or waitress to collect a check paid with cash and ask, "Need change?"

 

[NCTexan]

Polite responses depend on the situation and the brain power of the responding individual to sufficiently understand the situation and their own words.

When someone says "thank you" in a normal service situation (a server nicely sits your entry in front of you)... the response should be "you're welcome" or "my pleasure". I would hope that doing their job would not be a problem or more than expected.

However... If you had a special request for some service or thing out of the ordinary and say "thank you"... the response of "no problem" or "that was no problem" seems reasonable to me.

Generally when I hear a thoughtless "no problem" thrown back at me... I think "SLACKER" or "SLACKER WANNA BE".

BTW, Chick-Fil-A and most nice restaurants have taught their employees how to respond professionally.

 

[wbraswell]

I've done it, and I nearly always am aware, after I say it. I usually say it when I've done something that is my job or something really trivial and somebody says "Thanks". Maybe worse, I'll say "sure thing". But if I've really done something, like a favor for someone, it's always, "You're welcome". And there's the ever popular,"Don't worry, I'll need a favor some day."

 

[waffles]

Sorry if I offended anyone, but I still feel it's what I said, and it's probably like some others said too, I meant no insult to anyone here.

When a cashier says 'no problem' and then says 'have a good one' (and they almost always go together), it's only because they feel they must say something....even if they don't mean it. It's the shortest thing that they can say without completely ignoring you. There's hardly ever eye contact, they'll actually be looking elsewhere most of the time, no smile, or even an indication that you're still standing there. It's a sign that they do not want to be there and are only putting up with you, the customer.

You could have a machine handling whatever the clerk is doing with a recording speaking to you and experience a more friendly checkout.

That action from a cashier or clerk, or whatever is either due to:

1)laziness - just don't care
2) ignorance - never taught the proper way to interact with people by parents or how do the job properly
3) stupidity - can't grasp the concept.

I was basing my answer on the above scenario. I agree there are other reasons and scenarios where the phrase might be less annoying.(But still not the best response)

Sorry to upset a few of you.

So is your problem with this type of person, or the words? Is it a person's employment, or that they used a different polite response that makes them lazy, stupid, or ignorant? Is there another factor you dislike that you're leaving out? What correlating evidence do you have between "no problem" and laziness, stupidity, or ignorance? Is there any? Or are you just drawing baseless conclusions on countless others with nothing but yourself as arbiter of acceptable responses to back it up?

 

[Pete99004]

I can't believe there are 50+ post on this non - issue!

Pete

 

[NCTexan]

These backwards hat and drooping pants wearing kids aren't without manners, they're responding in a polite way that's different,

What correlating evidence do you have?

 

[waffles]

What correlating evidence do you have?

That "no problem" is polite, but different than what he is used to? Correlation is the wrong word to choose, in that it means there's a relationship between the two things. My argument is the opposite: there is no relationship between the ignorance, stupidity, or laziness of a person and their preferred response to "thank you", or a relationship between the orientation of one's baseball hat, pants level, and their intelligence.

That's the trick about making baseless accusations: you have to be able to prove them. The person who calls you out merely has to do that

 

[Frizzman]

Well, I am going to be sixty this year. One thing I have learned in my years on Earth is that when I become angry or upset, MY blood pressure goes up and not their's. So, making myself unhappy because I got a " no problem" instead of a "You're welcome" seems not worth the worry...Life deals much worse to me on an alarmingly regular basis. I am just greatful to get any sort of polite response. Also, "de nada" works for me too... I find that "no problem" is no problem.

 

[NCTexan]

That "no problem" is polite, but different than what he is used to? Correlation is the wrong word to choose, in that it means there's a relationship between the two things. My argument is the opposite: there is no relationship between the ignorance, stupidity, or laziness of a person and their preferred response to "thank you", or a relationship between the orientation of one's baseball hat, pants level, and their intelligence.

That's the trick about making baseless accusations: you have to be able to prove them. The person who calls you out merely has to do that

No Problem.

BTW, I work with a team of software developers in China. Often when I thank them for something... the respond with a "NP".

 

[vito]

I don't get upset over this; its not worth the effort. But I do see it as another sign of the deteriorating culture and lack of adherence to social norms. Manners and culture is what keeps us civilized and is the glue that holds our society together. The language of politeness is a part of both manners and culture, and replacing "you're welcome" with "de nada" or "no problem" is a sign of cultural deterioration.

 

[therevjay]

Here in Wyoming it is "You betcha".

No problem eh?

 

[Mcwsky09]

Nothing against waiters and waitresses--my wife was a waitress way back when and she, like most, worked hard at it. But while we're discussing civility in general, when did it become the norm for a waiter or waitress to collect a check paid with cash and ask, "Need change?"

Are you questioning the phrase or the way it is asked? Or the need to ask? If I am paying cash I don't want them assuming that whatever amount I have put in there is to cover the bill and their tip with no expectation of change back. By asking it gives you the opportunity to let them know they do not need to hurry back with change so you can leave without waiting for them to return.