Thank you
‘Me: Thank you for coming.
Him: Madam, how could I not have come? This is my job.’
I had this conversation last week with an Uber driver. It made me reflect upon the way we say ‘thank you’ or the way we answer when someone thanks us. We seem to be embarrassed rather than expressing our happiness. When some says, ‘thank you’, we look amazed, we stutter, we ask ‘what for?’, ‘what did I do?’ ‘It’s not a big deal’, ‘don’t mention it’. We are so used to receiving negative comments or to being ignored, that when someone behaves nicely, we are puzzled, we look at them confused or surprised.
20 years ago a foreign client told me that it is better to answer with a simple ‘you are welcome’. This makes the conversation flow.
I suggest we pay attention and:
Say ‘thank you’ to others more often
Have a more assertive response when someone thanks us. Trust them that, if they do it, they have a reason in doing so ☺️.
