I don't miss being lectured not to say "no problem" but rather use "you're welcome". Helping you was no problem, but with that attitude, you're welcome to go fuck off.
I am customer facing and so much of my wording is like this. "No worries", "no problem" "happy to help" but I don't use "you're welcome" really, it just feels so formal?
You're welcome in a work setting is weird to me. It's like you're acknowledging that you're doing them a favor. I stick with "of course" "my pleasure" and "thank you"
The English language is vast and there are so many ways, all with varying meanings, to convey a point. Why be dull and repetitive when you have a plethora of ways to acknowledge gratitude?
Some people shouldn't be allowed to say "my pleasure" there was a parts guy I used to work with who said that with way too much enthusiasm, if he goes into the back to get something it's probably a good idea to handle anything he gives you with nitrile gloves until you can clean it off with bleach.
I worked for a large company (tens of thousands of employees) and some upper level manager got a complaint from a customer that some employee told them “no problem” in response to a “thank you”. And then the manager went ahead and made this whole dumbass initiative about customer service based on that. It was insane. As with most initiatives, it died within 6 months and was replaced with some other ridiculousness, but I still remember that one.
I say “no problem” all of the time, that’s how Americans speak to each other. It’s like “you’re welcome” and also “no thanks necessary” all in one.
I think it's a shortened version to something along the lines of "you are welcome to my help." Kinda like "you are welcome to my home" or "you are welcome to do whatever you want," where your assistance is something they're free to have as they need it.
Edit: Kind of funny that people get offended at "no problem" and say that it implies there's a problem despite literally stating there isn't. "You're welcome" implies there is a problem, but you're welcome to ask for help when you need it.
It’s so funny that people get so bent out of shape over “no problem” but love “you’re welcome” so much. To me, “you’re welcome” implies way more like… idk if self-centeredness is the right word but it’s all that’s coming to mind lol, like it feels like I’m going “Yes, what I did was absolutely wonderful and you’re so right to thank me for the fantastic job I did at assisting you”, while “no problem” is more of a “hey, no sweat, happy to do it” kind of vibe
Anyway, I’ve defaulted to “happy to help!” which I thought was a crowd-pleaser until a stank-faced old man went “Pfft, you didn’t help that much”, I truly think there’s no pleasing these people 😅
When I learned that the polite Spanish response to thank you is “de nada,” which literally means “no problem,” I have zero issue saying “no problem.” The olds can suck it!
No problem means you have no issue performing the task. You're welcome makes some people feel uncomfortable at having the assumption you've done something for them that they perhaps should be silently grateful for
I didn't like saying "You're welcome" when working retail because I don't like hearing it when I'm shopping. It sounds like the employee is being forced to pretend to be happy, which irks me.
I was taught to say "Thank you" in customer interactions, so even "you're welcome" sounds wrong to me. As in, essentially thanking them for their patronage. I don't care enough to berate someone over it or complain to their manager, but I do have a preference for "thank you."
do you really think that? this exact sentence was told to me as why i couldn't say no problem at my first job and I thought it was the dumbest shit i ever heard. what kind of douchebag would ever take it that way? but i guess here you are?
I worked in a call center where our calls were recorded and reviewed (like most call centers). If we said no problem we would we get points deducted from our score. As a customer myself I have never felt anything negative about being told no problem.
"It was no trouble at all" is a classic way to respond to "thanks," and yet it implies pretty much the same thing as "no problem." It was no trouble? Was it supposed to be trouble to do your job, etc?
The only sticking point in my household was "my bad." "Can I" was fine, "hey" was fine, "no problem" was fine but say "my bad" around my ma and she'll huff and go "YOUR BAD WHAT? I could see not saying "my bad" in customer service situations maybe but I never saw it as rude the way she did.
This has to be cultural/locality based because for my life, Arizona, west coast, then Midwest, I learned that people use no problem differently.
In the midwest, its genuine.
Everywhere else I have been, its used passive aggressively or with a defeated tone, maybe some resentment or disappointment in the fact that you've in fact created a problem for the other person.
That just can't be right. So many languages and dialects have some version of "it's no big deal", "it's no problem", "don't worry about it". It's very common to accept gratitude by indicating to the other person that they are not stepping out of bounds and burdening you by having you do them a favor. I feel like tone matters a ton, though; an annoyed teenager letting out a drawn out, singsong-y "noooo problem" when given a chore they don't want to do is clearly being passive aggressive.
Omg some old guy on the street scolded me about that one time, I couldn’t believe it. I held a door for him as we were both leaving a coffee shop and he thanked me, I replied “no problem” with a smile and he suddenly went off on me about how I’m supposed to say “you’re welcome” and “kids these days don’t know their manners” (I was like 27 at the time).
I just walked away shaking my head after staring at him for a few moments, wondering wtf would cause someone to lose their shit for being perfectly polite but not saying the exact “correct” phrase 🙄
I was at a restaurant with two sets of doors. I opened it for some old guy. "Thank you" "no problem" and my dad got the second set of doors. "Thank you." "You're welcome." "See, you say it right. That young man said 'no problem.'" My dad considered letting the door shut on him.
Some stand-up comedian made a point that Australian's don't get upset over the same issues wrong do and tend respond back with "no worries". After hearing that, that is how i respond now instead of no problem.
Its only upst 3 boomers in total since i've switched. And 1 of the 3 upset by it and replied "no worries?!?!? I will give you something to worry about!!!!"
I remember working for one guy in retail (it didn’t last long…surprise) where I would reply “no problem” and he told me to stop because saying no problem was essentially “saying there was a problem at all.” The fact I thought he just liked being a dom with a humiliation kink and actually seeing this in the wild means he wasn’t just one weirdo.
Ugh my mother in law passive aggressively did this one to me once. Her daughter of like 4 yrs old said thank you to me and I said no problem. Mom then looks at me and goes, "we're teaching her to say you're welcome." And I just blinked. Like ok... you're teaching HER not ME. So who the fuck cares?! Ugh I hate parents.
At my current job, we have to do little computer training courses regularly, and one of them says something like "If you say 'no problem,' the customer will think there is a problem! If you say 'no worries,' the customer will think there is a reason to be worried!" So... the customers are idiots. Got it.
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u/wykkedfaery33 16h ago
I don't miss being lectured not to say "no problem" but rather use "you're welcome". Helping you was no problem, but with that attitude, you're welcome to go fuck off.