5 hours ago
5
I do not agree with Sangeeta Pillai (The hill I will die on: Britons love saying thank you – I think we should ban the phrase, 7 February). I do not like sarcastic or passive aggressive “thank yous”, but what is wrong with thanking people in the service industry for the service they give? I do not believe that it is overworked or meaningless. I love to thank baristas, shop assistants, bus drivers or other people because they more often than not provide a very good service. They work hard and are not paid a lot of money. They are often people doing jobs that are difficult for one reason or another.
Why not be kind and appreciative? Isn’t there enough hardship and negativity in these febrile times?
Deirdre Breen
Dublin, Ireland
Your article makes me incredibly sad. It most cases “thank you” does not mean “I’m infinitely grateful for your selfless act of service”. In most cases it just means “I see you”. It is a recognition that the other person matters and is not invisible.
It means, for example, that I see that the bus is driven by a person, not by a machine, and it means that I see that this person had to get up even earlier than me for driving this bus, facing a wind of ice cold air anytime they open the front door for new passengers. I hope we will never give up on too many “I see yous” during a day, as they do matter.
Lotte Lina Kaiser
Geneva, Switzerland
While I might agree with some of Sangeeta Pillai’s comments, I maintain that it’s necessary in a civilised society to show appreciation and gratitude. It’s nice to be thanked; and even nicer if one’s name is used. However, it can be excessive. I recently heard a shop assistant in New York say: “Thank you so very much, now you enjoy your underwear.” I assert that we as a nation apologise far too much. I lived on and off in France for nearly 20 years. I think I heard “je suis désolé” maybe three times. But they are generous with “merci”.
Roger Mortimore
Dorking, Surrey
I enjoyed Sangeeta Pillai’s piece. Have you noticed that, these days, a simple “thank you” will no longer suffice? It’s now “thank you so much”?
Stephen Blakemore
Folkestone, Kent
I am sorry, Sangeeta, people in this country say “sorry” a lot more than they say “thank you”!
Stephanie Bailey
Norton-sub-Hamdon, Somerset
