No Problem

Whatever happened to politeness? I am not going to mention driving courtesies, kid’s lack of respect, or cutting in line. My target today is those people who take my money for a service.

One eats at a restaurant where everyone expects you to add an additional 20% to your check, but for what? The server brings out the beverages, and I say, “Thank you.” She/he says, “No problem.” The server brings out the food, and I say, “Thank you.” “No problem.” Of course it is not a problem. Their work is to serve, but I certainly hope that I will never be a problem to any of my servers.

I was visiting my orthopedist last week after some hand surgery. As the visit wraps up and I am about to depart his exam room, I say, “Thank you.” That expression of gratitude was just a sincere spontaneous finale to our visit—despite the fact that my Medicare and my supplemental insurance was paying him for his services. His response: “No problem!”

I paid for an oil change in my truck— “No problem.” It’s the same story when the filling station pump does not give me a receipt. I have to go inside the “convenience” store to ask for a receipt. They give it to me without any apology for their lack of respect for their customers in letting the pumps run out of paper (or they are too cheap to get the pump receipt mechanism repaired). I kindly thank them for my receipt that I had to chase down. They say ,“No problem!”

Whatever happened to saying, “You are welcome,” or “I’m happy to do that.” I know what you are thinking if you know me well. You are expecting me to criticize them for not saying, “My pleasure.” Yes, working with Chick-fil-A’s nonprofits for so many years ingrained in me to say that response that you are accustomed to hearing when you visit one of their restaurants.

Years ago, Allison said to me that I was saying “my pleasure” all the time. And I was because it just rolled off my tongue. I actually got burned out on that response when I would send an email to a colleague at Chick-fil-A, to thank them for something. I would get a two-word response to my email when it was not even necessary for them to respond. Yes, the two words were “my pleasure.”  So, Allison inspired me to start saying, “It is my joy.”

In the end, I feel better after sharing my irritation with “no problem.” After all the Spanish “de nada” which means “of nothing.” The French say “de rien” which also means the same thing as the Spanish. So, I guess I just have to blame the Francophone and the Hispanics for teaching us that it is OK to say, “No problem.”

Wouldn’t it be great if all of us lived by the Word?

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You love your neighbor as yourself.’” Galatians 5:13-14