# Clerks who say "Your Welcome"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 26, 1999, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183 "1999-08-26T22:44:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Mojo\_Rising](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo_Rising)
#### Post date: [August 26, 1999, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/1 "1999-08-26T22:44:00Z")
When I am out shopping or dining, I am always courteous to those serving me (i.e. when finishing up a sale, I say “Thank you” to the cashier). Generally, they respond with “Thank you” in return.
However, I have recently heard a few responses of “Your welcome.” For some reason, this really pisses me off. It seems impolite.
Has anybody else encountered this phenomenon and/or am I the only one who is bothered by it? I must admit that I seem to hear it most often from people in minimum wage jobs (i.e. not much experience in the business world).
---
### Author:  [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)
#### Post date: [August 26, 1999, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/2 "1999-08-26T22:50:00Z")
Always ready to deflect the discussion, even if it hasn’t started! –
## I lived in New Zealand for a while and the clerk would say thank you when I handed him/her the money. My experience in America was that they said thank you at the end of the transaction. Until I got used to it I thought they weren’t going to give me any change!
“non sunt multiplicanda entia praeter necessitatem”
---
### Author:  [@elbow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbow)
#### Post date: [August 26, 1999, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/3 "1999-08-26T22:52:00Z")
I am not a clerk, but I do have this exact exchange a thousand times a week. Usually it goes like this:
I say, ‘Thank you’
Customer says, ‘Thank you’
That only leaves me, ‘Your Welcome’.
Think back and see if this isn’t what’s happening.
When people say, ‘You’re Welcome’ to me I don’t thinks it’s rude at all. Don’t let such a tiny thing piss you off, life is too short and you’re a long time dead.
---
### Author:  [@Ennius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ennius)
#### Post date: [August 26, 1999, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/4 "1999-08-26T22:54:00Z")
Not that it’s the same thing, but I workat a golf course and when people thank me, I always say “You’re welcome.” This is because I have provided them a service (namely carrying a heavy golf bag for 4+ hours). Perhaps these clerks feel that they are allowing you to purchase their materiel and therefore are doing you a favor.
Still, it does seem kinda rude.
---
### Author:  [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)
#### Post date: [August 26, 1999, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/5 "1999-08-26T23:27:00Z")
I treat clerks the same way…transaction done, I say “thank you” and usually they say “thank YOU”, implying- don’t thank me, YOU did me a favor shopping here. Sometimes you get the “Your welcome”, which puts me off too. If the clerk says thank you first to me, I don’t answer with thank you, I say “have a great day” or something.
As a side note, once while enjoying some fine dining at the Cracker Barrel, I said to the waitress “can I get a diet coke?” and she said “yes, you MAY”…I turned 3 shades of red and felt chastised…
'Course, sometimes I get a little touchy, so who the heck knows…
* * *
An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; A pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity.
---
### Author:  [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)
#### Post date: [August 26, 1999, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/6 "1999-08-26T23:28:00Z")
Myabe this comes about because many store employees may come from cultures where gratitude is unknown, or unacknowledged, or not reciprocated. This doesn’t mean they aren’t polite, just that they aren’t familiar yet with American manners.
---
### Author:  [@mr\_john](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_john)
#### Post date: [August 26, 1999, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/7 "1999-08-26T23:38:00Z")
Interesting postings everyone,thank you.
* * *
“Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx
---
### Author:  [@AzRaek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AzRaek)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/8 "1999-08-27T00:08:00Z")
New guideline at my hotel: instead of responding to “Thank you” with “you’re welcome”, say “My pleasure”. My pleasure to check you out, my pleasure to connect you, my pleasure to take your Amex and buy a mink coat.
---
### Author:  [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/9 "1999-08-27T00:12:00Z")
I was admitted to a French honor society in high school. We ate at a nice little French restaurant in Torrance, CA.
We would speak in French, of course, to the waiters. I said at one point, “Merci.” and the waiter answered, “Je vous en prie,” which must be the French equivalent. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/10 "1999-08-27T00:17:00Z")
Wait a minute! You’re the one who said “Thank you!”. Why would you say that unless you thought they had done you a good turn. “You’re welcome!” is simply a response that say’s “I’m happy I could oblige”.
Not only that but “Thank you/You’re welcome” is a classic stimulus/response exchange.
If you don’t wan’t people to say “Gesundheit!” don’t sneeze!
Rude? You want rude; what about those clerks that just grunt or say nothing at the end of a transaction? I’m thankful for a “You’re Welcome” (that’s supposed to be a clever play on words…Oh well.)
---
### Author:  [@Pooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pooch)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/11 "1999-08-27T00:25:00Z")
mr john,
your welcome.
---
### Author:  [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/12 "1999-08-27T00:41:00Z")
“You’re welcome” is the proper and polite response to “thank you.” I don’t think I’ve had a clerk say you’re welcome, and it seems like they always beat me to the punch with thank you. I had been responding thank you, but felt that you’re welcome was the right way. I’ve tried that too, and that doesn’t sit right either. At my office (I’m in personnel work), when I help someone out, they say thank you and I say you’re welcome – no problem. I helped them. But in a store, who should be the thanker and who should be the thankee?
---
### Author:  [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/13 "1999-08-27T02:22:00Z")
At my hotel I trained my operators and reservations to respond to “thank you” by saying “You’re welcome.” By saying “Thank you” back you are implying the customer is wrong. In other words. Oh don’t thank me you’re wrong I should thank you."
Anyway I have also trained them to say always “and thank you for calling or for chosing the …Hotel” at the end of their conversation.
---
### Author:  [@topolino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/topolino)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/14 "1999-08-27T02:56:00Z")
Well, while it certainly doesn’t ruin my day or anything, I don’t like the, “You’re welcome” either. In my years in customer service, I’ve worked with a few people who said “You’re welcome” to a customer’s “thank you” and they’ve always been the kind of people who honestly think they’re doing you a big favor by allowing you the pleasure of their assistance. In other words, all the people I know who’ve said this, believe that their time is too valuable to be bothered by the customer and their job is beneath them. Even though the clerk may not think that themselves, because of my previous experiences with my coworkers, it annoys me alittle. I get over it really fast but I just find it smug, but it also depends on HOW they say it. There’s a difference between a monotone, bored “You’re welcome” that sounds more like “Yeah, whatever” and a sincere “You are certainly welcome!” that sounds like “Anytime! I’m happy to help.”
I’ll either answer “thank YOU” if the customer says it first or, if I say it first, I answer their “thank you” with “Have a nice day”, “I’m happy to help”, or just a pleasant “Goodbye” (I do customer service on the phone now).
In less than a month, I move from customer service to teaching college students. Doubt I’ll get much thanks there ;).
---
### Author:  [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/15 "1999-08-27T03:02:00Z")
Oh dear, dear, dear. I can’t imagine why you’d be offended by people who only intend to be polite. “You’re welcome” is an automatic response; you’re not supposed to ask, “what do they mean by that?” Now go out and find some _really_rude people!
No, no - don’t thank me; I’m happy to do it.
---
### Author:  [@topolino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/topolino)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/16 "1999-08-27T03:10:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Oh dear, dear, dear. I can’t imagine why you’d be offended by people who only intend to be polite. “You’re welcome” is an automatic response; you’re not supposed to ask, “what do they mean by that?” Now go out and find some reallyrude people!
I knew this would be the next response.
I don’t think the point is the actual words. It’s an attitude. In all honesty, most of the people I get who say “You’re welcome” after I, the customer, say “Thank you” might as well be saying “Whatever. Now get the fuck out of my store and don’t bother me again.” In general, they’re the ones that come to the register in a huff because you made them put down the National Enquirer that they were reading to ring you up.
as I said:
> [@](#):
>
> There’s a difference between a monotone, bored “You’re welcome” that sounds more like “Yeah, whatever” and a sincere “You are certainly welcome!” that sounds like “Anytime! I’m happy to help.”
It’s just that most of the people who happen to answer “You’re welcome” have the former attitude.
---
### Author:  [@Mojo\_Rising](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo_Rising)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/17 "1999-08-27T03:11:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> all the people I know who’ve said this, believe that their time is too valuable to be bothered by the customer and their job is beneath them
Thank you topolino. You added the one factor that I left out of my original vent (which I also mistakenly posted to General Questions, oops).
---
### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/18 "1999-08-27T03:25:00Z")
## If I hold a door for someone, anyone, and they say “Thank you” I respond with “You’re welcome”. Is it the fact of a monetary transaction that pisses you off? If the cost of an apple is a nickel, you give up a nickel to get an apple. End of story. Civility is a bonus, not a requirement. Sorry for my nit-picking, and thank you for your attention. 🙂 Peace, mangeorge
Work like you don’t need the money…
Love like you’ve never been hurt…
Dance like nobody’s watching! …(Paraphrased)
---
### Author:  [@topolino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/topolino)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/19 "1999-08-27T04:11:00Z")
I expect to be treated the way I treat my customers. If I’m not I’ll go someplace else but don’t tell me I don’t have the right to talk about this here. As I said, when the clerk’s tone of voice says to me “fuck off,” I don’t find that acceptable. I’ll not go there anymore and I may say bad things about the establishment and, of course, if someone brings up something similar, I’ll bitch on the SDMB ;). That’s my right.
---
### Author:  [@timmar68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timmar68)
#### Post date: [August 27, 1999, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183/20 "1999-08-27T04:36:00Z")
I’m sorry, I don’t get the problem (note: NOT trying to troll!). When people are nice enough to say “thank you” to me, I like to be nice back, too, and “you’re welcome” is an automatic response.
Let me try this scenario…a customer comes in and buys shampoo. I wait on her. She hands me the money and I give her change, hand out receipt, whatever. Usually, I thank them first, but once in a great while they beat me to it. What should I say then? I say, “You’re welcome and thanks for stopping in!”, and follow it up with “Have a great day!”
(or night, or whatever).
Based on what I read here, it’s the way it’s said. I can honestly say that I’ve never encountered a rude sales clerk so I can’t relate to what you are saying.
* * *
MaryAnn
Sometimes life is so great you just gotta muss up your hair and quack like a duck!
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-who-say-your-welcome/7183.md?page=2)