Oh man, I’m the only one to have voted for the first option. Wasn’t there a thread a while ago where many Dopers expressed outrage over this expression? I have to run right now, but for me “no problem” is very much a problem.
Here are my thoughts:
To me, “no problem” means it is not a problem, would never be a problem, and I should not worry my pretty little head one more second about it. So I don’t. If people are going to get all literal and look for hidden meanings in “no problem,” they should probably take another look at “you’re welcome.” What the heck is that supposed to mean? That in some parallel universe I might not be welcome? And welcome to what?
If a specific request is being made in a formal setting, I like “Right away, ma’am” as a response.
“No problem” is okay, too, but only in a less formal setting, like at the BBQ buffet. That BBQ sauce will require a request for additional paper napkins!
“Sure”? Ugh. Never in a service setting.
JMHO.
I was always taught that, in making a polite request, you must acknowledge that what you are asking might be an imposition in some way, and that the requestee is free to refuse. Otherwise, you’re making a demand, not a request. This is why “Could I get a refill, please?” is polite, while “Bring me a refill,” is rude, even if you add “please”.
The correct and polite response to such a request is to perform the requested action and reassure the requestor that it is not an imposition (even if it is). So when I ask something like “Could I trouble you for a refill?”, the most appropriate response, in my mind, is, “Absolutely; it’s no trouble at all.” It seems to me that “no problem” is just a shorter, more casual version of that. I agree that the tone makes it out of place in some contexts, but it’s not rude.
The same goes for “Thank you.” It’s polite to thank someone because it shows your appreciation for their effort on your behalf. So it seems perfectly appropriate for them to respond that, to the contrary, it was no effort at all, but rather a joy to help you. Or in other words: “No problem.”
Yes, it’s the server’s job to serve you, and they generally do not actually have the option to refuse. But you are asking them to do something they would not otherwise have to do. So when you ask for extra butter, you acknowledge that you are, in effect, making their job a little harder, even if they’re just sitting on their lazy ass at the bar smoking. And they, in turn, reassure you that it’s no inconvenience to get you more butter and they were in fact already on their way to the kitchen anyway, even if this is the 18th time you’ve sent them running, and they could have clocked out 45 minutes ago if it weren’t for you lingering over your water and breadsticks.
This thin veneer of civility is what separates us from the wolves.
I’ve read in other threads about how if you deconstruct “no problem” to a very fine degree it is offensive to some people. And I can follow the logic. I just can’t agree with the conclusion.
I use no problem, you betcha, sure, of course, you’re welcome, I live to serve, and so on. I try to use the appropriate response based on the audience I believe I’m interacting with. But it’s hard to pin down who will be offended by no problem. Maybe because I just cannot agree with the assessment that this idiom is the sum total of what the words might mean if it wasn’t fairly obvious by tone and body language that I intend it to mean ‘of course assisting you with your request was not a problem for me nor did I consider it to be an interruption of my otherwise fulfilling day’.* I just don’t put that much detailed analysis into these things** because, you know, language changes and stuff. And I may very well be lazy.
*Did you see the length of that sentence? Holy shit. That is after I edited, folks!
**Which I why I still say things like “quit being a pussy” when it’s been explained to me that the calling someone a pussy is basically saying that women are less than men, and as a woman I should be offened, and the patriarchs would like nothing better than…::snores::
I found the old thread I mentioned.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=471004&highlight=problem"
I found the old thread I mentioned.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=471004&highlight=problem"
Here’s a choice tidbit from that thread that I wholeheartedly agree with.
ETA: Just found an even older thread on this subject.
I use “no problem” from sometimes simply because it’s what I hear a lot so it’s difficult to avoid it. I do theoretically dislike it for reasons mentioned above as well as a philosophy of mine to avoid negative language when I can use positive language. That is, I try to avoid using using no, not, un-, etc. but that’s really beside the point.
I do think there are times when it makes sense though. If someone asks me to do something at work, especially when they’re not sure how difficult of a task it would be, I think saying “no problem” makes sense. Also, as bhobscrk777 said, it makes sense as an apology too. I will say that it’s something to be careful with since it has the connotation that it’s not even worth apologizing for. If someone bumps into me accidentally… no problem; if someone insulted me then apologizes… I forgive them.
I am generally against the term “my pleasure” as well. Most of the time, it isn’t a pleasure to do those sorts of things, so it seems insincere. Sometimes, it is a pleasure to do something for someone else. For instance, if I were a waiter and someone wanted a glass of water… sure thing; if I’m taking care of a loved one who is not feeling well or volunteering… my pleasure.
However, I really can’t see getting bent out of shape about those usages. I’m not going to psychoanalyze someone because they said “no problem” or “my pleasure” because, for most people, they’re effectively synonyms for “you’re welcome” and they don’t put the extra thought into it, so why should I?
Didn’t vote, tho I guess I would have chosen option 1.
Not at all a big deal, but in just about every conceivable situation I believe other phrases to be preferable.
When I am asking someone to do something within their job description - as a customer asking a clerk for example - “no problem” does grate a tad, suggesting that they are being generous in performing what others might consider to be a “problem.”
I find “no problem” dialectically common and not grating to the ears nor impinging on my sensibilities. What I think the people who object to it are hearing is something that just doesn’t sound right to them in their colloquial dialect, or was never learned, and therefore, it is perhaps cognitively dissonant to some. They are perhaps taking it literally, rather than hearing it as an expression that is used without literal implications but rather as a common platitude. The people who take offense to it are just practicing another form of linguistic imperialism on those who use it expressively.
I think it is also interesting that the phrase “No problemo”, which means the same thing and has only an extra vowel tacked on, somehow sounds less offensive, effluent, and just plain friendlier. It somehow looses that self-imposed harshness of the English version and becomes a new and playful phrase.
Okay, this is the thing. I’m uncomfortable saying ‘‘you’re welcome’’ in response to ‘‘thank you,’’ because usually people thank me for things that I don’t consider a big deal.
Like if I hold open a door for someone, and they say ‘‘thank you,’’ I feel like by saying ‘‘you’re welcome’’ I’m implying it was necessary to thank me or that there was some kind of inconvenience on my part to hold open the door. I feel like ''you’re welcome, ‘’ in 90% of cases, gives too much weight to the act that was performed. At (hypothetical) work, if a client were to thank me, it feels wrong to imply I deserved the thanks, because I actually get paid to do nice things.
I might be overthinking this, but when I say, ‘‘It’s no problem at all,’’ I consider that actually more polite than ‘‘you’re welcome,’’ because it is in fact no problem at all. You’re welcome just sounds ingratiating to me.
But…the implication is that opening the door was literally not a problem, and that it is just damn good luck that the other person managed to get through, 'cause if it had’a been a problem, they’d have been SOL.
“You’re welcome” suggests that they are, in fact, welcome to walk through the door you’re holding open for them. I opt for “my pleasure” or a smile and a nod, on the grounds that I like letting little old ladies get into the mall, rather than trapping them in the snow outside (but I can see the fun in both).
I don’t think ‘no problem’ bothered me until the threads cited above, so I guess that’s the problem.
Your logic is sound. I’m not sure why I have this hangup. I like ‘‘my pleasure’’ a lot, maybe I’ll start using that. I recently started working around the elderly and have had to really concentrate on saying ‘‘you’re welcome’’ because I figure the older you are, the weirder and possibly more offensive ‘‘no problem’’ must sound.
All of you that are insulted by the use of no problem need to get over yourselves. It’s a way of acceding to a request in a courteous, if somewhat casual way. They didn’t burn your dog, get over it.
Something else I’ve been thinking about the expression, “No problem.” It might sound weird but I think, in my case at least, it’s true.
Linguistically speaking, it’s much easier to vocalize these syllables rather then vocalizing the sounds of “You’re welcome.” I think many people are linguistically lazy, albeit unconsciously. In fact, when I say, “No problem,” it usually comes out sounding like, “Noprawm.” You can’t achieve much shortening of the syllables in, “You’re welcome,” and you can’t really cheat on all those hard consonant sounds that are involved. I suspect that people unconsciously choose to vocalize phrases that are easier for them to pronounce.
As I said, this might sound weird but I think that this kind of linguistic “laziness” plays a bigger role in casual speech than most people realize, especially on a regional basis.
In which case, in order to be ‘hip’, ‘mod’ and ‘with it’, I will cease to give a shit about ‘no problem’ and turn my cane waving to ‘23-skidoo’ and ‘bling’.
Oh, and get off my lawn.
Having worked in customer service, I have always heard “Don’t say ‘no problem’ 'cause it implies there’s a problem you solved.”
It’s a bit odd, 'cause I grew up in a family that came from New Zealand (I was born in the USA) anyway they don’t say “no problem,” NZ’ers say “no worries”
I’ve never had anyone correct me for saying “No worries” but others get corrected for saying “no problem.”
I guess “no problem” is better than one of my staff I once had who used the similar phrase “no sweat” 
Well, I have wondered how Americans would take to “No Problems” in the same sentiment as “No problem”? Seems like a subtle difference, but just enough to tip the cognitively challenged crusaders?
No problems, Mate…er, Dude.
Oops. First, I forgot to do my homework. Second, I had no idea this has been a problem for so long.
Fantastic responses, though, to the current thread. At this point, I won’t be using it just because it has become so overused. I really like “I’m happy to help.” On my job that is going to be true 99% of the time, and the other 1% it isn’t worth it to say, “I hate doing shit like that.”
I agree with those who made a point of parsing out the issue of civility and what these phrases mean. I mentioned how important I think facial expression, tone of voice, and body language…but do you know where I get a majority of special requests? Email.
That’s my next thread…to poll on how to make email more personal and polite, but also how to teach it to others politely.
After which we work on civility on internet message boards and peace in the middle east - no problem.