Saying thank you would be the most difficult thing that our country face. People never thank the cab driver who drop them off at their doorstep late night from work. Nor do they thank the auto driver when they are dropped off at their homes.
This is not a rant post. But I just trying to note down some points on how our citizens are facing this acute problem of ‘not’ saying ‘Thank you’. Some think that you don’t need to thank the waiter when he serves you as ‘its his job’. Nor do they think that an auto driver is worth the ‘thank you’ that he has to offer.
Le’s take the white collar job scenario. Everyone at work would want to be thanked either by their client or their manager each time they do their work. I have even heard colleagues telling me that all they expect are simple words of appreciation. They even go to the extent and proclaim that they don’t care about bonuses or hikes, all they care is about the ‘kudos’ they get from their manager. Yes everyone needs it to keep going. So why don’t we start doing it?
Start a day by thanking your wife/maid/mother when she brings you the early morning coffee. Try saying it to the autowalla who drops you at the bus stop. Or the cab driver who drops you at work. If you driving to work, try thanking the other drivers who stop at a junction for you to take a turn. How do you do that? Salute him/her !! Or a small hand gesture would do. Try thanking the bus conductor when he gives you the ticket. Thank the people who stop the lift for you. Thank the security after he checks your bag/car. Thank the person who holds the door open for you. Thank everyone.
Would people think you are crazy? NO ! They would love it.
Few months back, when I visited my hometown, I went out to a small sweet place to buy some sweets. I requested for a discount as I was buying a lot of sweets. The shop owner declined my request and proceeded to bill for the entire amount. When I was collecting the change back, I told him ‘Thank you’. The shop owner was confused on what to do next. He did not smile, nor did he nod. He just looked at me. I said ‘Thank you’ again and stepped out.
I am sure that many like the shop keeper at my home place are not used to these two words. No one would have ever thanked him after paying him for the sweets. Try thanking the autowalla. I have done that all the time and many of them were very happy to hear that. Especially after the fight over meter charge and his customized charge. He would never expect a person to tell him that. 🙂
Try it.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
PS : Never expect a ‘You welcome’ or ‘Not a problem’ or ‘My pleasure’ or ‘Anytime’ anytime !
THE CRAPBOOK 
It can be attributed to the cultural differences Xylene, not because we are ungrateful but we have a different way of expressing it.A simple smile means everything here, it means thanks + i happy + see you again!
So there, lotta smileys for you… 🙂 😉 😛 😀 🙂
Thank you for this post. This is very appropriate and it is important for us to remind ourselves that we should extend the basic courtsey of thanking people we come across every day. Yes, like scorpiogenious says, it can be attributed to cultural differences. However I don’t think we smile enough either to make up for the lack of thanking people. We really do need to learn to thank people. It doesn’t make us small when we thank someone else.
I agree with one of the comment here is that its all due to cultural difference and not our lack of courtesy. Thankyou is possibly most used word in West.
On my very first trip to London, I checked in a B&B. I had to take one large suitcase and a bag to second floor on stairs. Guesthouse owner asked me if I want some help. Coming from a land of spoilt brat i.e. used to “Manuhaar” (Clue: Rajasthan), I said no I will be fine but infact I was struggling to lift it on narrow and steep stairs after 8 1/2 hrs flight and no sleep for 30 hours. The owner just went back and left me alone to climbt the mountain!
But well I certainly don’t forget to thanks to people everyday. So thanks and have a nice day.
M
Xylene, generally speaking you are right, we need to say thank you more often. However I have seen that some westerners might say thank you without really meaning it as a kind of reflex action and I know Indians too who are genuinely grateful but do not say thank you. So overall the attitude counts.
I say thank you to auto guys who agree to come without a bargain and have right metres (this is on top of a few extra rupees which I give them) But yes, like you mentioned in the post, it would be a good idea to thank people in general. Will give it a try and will let you know how it felt like =)
Thanks for the blog 🙂
I’m French, working from France, but frequently in touch with one of our development team in Bangalore.
I’d say the Bangalore people would most of the time finish with a thank-you if I answered a question (phone or IM).
@Scorpio,
Yes, I am sure it not being ungrateful, but the words just dont come out. 😀
Yeah the smile is there even when someone stand on my feet on a crowded bus. It also means, “oops I am sorry” 😀
Thank you for the smileys or 🙂
@Lifeofhues,
You welcome.Yes it is the cultural difference, but then our culture has changed with a lot of western influences, we should take up some good things from them as well.
@Awakeindian,
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
@Nita,
Yes, some of them say thanks for everything that we know that sometimes its just a reflex. But I think that is good. Just like sorry is a reflex when you bump into someone at a crowded place.
@Balu,
Thanks ! It work miracles. Try thanking the pani puriwalla and he will give you an extra puri next time. 🙂
@JB
You welcome. Yes we do that mostly when we talk to our western counterparts at our work place. My blogpost was more on how we can extent that courtesy to the people we interact with outside work. I think that could change a lot in the culture we have here. Its not that people are not grateful, but sometimes the words just dont come out 🙂
And thank you all for the comments. Happy Holidays !!!
Yesterday, I bought roasted corn from roadside and it was very satisfying to see her face when I said “Thank you”. She was beaming! 🙂
@s w a t, Nice. I said Thank you to the housekeeping staff at Chevrolet service centre who bought me coffee, she blushed !! 🙂
I agree with Nita. It shouldn’t be just a reflex action. Whenever we say thank you, we should mean it. Unless a person is actually thankful, he/she shouldn’t say the words!
not always but i do try to thank everyone around me..
Well I smile or nod at autodrivers, if they are good to me- they don’t give me a discourse on price rise, blah blah, when infact they are charging me 30 bucks more than the actual rate(in chennai the meters are a decoration..if the meter charge might be around 40 Rs., you start of at 100 or 120 and end up bargaining and travelling for 60-70..) There are a few good guys, who directly start at 70 and you can be grateful to them for saving you the time(but i usually walk away when they quote 3 times)..
In hotels, yes I do say thank you, when we go as a family if not me, someone else surely will…
In shops, if they bother noticing me and help me, I do thank them..but if I am to find my own things, I don’t see the point..Guess I say thank you, when I mean it 🙂
To Xylene and family, happy new year!
Thanks. Wish you and your family a happy & prosperous Newyear.
Gosh! Reading the title of this post, I thought you are taking a break too! Thanks for not taking a break! 🙂
No I am not 😀
Great minds blog alike? 🙂 See my take on the same topic at …
http://mandayamr.wordpress.com/2009/08/16/a-five-thousand-year-old-culture-yet-no-thank-you/
Gandhiji makes a lot of sense when he says “We need to be the change we wish to see in the world” … so carry on!
[…] May 31, 2010 Bragadeesh Leave a comment Go to comments I request you to read this first before proceeding! […]
Hey Xylene!! I used one of your posts as inspiration and written a blog post named “Thank You”. Hope you dont mind.. I think i have given link but not mentioned your name there..