It might seem like "you're welcome" is the only answer when someone thanks you, but in reality there are many other sincere ways to respond. Whether you are looking for professional answers to use at work or informal answers for friends and family, you have many great alternatives to choose from.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Respond when thanked at work
Step 1. Give honest answers in a business environment
In meetings and business relationships, you should avoid casual responses and respond to acknowledgments sincerely.
- Don't give casual answers in a business setting. You should not respond to customers with phrases like "No problem", "When you like" and "It's okay."
- Respond to thanks in a warm and sincere tone of voice.
- At the end of the meeting, you will be able to send him an email or a note expressing that you value his business relationship. This will remind him of how helpful you have been!
Step 2. Make people feel special
When responding to the thanks, it is best to provide a response that makes the other person feel that you consider their relationship to be unique and special.
- You could say, "This is part of the total commitment to service that you will receive by doing business with me."
- Say something like, “This is what good business partners would do for each other. Thank you for doing business with us".
- If you know something about the customer, you can send them a personalized message. You can say something like, “It's always a pleasure working with you. I hope you are successful in your important presentation next week. "
Step 3. Say "With pleasure."
This is a classic answer and will address the situation in a straightforward way.
If a partner says "Thank you for writing the contract", you can only say "With pleasure"
Step 4. Give the customer a warm response
When dealing with a customer, you will want to express that you value doing business with them.
- Say “We appreciate you doing business with us” using a sincere and warm tone of voice. This will indicate that you are grateful to him.
- Respond "I am happy to help you." This will let them know that you enjoy your job and are excited to help them. If you are serving a customer in a store and they are thanking you for showing them the options for a particular product, you could say something like, "I'm happy to help them."
Method 2 of 3: Respond to Thanks to Email or Text Message
Step 1. Respond to email thanks in a way that matches your personality and type of recipient
There is no general way to respond to email thanks. Your answer should match the expectations of the recipient and your personality.
- Use email in a way that fits your personality. If you are a talkative or outgoing person, you can respond with something like "No problem" or "It's a pleasure."
- Keep the recipient in mind when replying via email or text message. Young people might not expect a response to an email or a thank you message. Older people often have different expectations around etiquette, and might greatly appreciate a response like "You're welcome."
- You may need to avoid using emoticons, smiley faces, and other images when replying by email. These items might be too informal for such a situation.
Step 2. Responding to a thank you email is considered optional
You must take into account your personality and the recipient. If you are a chatty person in face-to-face talks, it may be best to respond to the thank you emails. However, if you are not very outgoing, it may not be a problem if you do not respond.
Step 3. Respond to the thank you emails if you want to continue the conversation
You can write something like "You're welcome" and then move on to the next topic of conversation.
- You may have to reply to the email if it also includes a question that asks for an answer. In this case, you can say "You're welcome" and then answer your question.
- You may need to reply to the email if it has a specific comment that you want to address. If so, you could say "You're welcome" and then talk about the comment to continue the conversation.
Method 3 of 3: Respond when thanked in informal situations
Step 1. Respond by saying "You're welcome."
This is one of the most obvious and most used responses to respond to when they thank you, as it will signal that you accept their gratitude.
Don't say "You're welcome" in a sarcastic tone. It is best to avoid sarcastic tones, unless you want to express that you did not like doing the other person's work or that you do not value them in general
Step 2. Say “Thank you
”. This will express that you are also grateful for their contributions. Responding by saying thank you will express a reciprocal sense of gratitude. However, you should not repeat it several times in the same conversation, it will be enough to thank each person once.
Step 3. Say "It's my pleasure."
This will express a sense of joy in the act of doing something for others. This phrase is used in places like five-star hotels, but it could also be used in more situations.
For example, if a friend says, "Thank you so much for making me this delicious meal!", You might reply, "It was my pleasure." This will express that you have enjoyed cooking for someone else
Step 4. Say "I know you would do the same for me."
This will indicate that you have a reciprocal relationship where you do favors for each other with good intentions. This will also convey confidence in your ability to help and foster the other person's desire to reciprocate.
If a friend says “Thank you for helping me move to my new apartment this weekend. I don't know what I would have done without you! ", You could reply," I know you would do the same for me. " This will give you the impression that you have a great friendship focused on reciprocity
Step 5. Say “No problem”
This is a common answer, but it should be used sparingly; especially in the business environment. This will express that you have only done something simple and it may be acceptable in some situations, but it can also reduce the chances of developing a relationship in the interaction.
- Just say "No problem" if it's true. If something has cost you time and effort, feel free to accept the other person's gratitude.
- For example, if your friend says "Thank you" for a small gesture (like taking something out of the trunk of the car), you could say "No problem."
- Avoid using this phrase in a dismissive tone. This will give the impression that you have not put any effort into the action for which they are thanking you. Your friend or business associate will feel that their relationship is not important.
Step 6. Choose a casual answer
If you are responding to a show of gratitude in casual settings or relationships, you will have a wide variety of phrases to choose from. If you are responding to expressions of appreciation for very small actions and need a quick response, these phrases might be appropriate:
- "It's okay". It is best to use this phrase sparingly. This can be used when they thank you for very small or minimal actions. Like saying "No problem", you should not say it in a sarcastic or derogatory tone.
- "Whenever you want!". This can be used to reassure the person that you can always help them in such situations, and express that you are willing to do them a favor or a task at any time.
- "I'm glad I can help you." This will let her know that you are happy to help her with the job or task at hand. For example, if your friend says, "Thank you for helping me install my new shelf," you might reply, "I'm glad I can help you!"
Step 7. Pay attention to your body language
Your expression and body language can help you appear sincere, personable, and helpful. Don't forget to smile when you accept the thanks. Make eye contact with the person when they talk and nod whenever they say something to you. Do not cross your arms or look in another direction.