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It seems that "Not a problem" has become the phrase uttered by almost every restaurant employee that I have encountered lately. Fast food, fast casual, fine dining, most of the employees use this phrase.
The hostess seats us, we say thank you, and she says, "Not a problem."
The server takes our order, brings our food, refills our glasses, etc. and whenever we thank her she says, "Not a problem."
The manager stops by our table to see how our meal is going and we thank him, he says, "Not a problem."
This bothers me because our dining at their restaurant is what provides their job, and I wouldn't consider it to be a problem. What ever happened to "You are welcome" or "Thank you" or "Thank you for coming" or whatever?
Does anyone else ever hear this? I used to hear it once in awhile, but now it is almost the standard.
I rarely hear it, but I have heard it in the past. I go out to eat maybe 3 or 4 times a year and the only time I have heard them say not a problem is when me or my DH have asked them to modify a dish because of an ingredient that we may not like in it or cannot have. For example: DH cannot have seeds, black pepper or anything spicy so we always have to ask and if it does we have to tell them to omitt it. I don't think saying "not a problem is that big of a deal" because if you are asking for something specific the way you like it aren't you kind of saying "will it be a problem if I order it this way"?
I hear it constantly about everything. I guess pop culture uses certain phrases for awhile, then replaces them with other ones. They're kinda like viruses the way they spread. Hehehe.
It seems that "Not a problem" has become the phrase uttered by almost every restaurant employee that I have encountered lately. Fast food, fast casual, fine dining, most of the employees use this phrase.
The hostess seats us, we say thank you, and she says, "Not a problem."
The server takes our order, brings our food, refills our glasses, etc. and whenever we thank her she says, "Not a problem."
The manager stops by our table to see how our meal is going and we thank him, he says, "Not a problem."
This bothers me because our dining at their restaurant is what provides their job, and I wouldn't consider it to be a problem. What ever happened to "You are welcome" or "Thank you" or "Thank you for coming" or whatever?
Does anyone else ever hear this? I used to hear it once in awhile, but now it is almost the standard.
Maybe think of it this way. In French, the response to thanks is "de rien" ("of nothing," meaning "it was nothing" or "it was of no consequence"). In Spanish it's "de nada," same translation. It's just a way to say, "Don't worry, it was no trouble at all." I don't go to restaurants much, but I imagine servers got in the habit of saying "no problem" because they think it sounds friendly and chatty.
Do you want servers to answer your thanks with, "That's my job"?
yep we hear it a lot as well, it is simply the trendy thing to say right now: remember when everyone was a happy or not a happy camper or cha ching. Every couple of years a new word or phrase comes out, as quickly as we all start using it the word becomes old hat. Now, there is another one "old hat"
I have heard this as well. Most times I ignore it however sometimes I befuddle them by responding "Whats not a problem" usually they will say oh I mean your welcome.
However I only do it when I don't care if they spit in my food.
I hear it everywhere, not just in restaurants. The phrase I hate, that I hear in restaurants, say if something in an order if something is incorrect, is "my bad". What? How about, "I'm sorry. I'll take care of this for you"
I hear it everywhere, not just in restaurants. The phrase I hate, that I hear in restaurants, say if something in an order if something is incorrect, is "my bad". What? How about, "I'm sorry. I'll take care of this for you"
So true. I ordered a salad without meat, and it was served covered with bacon. She said, "My bad" and took it away, then brought out a new salad that had no meat, just like I had ordered. But no apology at all, unless "My bad" is considered to be an apology.
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