My Pleasure
Two words that change everything. Never no problem, never no worries.
My pleasure is the two words that change everything. Truett Cathy heard it at the Ritz-Carlton in the 1980s and made it the official Chick-fil-A response to thank you. He recognized that no problem and no worries put a hidden negative into the exchange: a problem the might have caused. My pleasure flips it: serving you was not a chore, it was a pleasure. We are using the same phrase, for the same reason.
: Thanks. You: My pleasure. Guest: Thank you so much. You: My pleasure. Guest: Appreciate it. You: My pleasure. Guest: Sorry to bother you. You: My pleasure, what do you need? Guest: Can I get another napkin? You: My pleasure, one second.
- • My pleasure
- • My pleasure, anytime
- • My pleasure, glad to help
- • Of course, my pleasure
- • No problem (implies their request was a problem)
- • No worries (implies they were worried)
- • You got it (transactional)
- • Sure (lazy)
- • Yep (rude)
- • All good (vague)
The sincerity check: my pleasure does not work if you say it like a robot. Say it the same way you would say it to a friend who just thanked you for grabbing them a coffee. Warm, eye contact, half a beat of pause. If it sounds scripted, it failed. If it sounds like you mean it, you are doing fine dining hospitality at a fast casual counter.