No problem — or is there?

Some things seem to be natural pairs: peanut butter and jelly, Bonnie and Clyde, stars and stripes, “thank you” and “you’re welcome.”

No problem here … or is there?

I never realized the controversy surrounding the correct response to “thank you” until I said the apparently incorrect reply: “no problem.” I remember the day distinctly. I was working in customer service at the time, and I handed the customer his receipt.

“Thank you,” said the customer, to which I cheerfully replied “no problem!”

But a problem there was.

Like a cloud passing over the sun, the customer’s face suddenly became grave.

“Don’t say ‘no problem!’” he commanded. “Where was there a problem? I never said I had a problem. You’re supposed to say ‘You’re welcome.’”

He shook is head in exasperation and walked away, like he’d lost his faith in humanity.

A little while later, the same thing happened to one of my coworkers, also a Millennial, and she felt the same shock, the same “what did I say” moment.

Shaken, I did the only reasonable thing a millennial could do: a quick Google search.

My screen lit up. I was not the only one to ask this question, and my customer was certainly not the only one to voice an opinion on the matter. Dozens of website from Reddit to Marie Claire Magazine hosted essays and message boards related to the topic.

In a 2013 CBS News editorial by Bill Flanagan, he expressed his belief that “no problem” is a rude reply:

“To all the young people of the world: If you want to get good tips or just generally not infuriate older people, PLEASE, only say “No problem” when there is a reasonable expectation that the task you are performing might be PROBLEMATIC,” Flanagan writes.

But are we really saying that there was a problem with helping when we say “no problem,” or is this being taken too literally? When we say “you’re welcome” are we only saying that we gave the help because the other person happens to be one of the accepted “welcome”? Are we saying we wouldn’t help just anyone?

The dichotomy between the two replies seems largely generational (Baby Boomers prefer “you’re welcome” and Millennials like “no problem,”) and a matter of taking colloquial phrases literally.

In my opinion, the phrases mean the same thing and express the same level of politeness, just in different generational “languages,” as it were. If either phrase includes warm and welcoming micro-expressions, like an approachable smile and an upbeat voice, does it make a difference?

In the end, I’m only slightly torn. As an English major, I thrive on analyzing the minutest linguistic details and the nuances of every word and context. On the other hand, I appreciate the ease of communication that the colloquial offers to the world. When taken literally, a simple “what’s up?” makes no sense, but it’s the warmth behind those words that gets a friendly conversation rolling.

And there’s no problem with that.

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