NO PROBLEM, BIG PROBLEM!

Have you ever been at a restaurant and asked your server for something and had them respond with the words, ‘no problem’? Have you ever been on a phone call with a company and had the person on the other end of the line say, ‘no problem, I’d be happy to help’? Maybe you use these two little words as a regular part of your daily vernacular as a simple response to ay request, or, maybe you use it in place of the words, ‘you’re welcome.’

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The words ‘no problem’ or ‘not a problem’ have become quite commonplace, especially amongst younger generations. What was once a slang phrase for stoners, skate and snow boarders, valley girls, and typically followed by the word ‘dude’, as in, ‘no prob dude’, has become quite commonplace amongst youngsters and adults alike. Today, say ‘thank you’ or ‘I appreciate it’ to 100 people and 85 of them will respond to you with the words ‘no problem!’ So whats the big deal with ‘no problem’? Well, for starters, ‘no problem’ is a two word phrase where both of the words are negative: no and problem. None of the 85 out of 100 people who respond with that phrase mean anything bad by it, after all, what they’re really trying to say is ‘you’re welcome.’ I have a request of my server, or maybe I say thank you, they respond with no problem. The problem with no problem, beyond the fact that its two negative words married to each other, is that, in most cases when its being used in place of something else, the person saying it is sending a subconscious message that what you are asking for, or maybe thanking them for, isnt a problem for them…at the moment. But it could be a problem if you asked another person or at a different time.

If I’m at a restaurant and flag down my server for more soy sauce, in no universe should that ever be a problem, especially since I am paying for food and service. The only thing that may be a problem is if I ask for something that is not normally served at that restaurant or If I make a special request and apologize first. Then the response, ‘oh, its no problem’ might be appropriate. But the way its being used in everyday language by most people infers that somewhere, what you’re asking for might be a problem or an inconvenience, but its not right now. Especially in a service setting, the words ‘no problem’ should never be used. In service settings especially, using the words ‘no problem’, places the servers comfort ahead of the customers. In a business setting, anyone paying for a product or a service, is considered the customer or the client. Great businesses place the needs of the customer or client ahead of their own. Never should the comfort or the needs of the service provider be placed ahead of the needs and wants of the customer. When the service provider says, ‘no problem’ in response to a request, they are, in essence, saying, ‘you may think that your request is an inconvenience to me, and maybe in another situation it might be, but today its not bothering me so I’ll fulfill your request this time-no problem.’

Customers and clients want to feel that their interests come first and foremost, not that they may have inconvenience the staff member of whatever business they’re spending money with. So what should people say instead of ‘no problem’ and when is ‘no problem’ an appropriate response? Well, to tackle the first question first, there are a variety of things that should be said in place of ‘no problem’ when those words are coming from a professional in a business or service setting. A few more appropriate responses to requests in those settings are, “it’d be my pleasure, more than happy to get you that, absolutely, of course I can get that for you, certainly, consider it done’, or simply, ‘my pleasure.’ These are far more professional responses in those situations than ‘no problem.’

When is it appropriate to use the words ‘no problem’? As I mentioned earlier regarding the restaurant example, any time somebody asks for something that may be considered by most to be a problem, an inconvenience, out of the ordinary, something somebody or a business wouldn’t normally do, or any situation where somebody is going out of there way to be of service. If I see somebody on the side of the road with a flat tire and I stop to help, should they thank me for doing so, I may appropriately say, ‘it’s no problem at all, I have nowhere to be and I’m happy to help.’ If somebody stops you on the street and asks you for the time and you give it to them, when they thank you, you can appropriately say, ‘no problem.’ Why? Because in those instances, if you’re being sincere, it was possibly an inconvenience but its really no problem. Nobody expects you to stop what you’re doing and fix their tire or give them the time so their request is something of an inconvenience. If its not a problem for you to stop and help, no problem is an appropriate response. In a service setting, however, or any business scenario where a request is being made or somebody is saying thank you, the most appropriate response is never ‘no problem’, is you’re welcome, my pleasure, happy to help, certainly, I’d be happy to help, and absolutely.

So, my Diamond Mining challenge for you has 2 parts. The first is a challenge for you to catch yourself saying it in your daily life and log it. See how many times you find yourself saying ‘no problem’ to somebody either in place of ‘you’re welcome’, or in response to a request of you.

The second part is a challenge to say ‘thank you’ 100 times over the next couple weeks and count him many times you hear in response, ‘no problem.’ Make a little check mark in a notebook, on your phone, or a little notepad and see how many times out of 100 thank you’s you get a ‘no problem’ in response.

I’ll talk to you all again soon and trust me, its no problem…