When You Say “No Problem” You May Have (Customer Service) Problem

At the end of a customer service transaction—be it in a restaurant or on the phone—the waiter or service person will say, “No problem!” Once upon a time…maybe five years ago…hearing those words was a reassurance. Today “no problem” is nothing more than saying “whatever.” 

Occasionally, someone will say “no problem” with the emphasis on the first word. Hearing that confers reassurance. When both words are equally emphasized, or the second word is stressed, you know you are receiving the brush off. You are not an individual; you are a transaction. 

Frankly, I don’t mind. I don’t expect stellar treatment in my everyday interactions. I do expect it from professionals like plumbers, electricians, and physicians, to name a few. When they say “no problem,” my heart leaps for joy. It typically means my plumbing, electrical, or physical issues are really no problem. I love it. 

Personally, I would like to ban the use of those words in customer service, though—unless they are delivered with sincerity. My umbrage is not with the service person; they are simply modeling behavior they were trained to deliver. And that’s the true problem. 

We have conflated “no problem” with “you’re welcome.” But the words are meaningless pabulum uttered to fill the air with words that have no meaning. Why? Because the serve they are delivering is pro forma. 

So don’t pretend it’s not a problem when really what you want to say is “who cares?” That would get my attention. And it might lead to a nice conversation. From that I might discover things that really are no problem that would delight the server as well as the person being served. 

For example, customers might smile when they order even when they’re on the phone. They can be polite, too, not forgetting to say “please” and “thank you” and “you’re welcome.” In other words, if customers show courtesy, they expect to receive it in return. 

“Courtesy,” said John Wannamaker, “is the one coin you can never have too much of or be stingy with.” Wannamaker should know since he built the first department store in Philadelphia, and in doing so, helped pioneer the concept of genuine customer service. 

Not every transaction deserves special care. Companies should stop insisting on doing it for things as mundane as placing an order. Simple thank you should suffice. Save special care for truly special occasions such as a major purchase like a house or a car—or more typically as a means to help solve a service issue. 

This is where “no problem” morphs into “yes, we have a problem.” That’s when staff need to kick into gear to make things right, whether it is accepting returned merchandise without questions or crediting a customer’s credit card for a service that was less than satisfactory. Doing that truly does warrant a cheery “no problem” backed by a wide smile. 

Really, it’s no problem!