"My Pleasure." Really?

Maybe it’s just me, but when people who serve me say, “My pleasure,” I wonder if they really mean it. Ritz-Carlton made it popular years ago, but it is now even the mantra of fast food chains. My daughter and I ate at Chick-fil-A the other day, and I decided to see if she would catch on to my lesson in human behavior. It did not take her long to discover that I was trying to get the well-trained employee to say, “My pleasure,” as many times as I could. She readily jumped into the competition and won with 21 “My pleasures.” The win is under protest because she revisited the counter a couple of times.

I once had a professor who was a strict behaviorist, and he said that it doesn’t matter if people mean what they say or not. He would argue that “My pleasure” elicits a desired response. I’m sorry, but that just does not work for me. It is kind of like studying the mechanics of a great apology. If you don’t mean it, don’t apologize.

Recently, a professional network prompt got under my skin, “Chip, now what can I do for you?” Really? I am an author. I am a consultant. I am an academic director at a university. Is it that hard to figure out? Buy my book. Buzz my work. Send me students. Tell me what you are going to do for me; don’t ask me.

I think that the people who really want to add value to your life anticipate your needs. They know enough about you to know how to help you. Rather than ask people what they want you to do for them, why not tell them what you want to do for them? When they say, “Thanks,” just say, “My pleasure.”