Why can't Irish people say Thank You??

LuckyMe63

I think that during the boom in Ireland, we felt entitled and now that times are not so good we have lost our manners and gratitude for what we have or receive. I have just returned to Ireland after 7 years away and particularly notice this.

Over Christmas I put thought & expense into mailing 7 gifts to family & friends. Only 3 of these have been acknowledged and each of these 3 are Americans friends.

So do I get onto An Post and report the other 4 packages as ‘lost’ in the mail? Or put it down to bad manners?


With winter blues and recessionary times, we need to take a few minutes and make an effort to brighten someone’s day.
Were you invited somewhere over Christmas, did you give the host/hostess a call afterwards to thank them? Not just a “thanks, see ya” on the day. Your host would have put energy, effort & expense into preparing food, drink, decorations…. even if it was your mother!
When sending a Christmas card, did you add – “will call you over the festive season” but haven’t yet.
Did you RSVP “yes” to a function and then not show up or not bother sending a RSVP at all?
Did someone help you out during the snow/icy weather?
Did you get a particularly thoughtful or unexpected gift?




Is it really so hard to pick up the phone, send an email or text message to say “Thank You”? No one is too busy to take 5 minutes out & say Thanks.

biko

Thanks*


*saw it coming didn't you?

Jesus Wept

4 people = Irish people.
Your survey of 7 does not impress me.

baltimore sun

maybe you gave them crap presents and they've nothing to thank you for, what did you give them...was it books? God I hate when people give books, tight-fúckers.

Orando Broom

I say thanks. Go and **** yourself OP.

omen80

LuckyMe63 wrote: »

I think that during the boom in Ireland, we felt entitled and now that times are not so good we have lost our manners and gratitude for what we have or receive. I have just returned to Ireland after 7 years away and particularly notice this.

Over Christmas I put thought & expense into mailing 7 gifts to family & friends. Only 3 of these have been acknowledged and each of these 3 are Americans friends.

So do I get onto An Post and report the other 4 packages as ‘lost’ in the mail? Or put it down to bad manners?


With winter blues and recessionary times, we need to take a few minutes and make an effort to brighten someone’s day.
Were you invited somewhere over Christmas, did you give the host/hostess a call afterwards to thank them? Not just a “thanks, see ya” on the day. Your host would have put energy, effort & expense into preparing food, drink, decorations…. even if it was your mother!
When sending a Christmas card, did you add – “will call you over the festive season” but haven’t yet.
Did you RSVP “yes” to a function and then not show up or not bother sending a RSVP at all?
Did someone help you out during the snow/icy weather?
Did you get a particularly thoughtful or unexpected gift?


Is it really so hard to pick up the phone, send an email or text message to say “Thank You”? No one is too busy to take 5 minutes out & say Thanks.

Maybe they don't like you?? They could be just trying to give you a hint to not bother doing it again next year??

ClutchIt

LuckyMe63 wrote: »

With winter blues and recessionary times, we need to take a few minutes and make an effort to brighten someone’s day.
Were you invited somewhere over Christmas, did you give the host/hostess a call afterwards to thank them? Not just a “thanks, see ya” on the day. Your host would have put energy, effort & expense into preparing food, drink, decorations…. even if it was your mother!
When sending a Christmas card, did you add – “will call you over the festive season” but haven’t yet.
Did you RSVP “yes” to a function and then not show up or not bother sending a RSVP at all?
Did someone help you out during the snow/icy weather?
Did you get a particularly thoughtful or unexpected gift?

What are you, Ned Flanders?

ejmaztec

LuckyMe63 wrote: »

I think that during the boom in Ireland, we felt entitled and now that times are not so good we have lost our manners and gratitude for what we have or receive. I have just returned to Ireland after 7 years away and particularly notice this.

Over Christmas I put thought & expense into mailing 7 gifts to family & friends. Only 3 of these have been acknowledged and each of these 3 are Americans friends.

So do I get onto An Post and report the other 4 packages as ‘lost’ in the mail? Or put it down to bad manners?


With winter blues and recessionary times, we need to take a few minutes and make an effort to brighten someone’s day.
Were you invited somewhere over Christmas, did you give the host/hostess a call afterwards to thank them? Not just a “thanks, see ya” on the day. Your host would have put energy, effort & expense into preparing food, drink, decorations…. even if it was your mother!
When sending a Christmas card, did you add – “will call you over the festive season” but haven’t yet.
Did you RSVP “yes” to a function and then not show up or not bother sending a RSVP at all?
Did someone help you out during the snow/icy weather?
Did you get a particularly thoughtful or unexpected gift?




Is it really so hard to pick up the phone, send an email or text message to say “Thank You”? No one is too busy to take 5 minutes out & say Thanks.

You can rest assured that the ones thanking you didn't mean it, and probably binned the gifts or re-packaged them and gave them to people they didn't like.:P

There, I thanked you. Not shut up.

Kimono-Girl

LuckyMe63 wrote: »

I think that during the boom in Ireland, we felt entitled and now that times are not so good we have lost our manners and gratitude for what we have or receive. I have just returned to Ireland after 7 years away and particularly notice this.

Over Christmas I put thought & expense into mailing 7 gifts to family & friends. Only 3 of these have been acknowledged and each of these 3 are Americans friends.

So do I get onto An Post and report the other 4 packages as ‘lost’ in the mail? Or put it down to bad manners?


With winter blues and recessionary times, we need to take a few minutes and make an effort to brighten someone’s day.
Were you invited somewhere over Christmas, did you give the host/hostess a call afterwards to thank them? Not just a “thanks, see ya” on the day. Your host would have put energy, effort & expense into preparing food, drink, decorations…. even if it was your mother!
When sending a Christmas card, did you add – “will call you over the festive season” but haven’t yet.
Did you RSVP “yes” to a function and then not show up or not bother sending a RSVP at all?
Did someone help you out during the snow/icy weather?
Did you get a particularly thoughtful or unexpected gift?




Is it really so hard to pick up the phone, send an email or text message to say “Thank You”? No one is too busy to take 5 minutes out & say Thanks.

*picks up phone to thank op but gets distracted by laptop*



whoops....:pac:

ClutchIt

Further more, isn't there some saying that if you do something it shouldn't matter if you get thanked or not...

AnonoBoy

I always say thanks. Cause I was brought up not dragged up.

Rockn

I hate real-life thanks whores.

Yakult

Your welcome op!

ejmaztec

It's supposed to be the thought that counts.

prinz

Have found the same tbh, give cards and presents to the nieces and nephews and the only ones I hear back from are kids who are being raised abroad. The Irish nephews I might hear back from the parents but never the kids themselves.

gigino

in the post office, those receiving welfare payments in cash never say thank you

El Horseboxo

If i had a mate call me up the next day thanking me for inviting him to a few drinks on Stephen's Day i'd be like what the fúck. Are you dying or something?

stovelid

gigino wrote: »

in the post office, those receiving welfare payments in cash never say thank you

What about the ones who get postal orders?

I always say thanks. It was drummed into me since childhood always to send thank you cards for presents, so I do.

mickydoomsux

I work in public transport in a customer facing role and i find the vast majority of Irish people to be incredibly rude whereas tourists are nearly always pleasant to deal with even if they have very poor English. You'd be lucky to hear a "thank you" or "you're welcome" more than once or twice a day from Irish people. The word "please" seems to have ceased to exist for them as well. I try my best to keep a polite demeanour but it is hard in the face of the utter ignorance that comes back at you.

I have friends who work in retail and they say they find the exact same thing. We reckon it's a holdover from the boom-time entitlement that everyone felt.

El Horseboxo

One thing i've noticed is that the holding a door thing seems to have gone outta fashion. I've been literally 2 feet behind people who just take their hands off leaving it to slam. Or you'd hold it open and they'll just walk by like your a doorman. Only something i've noticed recently enough too.

gonedrinking

I thought this thread was going to be about how Irish people can't pronounce th and therefore have to say tanks. Tanks a mill.

MistyCheese

You may not be able to see this but I currently have my left fist lightly clenched with the thumb sticking out and pointing upwards.

dark crystal

This is one of my biggest bug-bears! I always make sure to say please and thank you and have brought my children up to do the same.

I also see it with drivers, who don't even acknowledge you if you let them out at a junction, or give them right of way on a narrow road. I'd always raise a hand to say thank you, if it ws done for me, but rarely get the same back in return.

double GG

It's not just Irish people.

Men in certain countries aren't so courteous to their female counterparts, Try opening a door for a woman in Bulgaria. The Smile and Thanks you get for doing it are amazing. Men never do this for women there.


I always say thanks. It's extremely rude not to, ever since I was young I was told to say thanks 'cos not everyone in the world is nice to you, so when someone is, Thank them mercifully.

On a different note, Your Welcome.

policarp

You come back to Ireland after 7 years, christen yourself LuckyMe63, and then on your first post you look for thanks.
I think you're due another 7 year holiday...
Ireland has changed for the worse I'm sad to say...

si_guru

El Horseboxo wrote: »

One thing i've noticed is that the holding a door thing seems to have gone outta fashion. I've been literally 2 feet behind people who just take their hands off leaving it to slam. Or you'd hold it open and they'll just walk by like your a doorman. Only something i've noticed recently enough too.

I am with you there. Now I say "don't mention it"... when these people blank my door holding. And it is never kids... adults are the worst.

bmarley

Gift sending is all about reciprocation but in these times many people do not want to receive gifts as they cannot afford to reciprocate. Personally, I prefer not to send or receive gifts as many presents received are not needed.

dsmythy

Hi, I'm yet another Irish person who says thank you. Ask some Dublin Bus drivers and they'll probably tell you they get fed up hearing various forms of thanks when people are getting off the bus.

hondasam

Thoughtful considerate people say thanks, It's just the ones who don't care that don't.

Jesus Wept

Rockn wrote: »

I hate real-life thanks whores.

lol, they should have sent him a post it saying 'thanks whore'.
I think maybe only .001% of the populous would read that as thanks whore and not thanks whore!

sheesh

LuckyMe63 wrote: »

I think that during the boom in Ireland, we felt entitled and now that times are not so good we have lost our manners and gratitude for what we have or receive. I have just returned to Ireland after 7 years away and particularly notice this.

Over Christmas I put thought & expense into mailing 7 gifts to family & friends. Only 3 of these have been acknowledged and each of these 3 are Americans friends.

So do I get onto An Post and report the other 4 packages as ‘lost’ in the mail? Or put it down to bad manners?


With winter blues and recessionary times, we need to take a few minutes and make an effort to brighten someone’s day.
Were you invited somewhere over Christmas, did you give the host/hostess a call afterwards to thank them? Not just a “thanks, see ya” on the day. Your host would have put energy, effort & expense into preparing food, drink, decorations…. even if it was your mother!
When sending a Christmas card, did you add – “will call you over the festive season” but haven’t yet.
Did you RSVP “yes” to a function and then not show up or not bother sending a RSVP at all?
Did someone help you out during the snow/icy weather?
Did you get a particularly thoughtful or unexpected gift?




Is it really so hard to pick up the phone, send an email or text message to say “Thank You”? No one is too busy to take 5 minutes out & say Thanks.

I say thanks all the time some times for no clear reason (like to ticket machines etc.)

Vicxas

Hmmm....

I always say thanks, guess its upbringing really

phasers

.
Were you invited somewhere over Christmas, No.
When sending a Christmas card, did you add – “will call you over the festive season” but haven’t yet.I don't send Christmas cards, I text people. Think of all those poor trees.
Did you RSVP “yes” to a function and then not show up or not bother sending a RSVP at all?Again, I text people. RSVPs are really impersonal and I'm not forking out for a stamp for people I don't really like that much.
Did someone help you out during the snow/icy weather? Nope, I helped others out though and they were very nice.
Did you get a particularly thoughtful or unexpected gift?No, I gave some though.

.

Bassboxxx

The-Rigger wrote: »

4 people = Irish people.
Your survey of 7 does not impress me.

I think the OP was asking a question not saying he had statistical proof.

We could just use our own experience and see if we agree or not, or better still look at who was quickest and most eager to reply to his question. I think you'll see it was the smart sarcastic answers which makes me think OP asked a valid question.


Myself I agree. Having done a bit of travel I'm coming to realise we are some of the most ignorant people I've come across. It's like people are either so up their own arse they don't need to say thanks or feel so **** about themselves that saying thanks shows their weakness.

Latchy

mickydoomsux wrote: »

I work in public transport in a customer facing role and i find the vast majority of Irish people to be incredibly rude whereas tourists are nearly always pleasant to deal with even if they have very poor English. You'd be lucky to hear a "thank you" or "you're welcome" more than once or twice a day from Irish people. The word "please" seems to have ceased to exist for them as well. I try my best to keep a polite demeanour but it is hard in the face of the utter ignorance that comes back at you.

Some of the people in customer service counter at Dublin airport , that sells the travel tickets would want to learn to say 'thank you ' .Standing after arrival in a queue of about 14 people last year wanting to buy travel tickets , not once did the girl who was chatting across the counter to another male airport employee (who would glance at the queue as if an inconvenience ) say 'thank you ' to any of the people after each purchase , tourist or natives alike

Now anybody can be having a bad day ,you don't even have to smile ( it helps ) but It's simple and works both ways ,you thank them for their custom and they thank you for your help and assistance .

Thank you !

double GG

Rockn wrote: »

I hate real-life, thanks whores.

Fixed.

Taceom

sheesh wrote: »

I say thanks all the time some times for no clear reason (like to ticket machines etc.)

Me too! So does that make us good because we've said thanks, when in reality we're just distracted and haven't a clue what we've said. Just because we say thanks doesn't mean we are thankful, and in the same way it doesn't mean that if you don't say thanks that you are not thankful.

omen80

prinz wrote: »

Have found the same tbh, give cards and presents to the nieces and nephews and the only ones I hear back from are kids who are being raised abroad. The Irish nephews I might hear back from the parents but never the kids themselves.

Jeez get a life! They are only kids ffs.....

hondasam

It cost's nothing to be polite and you could make someone who is having a bad day happy just by saying thank you.

I think a lot of shop assistants need to acknowledge the customer and learn how to say thank you.

omen80

hondasam wrote: »

It cost's nothing to be polite and you could make someone who is having a bad day happy just by saying thank you.

I think a lot of shop assistants need to acknowledge the customer and learn how to say thank you.

If someone's bad day is made better by receiving a thank you then they don't have real problems.

g5fd6ow0hseima

ive stopped holding the door for people as they never acknowledge anymore (its worse with women). Worst is letting people out in traffic when its amost the exception for someone to acknowledge you now

Bubs99

I am a pure Irish girl and i say thank you all the time. I was brought up to believe that manners are very important and all my life, ive always thanked people for gifts and sent them cards etc.

I have noticed in the past few years that many people who serve me in shops or at stations, bus drivers etc...they can be sooo grumpy and ignorant!

I hate that! And one thing i loath is whenever i hold the door for people in shops in Dublin city or other places, they never say thank you.
Ive often had the doors slammed back in to my face also.

Sometimes, depending on my mood, ill say to them..."you could atleast say thank you"! It makes my blood boil!!!

Oh and another thing...I hate when people dont cover their mouths while they cough/sneeze or burp, especially on public transport.

No wonder we get so many infections!

hondasam

omen80 wrote: »

If someone's bad day is made better by receiving a thank you then they don't have real problems.

what is a real problem ?

If you go into a shop and spend €100 and the assistant cannot be bothered to say thanks it will most likely annoy you.

same if you are just having a bad day and someone is just nice it will cheer you up.

well It would me anyway.

rainbowdrop

omen80 wrote: »

Jeez get a life! They are only kids ffs.....

Don't you think that kids should be taught to say thankyou though?

My daughter receives gifts (usually cards with money in them) for Christmas/Birthdays from her Gran-Aunts in England and I always make sure she telephones them to say thanks. It only takes 5 minutes ffs!!

If kids are not taught manners when they are young, then they'll grow into ignorant adults...........

Mongarra

On the subject of opening or holding doors (not part of the OP), I am with El Horseboxo and si guru, and very few acknowledge the gesture. To doubleGG, you say "Men never do this for women here". Well here's three of us anyway.

Does doffing the hat or touching the peak of a cap to a woman look strange. A habit I picked up from my father which I still do and it is amazing the number of women who say "I haven't seen anyone do that for years" or words to that effect or maybe smile indulgently to the poor misguided imbecile who still raises the hat. Chivalry seems to be forgotten by many men and ignored, or even frowned on, by many women.

My partner admonished me on one occasion when I helped a woman carry a toddler in a buggy up a flight of stairs in the London Underground. "They don't do that kind of thing over here." At least the woman thanked me.

omen80

hondasam wrote: »

what is a real problem ?

If you go into a shop and spend €100 and the assistant cannot be bothered to say thanks it will most likely annoy you.

same if you are just having a bad day and someone is just nice it will cheer you up.

well It would me anyway.

If I spend 100 Euro in a shop I'm only really interested in the product I'm buying.....not the shop assistant's manners. It honestly wouldn't bother me.

If I was having what I considered to be a "bad day" and someone said thanks for something, I seriously doubt it's going to make a blind bit of difference to my mood.

omen80

rainbowdrop wrote: »

Don't you think that kids should be taught to say thankyou though?

Yes of course I do. I don't recall saying otherwise??

hondasam

omen80 wrote: »

If I spend 100 Euro in a shop I'm only really interested in the product I'm buying.....not the shop assistant's manners. It honestly wouldn't bother me.

If I was having what I considered to be a "bad day" and someone said thanks for something, I seriously doubt it's going to make a blind bit of difference to my mood.

It would make a difference to me. maybe you don't see the need to be polite and say thank you but I do.

Jesus Wept

LuckyMe63 wrote: »

I think that during the boom in Ireland, we felt entitled and now that times are not so good we have lost our manners and gratitude for what we have or receive. I have just returned to Ireland after 7 years away and particularly notice this.

Over Christmas I put thought & expense into mailing 7 gifts to family & friends. Only 3 of these have been acknowledged and each of these 3 are Americans friends.

So do I get onto An Post and report the other 4 packages as ‘lost’ in the mail? Or put it down to bad manners?


With winter blues and recessionary times, we need to take a few minutes and make an effort to brighten someone’s day.
Were you invited somewhere over Christmas, did you give the host/hostess a call afterwards to thank them? Not just a “thanks, see ya” on the day. Your host would have put energy, effort & expense into preparing food, drink, decorations…. even if it was your mother!
When sending a Christmas card, did you add – “will call you over the festive season” but haven’t yet.
Did you RSVP “yes” to a function and then not show up or not bother sending a RSVP at all?
Did someone help you out during the snow/icy weather?
Did you get a particularly thoughtful or unexpected gift?




Is it really so hard to pick up the phone, send an email or text message to say “Thank You”? No one is too busy to take 5 minutes out & say Thanks.

Just quoted your post op, did you put all those colour tags in?