My parents taught me from an early age to say Thank You. We were taught to say it at all times when something was done for us or given to us. It meant that when my brother and I were given presents for our birthdays, we would be hastened to the phone to ring the person to say thank you.
When we went to school we would buy a gift for our teachers at Christmas – even our subject teachers through out high school, to say thank you for their investment into our education. It wasn’t a way to grease up to the teacher to get good marks the following year, it was our way of showing respect for the hard work that each teacher put in for our benefit.
I also did the same thing when I went to Tafe. I completed all my Tafe modules within two years when I did my plumbing apprenticeship. For two Christmas’s in a row, I gave a Christmas hamper to each Tafe teacher to say Thank You. I appreciated the time each Tafe teacher invested in me when I learned the trade (even if some teachers were much better at teaching than others).
Interestingly, one of my love languages is the gift of appreciation. I love people saying thank you and telling me that they appreciate my services as a plumber or in whatever I do that is of a service to others. So I love it when my dad and I receive letters of appreciation for a plumbing job well done. Sadly, the Thank You card or letter is often forgotten these days due to being busy and assuming that paying the bill at the end of the job is thank you enough.
I was only reminded recently on how lovely it is to receive a thank you note, when my dad and I received two letters of appreciation from new clients who advised that they were impressed with our service and were thankful that I could come out to assist them right before I had my baby. With the current economic climate in the construction industry, I was extremely thankful for their business too!
Thank you letters and notes make my heart sing and I’m sure in the business world, it makes working worthwhile, knowing that you have made a difference in someone’s life.
A couple of months ago, a Facebook status of a person I hadn’t seen in a long while, requested the name of a good, reliable plumber. My heart pounded with love and gratitude for the many friends who tagged me and my family business to this Facebook request. That type of word of mouth promoting is another way of saying Thank You and I can tell you after seeing my family business’s name recommended a few times under that status, I was a bit teary and felt very appreciated and thankful.
Sending a Thank You note is something that I am going to aspire to do more often. I know how great it feels when I receive a Thank You card, so I’m eager to pass the act of gratitude on to someone else who has blessed me. I encourage you to do the same the next time you have a tradesperson come to your home. Tradies can be big softies at heart too and a Thank You note or card is a welcome surprise and a great mark of respect for the work that they have done and continue to do.
‘Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone’ G. B Stern
