Thank You Etiquette

Two simple words that have always been important to show gratitude and appreciation to others. The words have been turned into poems, songs and documents over the centuries. Today, some people still forget to convey these words to others and especially on occasions when they should not be forgotten.

Thank you should be used to tell and show someone you are grateful for something they have given you or for something they may have done for you. “I love the chocolates you gave me, thank you”. You should also say thank you when answering a polite or complimentary question about you, “You’re  very kind, thank you”. It can also be used to accept or refuse something that has been offered to you, “I do not wish to attend, thank you”. It can also be shown as a way of expressing your like or dislike of something, for example, “I would be delighted to try some of your produce, thank you”.

Sadly, today a lot of people forget to use these words to convey that about to each other. I think its a combination including the fact that our lives have become so chaotic that we forget to say thank you for the basic things in life. If someone holds a door open for you or when a waiter brings your food to the table or when a bus driver drops you off at your destination. Of course, there are occasions which people do remember but it can appear as a passing remark and again, this may need backing up by the all too rare handwritten letter.

I strongly recommend people get back into the habit of written thank you letters to each other rather than a text, phone call or email. There is of course nothing wrong with these ways of showing thanks, however they must always be backed up with a letter.

A thank you letter is a very simple yet thoughtful idea which takes very littler time to construct. All you need is some quality paper (I use Piccolo press), a good pen that you are comfortable using (I prefer a fountain pen), however, use what you are comfortable with. You put your address on the top right hand corner followed by the date underneath. On the left hand side, below the line the date is, you begin the letter with Dear (and the name of the recipient) bearing in mind to use titles where appropriate. If it is someone close to you, then you of course may use first names. You then start the new paragraph of the letter with the reason you are writing the letter in the first place, so in this case a thank you letter would be your reason of thanks.

This is then carried on in to the main body of the letter during which point you may go into more detail. For example, if you were given money you may wish to explain what you have bought or what you will use it for. You should then bring the letter to an end by asking after the recipient and finishing off by repeating your thanks before ending the letter with something that is appropriate. For example, if it is someone close to you, then it is With Love. If it is an acquaintance, then its yours sincerely, however if you do not know the person at all well then finish with yours faithfully.