‘Please,’ ‘thank you’ needed more than ever

Allen M. Dunn, Las Vegas

Sunday, June 22, 2008 | 2:03 a.m.

Over the past year and a half I have noticed more and more that store personnel seem to lack the simple courtesies that we as a society have grown accustomed to.

Now, in some respects, I blame this on the upbringing of today’s new generation. The words “please” and “thank you” are just not in its vocabulary, as they were in the vocabulary of young people generations ago.

Walking into a local store that employs greeters, on the past four occasions I was never once greeted with a “Good morning,” or a “How are you?” Yet on one of those occasions an employee was coming in behind me and was very enthusiastically greeted by this “greeter.”

In checkout lines I rarely hear a “thank you” from the cashier and with the competition today, you would think that would be automatic. But no.

At another store I was in line and the cashier didn’t even acknowledge the fact that I was there until he gave me the amount to pay. No “Good morning,” no nothing.

Anyway, in times that are becoming extremely difficult to survive in, I truly believe that the simple pleasantries that used to be so common should always be adhered to, especially in stores that are competing for our business.

For taking the time to read this letter, I would like to say, Thank you!