Thanking someone when they have done something for you is always a good way to show appreciation. Be it to the cashier who scans bar codes or the cleaner who helped you mop the water you spilled, we should definitely thank them for helping us.
The act of thanking someone makes them feel appreciated and good. One instance is shared by a woman named Areesa on Twitter.
this bangladesh guy tolong isikan minyak kereta my dad then aku dekat seat belakang cakap la “thank you have a nice day” patu senyum patu dia nangis wehhhhh aku cam WEH
— Areesa? (@amieliaareesa) November 29, 2021
Areesa shared with WORLD OF BUZZ that she was travelling with her family on the morning of 29 November when they needed to refuel. So they went to the nearest petrol station near Bukit Sentosa and a foreign worker from Bangladesh helped them with refuelling their car.
When he was done with the job, Areesa who was in the back seat uttered “thank you and have a nice day” to the man. The simple act of expressing her thankfulness had a huge effect on the man that he burst into tears. While Areesa was scrambling and asking what she did/said wrong, the man said:
“You are the first person to say thank you to me.”
After that, she had a moment of realisation and almost teared up. Areesa wanted to speak more to him but as there was a queue behind their car, she just smiled at him and bid him goodbye.
The young woman says on Twitter, “It costs you RM0.00, people, to say ‘thank you’ especially to foreign workers.”
Areesa also told WOB that another way to show appreciation is to not use words that are derogatory in nature or have negative connotations to refer to a particular group of people.
“I used the word Bangladesh and not the short form which many Malaysians use as I feel it’s derogatory. It may seem small to us but it’s a big thing in safeguarding another person’s humanity.”
We certainly agree with that! No matter what, we are all humans and there are certainly times when we need validation and appreciation. Just like Areesa said, it costs no money to be nice to people.
Also read: “I love their reaction” M’sian PPV Volunteer Learns 5 New Languages To Help Foreigners Feel At Ease