“Thank you for your concern” in (Business) Correspondence

“Thank you for your concern” is an expressive communicative act that conveys a sense of gratefulness towards a hearer or a reader. SkiptoContent Humanbeingsaregiftedwithintellectualandphysicalabilitiestocommunicatewithoneanother. Otherthanthat,humansalsohavetheabilitytocreateapsychologicalimpactbyusingmeaningfulexpressionsindiscourse. Sincecommunicationgoesbeyondlogic,wecandeducethemeaningofexpressionssubsumedinwords,phrases,andsentences. Inthisarticle,wewilltrytobreakdownandunderstandthemeaningbehindanexpressionusedtosignifygratitude,“thankyouforyourconcern.”   Contents1Whatisthemeaningof“thankyouforyourconcern?”2Forwhatpurposeandwherecanweuse“thankyouforyourconcern?”2.1“Thankyouforyourconcern”inbusinessemails3“Thankyouforyourconcern”inpersonalletters4Alternativeexpressionsfor“thankyouforyourconcern”4.1Alternativesintheformalregister4.1.1Thankyouforyoursupport4.1.2“Iappreciateyourconcern”4.2Alternativesintheinformalregister4.2.1Thanksforlookingout4.2.2“Thanksforcheckingin”5Conclusion   Whatisthemeaningof“thankyouforyourconcern?” “Thankyouforyourconcern”isanexpressivecommunicativeactthatconveysasenseofgratefulnesstowardsahearerorareader.Thisistypicallyusedtorespondtosomeonewhoexpressessupportandofferskindwords.Apersonusingthisverbiageeitherinwritingororalspeechintendstoacknowledgetheactionthathasbeendoneoroffered,whichlikelyreinforcespositiverelationshipsintheprocess.   Forwhatpurposeandwherecanweuse“thankyouforyourconcern?” Usingpleasurablewordstoexpressindebtednessispartofourdailyroutinethatinvariablyhappensafterreceivingsomefavor. Thisillocutionaryactpositivelyinfluencesthewell-beingofthemessageprovideraswellastherecipientforitelicitstacitandmutualrespect. Theexpression“thankyouforyourconcern”canbeobservedintheformalregistersuchasinbusinesscorrespondence. Itmayalsobeusedincolloquialconversationslikepersonalizedlettersandotherformsofdirectmessages. Thisverbiagemaybeusedafterapersonshowssupportintimesofgrief,sickness,problems,andotherseeminglydiscomfortingcircumstances. Simplyput,itisaspeechactmainlydonetorecognizeoracknowledgeanimplicatedactofkindnesscomingfromanotherpersonorgroupofpeople.   “Thankyouforyourconcern”inbusinessemails Tactandcivilityarehighlyvaluableinthebusinessindustryfortheseactsserveasthesubjectivevertebraeofbusiness-basedrelationships. Thismeansthatthepresenceorabsenceofcourtesycouldmakeorbreaksmallandhuge-scalebusinessesalike. Inbusiness,properetiquetteisessentialinestablishingandmaintainingasystematicfunctionthatfacilitatesbusinessgrowth. Througheffectivecollaborationandteamwork,abusinesscanthereforeshiftsmoothlyfromonegeartoanother,whichincreasesthevalueofafavorableattitudeintheprocess. “Thankyouforyourconcern”maybeobservedincaseswherein,forinstance,asubordinatemembertruthfullyexpressesgratitudetowardsabossafterreceivingsomeformofapproval. ToMr.JohnDoe: Iamdeeplysorryforyourloss.Inaccordancewithcompanypolicy,Iwouldliketoinformyouthatyourbereavementleaverequesthasbeenofficiallygranted. Asourentireorganizationvaluesfamilialrelationshipsthemost,weunderstandthatanimmediatefamilymember’suntimelypassingcausesunimaginablegrieftoallpeoplealike. Moreimportantly,Ihighlyencourageyoutoextendyourleaveperiodtoupto10workingdaysinstead,ratherthanthe5-dayperiodyouhavespecifiedinyourrequest. Pleasedothissoyoucanhavemoretimetorecover. Justkindlyreplytothisemailforyourconfirmation.   Thiskindofemailcouldprompttheuseof“thankyouforyourconcern”aspartoftheresponsesuchasinthenextexample. ToMs.JaneDoe: Thankyouforyourconcern. Ican’tstressmyappreciationenoughfortheleaveextensionoffer,butIwouldliketoreturntoworkonthedatestatedinmyrequestasIstronglybelievethatreportingbacktomyworkstationandcollaboratingwithmyteammateswillbemorebeneficialformycurrentsituation. IwouldalsoliketoassureyouthatIwillbeabletoperformmytasksandresponsibilitieswhenIreturn,despitemycircumstances. Ofcourse,“thankyouforyourconcern”isnotlimitedtotheabovesituationalone. Itmayalsobeusedinotherlessformalsituationssuchasinpersonalizedlettersordirectmessagesintendedforpeoplewithwhomwehaveanintimaterelationship.   “Thankyouforyourconcern”inpersonalletters Inpersonallettersanddirectmessages,theideabehindexpressinggratitudebyusing“thankyouforyourconcern”remainsthesame. Thiscanalsohappenaftersomeonehasextendedtheirconcernorsympathytoanotherpersonsufferingfrominjuriesorillnesses. Note,though,thatthetonalityoftheentiremessagemaychangeduetotheratherintimatebondorconnectionofthistypeofinterlocutors. DearJohn, Heythere,buddy!I’veheardyou’vebeenhospitalizedforseveraldaysbecauseofaroadaccident.Ireallydohopeyou’rebetternow. I’mvisitingyouthisweekend,soletmeknowifthere’sanythingIcangetforyou.I’mreallysorrytohearaboutwhathappened. Similarly,themessageabovecouldpromptthemessagerecipienttousetheexpressionindiscussionintheresponse. DearSally, Thankyouforyourconcern. Thecollisionwasindeedaterribleexperience.Theairbagandseatbeltsparedmefromimminentdeath. I’mscheduledtobedischargedtomorrow,sovisitmeatmyapartmentthisweekendinstead. I’veonlybeeneatinghorriblehospitalfoodforthelastfivedays,soI’dlovetohavesometacosandpizzawithyousoon. Although“thankyouforyourconcern”canbeperfectlyusedincasualmessages,notethat“thanks”wouldsoundmorenatural,nonethelesswarmer,inthisspecificscenario. Theshortenedversion“thanksforyourconcern”wouldmorelikelyillustratethattheinterlocutorsshareadeeperrelationship,asopposedtoabusiness-liketone.   Alternativeexpressionsfor“thankyouforyourconcern” Severalotherexpressionsmayalsobeusedtoimplyasimilarmeaningto“thankyouforyourconcern.” Thiscanberewordedinsuchawaythatitwouldbecomemoresuitableineitherformalorinformalregisters. Theseequivalentexpressionsarelistedbelow.   Alternativesintheformalregister Formalregisterreferstosituationsrequiringarelativelyhigherdegreeofprofessionalismandpoliteness. InEnglish,andperhapsinmanyotherlanguages,formalisticcommunicationentailstheusageofmorecompletesentences,asopposedtoslangandinterjection-infestedbriefones. Whensomeoneshows“concern,”itmeansthatthepersonaimstoshowsupporttothemessagerecipient.   Thankyouforyoursupport Wecanalsorewordtheexpressioninto“thankyouforyoursupport,”whichmeansthesameifusedinthesamecontext. ColleagueA:Wehavecollectedsomecashforthecharityworkyou’redoing.Wehopethiscouldhelpinsomeways. ColleagueB:Thankyouforyoursupport. Thealternativeexpressionabovehastheelliptedoromittedsubject“I”whichisalreadyimplicatedbythecontext. Including“I”intheexpressionconstitutesgrammaticalcompleteness,whereastheomissionofthesubjectelicitsamorenative-liketone.   “Iappreciateyourconcern” Anotherwaytoexpressgratefulnessisbysaying“Iappreciateyourconcern,”wherein“thankyoufor”isreplacedwith“Iappreciate.” Notonlydoesusing“I”elicitanaturaltone,butitalsoemphasizestheideathatthespeakerorwriterispersonallydoingtheactofgratefulness. Therefore,thestatementcouldbeadjustedintothisexpressionifandwhenonewantstohighlightthisfact,asopposedtosayingageneralexpression. ColleagueA:I’mreallysorryforyourloss. PersonB:Iappreciateyourconcern. Adding“I”alsoindicatesthatthemessagecreatoristheonlypersoninvolvedintheconversationapartfromtheotherinterlocutor. Itgivesacertainideaofcreatingmorewarmthinthemessageandthatmorecommunicativeeffortisexertedatthesametime.   Alternativesintheinformalregister Theinformalregisterreferstothediscoursethatconvenientlyusesslangandjargonexpressions,interjections,contractions,danglingprepositions,andsoon. Thisstyleisprevalentamonginterlocutorswhoserelationshipisintimateratherthanbusiness-like. Itmarksthespecialbondsharedbypeersandfamilymembersalike   Thanksforlookingout Peoplesharingdeepinterpersonalrelationshipsaresensitivetotheneedsandfeelingsofeachother. Keepinganeyeorlookingoutforoneanotherisindicativeofanestablishedbond,therebypromptingtheuseofexpressionsofempathywhenoneisintrouble. “Thanksforlookingout”isanothercasualwayofsaying“thankyouforyourconcern”whichismorelikelyusedbetweenoramongfriends. So,ifthemessagerecipientisaclosefriendratherthanasuperior,“thanksforlookingout”shouldcomeacrossasmoreappropriateandsincere. PersonA:Hey,Iknowyou’reupset.Let’sgrabacoupleofbottlesandtalkaboutit,okay? PersonB:Youdoknowmetoowell.Thanksforlookingout,man.   “Thanksforcheckingin” Anothersimilarexpressionthatcanbeusedinacknowledgingevenasimpleactofaskinghowapersonisdoingis“thankyouforcheckingin.” To“checkin”isaninformalphrasalverbthatmeansonehascrossedthemindofanotherpersonandthatpersonwantstoexpressitbysendingamessage. PersonA:Hey,Ihaven’tnoticedyoupostinganythingonIGlately.Justwantedtoknowifeverything’sokay. PersonB:Thanksforcheckingin.Actually,I’vebeenprettyworkedupinthepastcoupleofweeks.   Conclusion Expressinggratitudethroughwordselucidatesgoodmanners,whichisimportantinbothprofessionalandcasualrelationships. Itessentiallymeansshowingreciprocitytoanotherpersonwhoispayingattentiontothecircumstancesaffectingsomeone’slife. Thus,theexpressionslistedinthisarticlearesomeexamplesofthebuildingblocksofsocialrelationshipsthatdictatehumancivilization. MarcelIseliHeyfellowLinguaholics!It’sme,Marcel.Iamtheproudowneroflinguaholic.com.LanguageshavealwaysbeenmypassionandIhavestudiedLinguistics,ComputationalLinguisticsandSinologyattheUniversityofZurich.ItismyutmostpleasuretosharewithallofyouguyswhatIknowaboutlanguagesandlinguisticsingeneral. Postnavigation HowtoUse“asitwere”inaSentence“Incontrastto”:Meaning&Usage TopPostsTheManyMeaningsof“(Korean)CrowTit”DEMYSTIFIEDWhatisTheMeaningof/s?