Appropriate reply to お疲れ様です

[Lomaster]

Moderator's note:
This post is derived from the following thread.

お疲れ様、ご苦労様

is there a difference bewteen お疲れ様 and ご苦労様? thanks.

jref.com

What would be an appropriate reply when お疲れ様ですed while leaving the workplace by a regular customer (not a colleague)?

 

[Toritoribe]

I would say 失礼します. Or, お邪魔しました or ありがとうございました if it's in the customer's home.

 

[Lomaster]

I would say 失礼します. Or, お邪魔しました or ありがとうございました if it's in the customer's home.

It was right in front of the restaurant i have a part-time job at. As i was leaving after my shift - the customer was queuing to get in and recognized me. As one of my colleagues later suggested something along the lines of 「あ、今晩は」would be a good choice.

 

[Toritoribe]

As i was leaving after my shift - the customer was queuing to get in and recognized me.

In that case, いらっしゃいませ also works perfectly fine.

 

[Lomaster]

In that case, いらっしゃいませ also works perfectly fine.

Now that's interesting. Is the queue outside also considered to be a part of the restaurant for いらっしゃいませ purposes? Is there a risk of such いらっしゃいませ being misinterpreted as a welcome to come inside (leading to an awkward situation)?

 

[Toritoribe]

It's obvious that the customer is going to get in your restaurant, so there's no problem. いらっしゃいませ is not used only after entering there. You can say it when you encounter a customer in front of your restaurant (if he/she is going to enter there, of course).

 

[Lomaster]

I see. Thanks for explaining that, Toritoribe.