showing appreciation for hard work

[letslearn]

皆さんこんにちは
When I am in japan in winter I often see people shovelling snow. At times (especially when they are shovelling around entrances of businesses, hotels etc. For peoples convenience and safety) I feel like telling them I appreciate their hard work.
Could I say something like.
雪かきをしてくれてありがとうございました．
お疲れさまでした

Is お疲れさまでした appropriate?
よろしくお願いします

 

[Toritoribe]

It should be お疲れさまです since they are still doing it now. ご苦労様です or 大変ですね can be alternative.

 

[Mike Cash]

I would probably say ご苦労様です。

In addition to a recognition of work/effort, it is always nice to show a bit of personal concern as well.... 危ないから無理しないでください。

Add intonation and 会釈 for flavor and you're good to go.

 

[letslearn]

Thank you Toritoribesan
雪かきをしてくれてありがとうございました．
お疲れさまです
would 大変ですね。sound more natural and friendly?

 

[letslearn]

Thanks guys,
雪かきをしてくれてありがとうございました．
危ないから無理しないでください .
お疲れさまです

I will learn this and give it a go next season.

 

[Toritoribe]

An explanatory expression such like 雪かきをしてくれてありがとうございました sounds quite unnatural in a conversation. As you can see, Mike-san doesn't mention the action 雪かき at all either, since it's obvious what you are talking about from the situation. ありがとうございました should be ありがとうございます, because of the same reason as お疲れさまです.
(In the first place, ありがとうございます is hardly used here because they are not doing it just for you.)

 

[letslearn]

Thanks that makes a lot of sense.
I could just say..
大変ですね。
危ないから無理しないでください .

 

[Mike Cash]

Here's something fun to think about:

While you might not use ありがとう, it would be possible to use ありがたい.

ご苦労様です。これはありがたいことです。

 

[letslearn]

Here's something fun to think about:

While you might not use ありがとう, it would be possible to use ありがたい.

ご苦労様です。これはありがたいことです。

The nuance of ありがたい is more like appreciate then ありがとう's thanks isn't it.

 

[Mike Cash]

The nuance of ありがたい is more like appreciate then ありがとう's thanks isn't it.

Yes.

Are you familiar with the 〜がたい suffix?

 

[letslearn]

Yes.

Are you familiar with the 〜がたい suffix?

No I am not familiar with that. Looks like I have some study to do.