As a nation, Brits are renowned for their love of saying please and thank you; however, new research has shown that UK residents are forgetting to say thank you to their nearest and dearest on a daily basis.

The survey of more than 1,000 Brits by Philips has revealed almost two fifths admit to forgetting to say thank you to others for everyday things, despite 82% of people admitting they long for more thanks from others for the little things they do.

The catchily-named Philips Great Big Little Thank You Report also revealed we are more likely to say thank you to a complete stranger than our own friends, work colleagues or siblings.

That’s right – even though most of us claim to say thanks up to seven times a day, we’re more likely to be showing our gratitude to an unknown who opens a door for us than to a friend who picks the kids up from school or cooks us a meal.

Results from the poll suggested it may be our busy lifestyles which are to blame, with one in ten of those surveyed saying they simply don’t have the time to say thank you. However, seeing as it takes less than two seconds to say those magic words, we’re not so sure that’s a justifiable excuse.

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