In our fast-paced society, the polite act of writing thank-you letters has become increasingly rare. Many people prefer to thank people with a quick phone call or e-mail, rather than take the time to write and send a personal letter . A note of advice: Take the time. The extra effort will be appreciated and make you stand out from the crowd. If you don’t write thank-you letters , start now. Thank-you letters are critical to maintaining good relationships. Conversely, not sending a thank-you letter when one is called for can harm a relationship. You may think that other people don’t care if you send a thank-you letter — but they do. A wide variety of occasions are appropriate for sending thank-you letters. The most obvious is when you have received a gift. You should also thank people for favors, friendship, and effort expended on your behalf. Tips for Writing Thank-You Letters • Don’t view w riting a thank-you letter as a chore, as so many children do every year