What’s with all the thanking?

So my new temp job is at a blood bank, and I call people all day asking them to donate blood.  It’s not glamorous, it doesn’t pay well, but it pays and I was sick of being stuck at home all day.  So I’m here.  It’s good for now, I can still continue job hunting, and I’m making money.  There are some pretty strong items to complain about regarding it, but this isn’t the place for it, so for all intents and purposes, let’s just assume it’s an alright job.

Except for one thing that really bugs me.  All the “thank yous”.  Of course, I’m all about it- “Thank you for your time”, “Thank you for transferring me”, “Thank you for not calling me a vampire and then hanging up on me”.  I understand that, I’m in the business of asking for people’s life-sustaining fluids.  What I don’t get is all the “thank yous” I receive.  Not that I mind the politeness, but I’m not offering people a thing.  So why is it that when I end an unsuccessful blood solicitation call with a “Thank you”, I get a “Thank you” in return?

And don’t think this is limited to the blood industry, either.  People these days are way to thankful.  And again, please don’t take this the wrong way- gratitude is great.  But it’s when the gratitude becomes too much that it gets annoying.

Me:          “Excuse me, how do I get to XYZ?”
Stranger:  “Oh, you just go here and then here and then here.”
Me:          ”Oh ok thank you.”
Stranger:  “Thank you.”

Thank me?  Really?  For what, inconveniencing you for 15 seconds?  When all this thankfulness spreading around, soon we’ll be thanking the thank you police while they thank us for thanking so much.  It’ll just get frustrating.

Thanks.