Names

[Kitten in the box]

I kind of get weirded out when people I don't know call me by my name. Its like they say "Hey Kitty HI!" all cheery. and Im thinking "Uhhhhhh...hi? Don't know you but hi just the same...you can leave now." They say it in a way like were best friends or something...A FEW customers know me by my real name and they are cool so I don't care if they get all "weird and happy" when they see me. co-workers too. But Im generally a nice person so I try and be nice to everyone I meet.

[Retail Associate]

One of the worst things about working retail is wearing a name tag. I don't like customers calling me by name nor do I like cashiers thanking me by name. If you don't know me, don't use my name. It makes me very uncomfortable and I think most people feel the same way.

When I'm cashiering I refuse to address/thank the customers who are complete strangers by name even though we're supposed to. Why do corporate heads think this is a good idea anyway?



.

[NightAngel]

Why do corporate heads think this is a good idea anyway?



.

Because it makes you feel like we're bestest buddies and you like to visit your bestest buddies right? You'll spend more money if I'm your friend- won't you?

See, here's the thing- I'm very selective about my friends. I have very few of them and the day one of these idiots who actually buys into this, "I'm your pal," BS wants to hang out, borrow money, catch a ride home, etc. then I'll have to flatten their dreams like pancakes under cinderblocks...

[Broomjockey]

then I'll have to flatten their dreams like pancakes under cinderblocks...

>_< Ow. That's flat. Yeah, though, I agree. I'm picky. About pretty much everything. Friends, food, and who gets my money. Usually it's the place that annoys me the least.

[LemonZest]

When I'm cashiering I refuse to address/thank the customers who are complete strangers by name even though we're supposed to. Why do corporate heads think this is a good idea anyway?

It is not a good idea. For one thing, you don't know for sure that is the name of the person standing before you.

For example, I do the grocery shopping for my parents, who have a different last name than I do. They prefer their groceries from a certain store, which is not the one Spouse and I prefer (and not near our home), but I use their store card there. Every time, the cashier says, 'thank you Mrs. ParentsName' (which happens to be misspelled in the computer so she's saying it wrong anyway). I'm NOT Mrs. ParentsName, and I find it irritating, especially as many of the cashiers know Spouse through his work and know darn good and well that while that was my unmarried name, I'm long since married. If you're going to call me Mrs., it should be Mrs. SpouseName!

My bank does the 'first name' thing, which I detest even more....I only don't change from them because every other bank in town does the same thing and their service is far better than most. But Bank calls me by the first name on my account, which I have never used (I have always gone by my middle name) and it is jarring to be called a name I don't associate with myself, but with my grandmother, who passed away 20 years ago.
Or, if I go through the drive-up window in Spouse's truck, they tend to call me by HIS name.

I was brought up to not use someone's first name until asked to do so, and I consider anything less to be very rude, but I don't say anything to the bank tellers (who are told to do it) though I have gone to management to register my feelings...it's not the teller's fault.

LZ

[Broomjockey]

It is not a good idea. For one thing, you don't know for sure that is the name of the person standing before you.

Sadly, it doesn't help much even when they do know that's not the name. I was at the Safeway one time, and used my phone number as it's my parents' club card, and the cashier mistyped it, and I told her as she did it that she typoed. It still managed to go through, on someone else's, and she said "Oh, it still went through, so some random person's going to get a gas discount now." And she still said "Have a nice day Mr. (Name off recipt)." >_<

[Kitten in the box]

a simple thank you and have a nice day SHOULD BE ENOUGH. I do NOT think it is necessary to thank customers by their name. I mean its not like you are gonna see them every day. Even if you do its still not necessary.

[NightAngel]

I do have customers that I see every day- quite a few of them really. But they know I know their names because they are there everyday and because I can bring up their accounts without using their ID, etc.

I tried calling quite a few of them by name the first few days of this- as an experiment- and every.last.one. looked taken aback or weirded out.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

I hate when people attempt my name. It's five syllables long and funkily pronounced and you're not gonna get it right. You're just not. So don't even try.

I always cringe when people butcher it, and especially in a retail setting, people notice. They often apologize, and then I am obliged to pronounce it for them, and then they have to try it, and it takes them 3 or 4 times just to get it right. Then I get the quiz on where the name is from and how I got it. All of which takes time.

I've had friends and bosses who could never figure out how to say it properly, no matter how long they knew me.

So, no, I don't like the idea at all. In fact I tend to avoid stores that make their employees use my name.

[Alfie]

I actually like it most of the time when people use my first name. I must admit though, tt sort of weirds me out at times, depending on the customer. But yesterday I had a really nice couple who were in and the man wrote down my name especially, I pronounced and spelt it for him. But, I do hate when they pronounce my name wrong, because I feel rude by correcting them. But overall, I give it two thumbs up.

[NightAngel]

I may not get your name right TPG but I do get a lot of people's names right that have unique or hard to pronounce names. I've had a lot of people go, "Wow! You said it right the first try!" There are some names that I won't even attempt though and for them I say Sir or Ma'am because I hate slaughtering names.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

The problem is, my given name is Anastasia. Americans all like to pronounce it the 'American' way obviously, but my name is Dutch and it is pronounced totally different. So people always mispronounce it, they think they know how to say it and will do so enthusiastically because a lot of people think it's a 'cool' name.

I have always had a pet peeve about people mispronouncing my name. I had teachers growing up who refused to pronounce it correctly, because 'this is America and I should have an American name'. Then they would get mad when I wouldn't answer when they mispronounced it. I have also been unwillingly 'given' nicknames all my life because some people just can't figure it out. So I am sort of sucky about it, but that's just because of my experiences.

[JustADude]

The problem is, my given name is Anastasia. Americans all like to pronounce it the 'American' way obviously, but my name is Dutch and it is pronounced totally different.

Sorry to derail, but would the Dutch pronunciation be the same as the Russian pronunciation?
I ask this because I am American, and I take a look at that name and want to pronounce "Ahn-a-stah-si-a", while I guess most of the ignorant fucktards you've had to deal with insist on "Ann-a-stay-sha".

[ds_36]

I hate to be called by my first name, mostly because I don't really use my full first name. And it just sounds so weird and random coming from someone who doesn't know me and obviously really doesn't care about me.

I also never really like using other people's names, I'm just quite weird like that. I'll very rarely address anyone by name, no matter how close they are, and even if I'm talking to a person abot someone else I feel really weird saying the other person's name.

But crap I'm only 32, so I hate Sir even worse. Yeah I'm layed back and relaxed, but Mr and Sir just seem weird to me.

I'm only 20, but personally I like being called sir or Mr. LastName. The reason is because I look young, so many people don't think I'm even 15. So the few times I get called Sir I actually feel like I look similar to my age.
What I really hate is when someone gets my attention by addressing me as "sir" and then when they realize how young I am going "oops I mean young man"

[ThePhoneGoddess]

I ask this because I am American, and I take a look at that name and want to pronounce "Ahn-a-stah-si-a", while I guess most of the ignorant fucktards you've had to deal with insist on "Ann-a-stay-sha".

The Dutch and the Russian pronunciations are the same---the accent is on the 2nd to last syllable.
ah-nah-stah-SEE-a. The Spanish pronunciation is ah-nah-STAH-see-ah.

And yes, you are correct, most of the ignoramuses I have dealt with say it ayh-nayh-sta-sja. Grrr.