Customers today ( following on from Matt's thread)

[Sandra6]

At work I have to wear a name badge, sometimes customers will then use my name in conversation - often they lean forward and peer at it to read it - in general I find it unsettling and sometimes it's down right creepy.
Do you use a person's name because you happen to have read it?
Do you think it's necessary to know the member of staff's name at all?
What do you call the person on the other side of the counter/bar to you??

 

[DTD]

Tend not to use people's names in shops unless I know them or am a regular. It always jars slightly if I pay by card and someone uses my first name as they give me the card back.
I don't like anything like that if it's 'corporate policy'. However coming from Manchester all blokes everyone refers to each other as "love" or "mate" anyway.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

At work I have to wear a name badge, sometimes customers will then use my name in conversation - often they lean forward and peer at it to read it - in general I find it unsettling and sometimes it's down right creepy.
Do you use a person's name because you happen to have read it?
Do you think it's necessary to know the member of staff's name at all?
What do you call the person on the other side of the counter/bar to you??

Well sandra .................. I have to confess that sometimes when I am been served, particularly if it is taking a long time, I do sometimes find myself looking at the name badge for no particular reason but I cant say I have ever then used it to engage the person in conversation.

 

[MontyVeda]

when i worked in Argos... people on the shop floor would wear any old name badge. Wearing one with their own name on was a rarity.

 

[Arch]

I don't use people's names much at all, even people I know - really only if I need to differentiate one person in a group I want to address.

I also find it creepy if strangers use mine, or anyone uses it a lot. Some people seem to feel the need to use your name in every sentence, even when there are only the two of you talking.

 

[MrJamie]

When I worked in retail, we used to pick up random badges out of a box filled up by each year's Christmas temps, quite a few times a customer would call me by the badge name and I'd forget I was wearing it and think they'd mistaken me for someone they knew, they'd often pick up on the blokes wearing a woman's name badge though.

Maybe I'm just hinting towards social awkwardness, but I'm always a little bit paranoid that if I look down at a woman's name badge to read it while talking to them, they'll think I'm taking a good look at their chest.

 

[Night Train]

I don't use people's names much at all, even people I know - really only if I need to differentiate one person in a group I want to address.

I also find it creepy if strangers use mine, or anyone uses it a lot. Some people seem to feel the need to use your name in every sentence, even when there are only the two of you talking.

This^^^
Also when they stand too close (and keep moving closer as you progressively step backwards) and still use your name all time.



One time I did use a person's name from their name badge.
I got good an friendly service in a Little Chef (back in the days when it was a decent road stop) so I wanted to fill in the feedback card. I asked 'Mary' if she would mind me mentioning her table service in particular. She said she didn't but also that her name wasn't Mary. She said was new and they didn't have a badge with her name on so gave her 'Mary's' as it was the closest they had to her name, Amy!
So Amy got a positive mention in the feedback.

 

[Noodley]

Get a job that does not involve a name badge or stop being so fecking miserable and up your self.

 

[Tommy2]

People use your name in shops, wether customer or staff as it is a means of building rapport,
For sales staff it helps to become personal with the customer and make them feel like you care about them so they feel secure and trust that what you are saying is for their benefit as a friend so they will buy more stuff.

For customers it is kind of the same but to make the salesman feel like they are friends, people in general want to please other people so if the customer builds good rapport with you then you are more likely to give discount or good advice.

On the other hand some people are just odd like that.

 

[Arch]

In real life people generally don't use other people's first names that much. They just speak to each other without any reference marker whatsoever. It's one of the basic mistakes that those who fancy themselves as writers make when they churn out their novels. As an editor I spend endless hours taking out first-name references in dreadful dialogue:

'How are you, Derek?'
'Well, Keith, not too bad today as it goes.'
'Pleased to hear it Derek.'
'Thanks Keith.'
'No problem Derek.'

It sometimes happens a bit in The Archers, but as a radio show with a big cast, it's probably to help listeners quickly identify the characters in a scene.

 

[Arch]

Get a job that does not involve a name badge or stop being so fecking miserable and up your self.

Nobber.

 

[Sandra6]

Thanks for the good career advice Noodley.

 

[Noodley]

A pleasure, as always

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I have very little to with customers, they're a fecking nuisance and get in the way of a smooth running factory.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

When I worked as a university lecturer, a number of my overseas students used to call me 'respected Sir'.

I quite miss that.....

You don't miss all the gob down the back of your jacket when you get home though do you?