Maybe you should wear a tametag

[batmoody]

Oh and I do this all the time....I will read the receipt and it will have a name like Jill Smith, I turn to the customer, say "Thank-you Ms. Smith" only to see that its the husband. Talk about robotic. But thats what it is..... Beleve me, I would rather not talk to anyone at all, but its policy......

[Mixed Bag]

I know a casual restaurant whose servers' name tags are obviously nicknames--what a great way to show awareness!

[Loony On The Run]

When I am a customer, I hate it when the staff use my name. I know they're just trying to be polite/or have been told to do it. But it wigs me out.

Shopping to me is an anonymous experience which means no names please! Starbucks does it to me all the time.

[frigginyeah]

I know a casual restaurant whose servers' name tags are obviously nicknames--what a great way to show awareness!

I did that when i worked at the gap. it was incredible. it was like i had a power over them...

"NO! my name is NOT really meggo... but i will pretend it is... and confuse the hell out of you while you torture yourself wondering WHY would anyone name their daughter meggo??"

[Mixed Bag]

One place I've eaten at A LOT, where I usually paid by credit card, finally started calling me by name recently because they knew it from the card. This is very different from doing it via policy for strangers.

I've started referring to servers there by their names more (though I only learn them from their books as they don't wear tags). Actually I have a great fear of getting names wrong and only use them if I'm very sure of them.


But what really makes names in the workplace so special is that they're pun material (where's the ducking smiley?):

Other regular customer (to server in nearly empty dining room):
----"Nick, you're a peach."

Me (pausing several seconds, feverishly sensing opportunity):
----"No, I think you're more of a Nicktarine."

[Rapscallion]

It was accepted advice at many civil service frontline departments in the past to use badges with false names in case aggrieved people looked for you in the phone book. This was very common in the unemployment offices.

A few knuckleheads seemed to think that they could get a job through threats (interesting interview technique) or creating vacancies.

Rapscallion

[Bugg]

I find it offputting for people to use my name if I don't know them, especially because I'm sure they are after something they are not entitled to or expect me to 'go the extra mile' if they call me by my name..not happening, the rules I have to work with are what they are. I especially hate people that overuse it (like 8 times during a 10 sec conversation)....and as a customer LEAVE ME ALONE, I hatewhen stores want to put up that fake relationship crap, its insulting to be surrounded by that much insencerity, and I will do my best to avoid it, I'ts gotten to the point that I get weirded out every time i leave lower NY and go to a store, even tho I know most cashiers in other places are genuinely friendly, its still weird to me.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Right there with you, Bugg.

First stint at Kinko's, there was quite a bit of bogus nametag wearing. Sometimes, we'd switch with each other, probably a dumb practice, but if you lost or forgot your name tag, you HAD to have one. So you'd borrow one from whoever had left their apron and tag hanging in the stockroom while on break or after they'd left.

This last time, either our boss (who really was a great guy) or corporate got the bright idea to put our last names on the tags. I told him in no uncertain terms I would not wear such a tag. I am way too easy to look up. We even had one young girl who had a near-stalker (known as The Chickenman...that's the guy who called me "The Scum of the Earth".) who I told not to wear her last name on a tag, either. What the heck were they thinking about? She blocked hers out with paste up tape. I simply refused to wear mine until they ordered some that weren't going to be dangerous.

Bad idea, folks.

[BiscuitMunroe]

I have to give my first and last name @ work. *outbound call centre* however, if I have a really angry customer demanding my name, they only get my first and extension. I am literally the ONLY person in the world with my First and Last name, espeically since I got married and hyphenated. Therefore, just typing my last name into Candaa 411 brings up ONE person, me and my wife.