Customers Using Your Name

[TelephoneAngel]

The thing about my job as I am sure with everyone else's job, is that I have rules to follow and I could be sacked for not following them.

Something which I really hate is when a customer tries to get really friendly with you, usually when they know they are in the wrong in order to make you not follow the rules just for them.

I can usually tell when this is about to happen as they start using your name several times in every sentence and it really really irritates me when that happens.

me - "hello telephoneangel speaking how can i help you?"
customer "whats your name how do you spell it?"
me - "gives name again"
Customer "well, telephoneangel the thing is, and i'm sure you can understand telephoneangel, i need xyz doing, telephoneangel won't you do that for me?"

and on and on and on.

[ShadowTiger]

I had a really nice guy doing that to me yesterday. Kept wanting me to discount him something. I reeeaaaally wanted to do it, because I'm far too nice like that.

Instead, I bring up a copy of the employee handbook! I point to the particular passage where it states that any employee found bending the rules (not verbatim of course.) will be subject to discipline. Then I compare the dollar discount to an xxxxx dollars a year job, and either they back off, or I mirror with minor variation any pleas they continue to give me according to my own needs as well.

[calulu]

I hate hate hate HATE that over familiarity of saying your name again and again like it's some magic talisman to who knows what.

But I hate even worse when they call me 'sweetheart', 'honey', 'sugar' or 'baby', like I'm some sub moron that has to be coddled with patronizing monikers.

[Gaki]

I actually HAVE a name tag that clearly says my name. I understand that my name is not a common one, in fact I have only ever met one other person with it in real life and to my knowledge there are only two famous people who have it (and have EVER had it). So I understand that not many people recognize it but it is NOT hard to pronounce, it's actually one of the simplest rare names in the world.

But I have people stare at my name tag and then try to say my name and get it wrong while reading it. They've said it without the last letter (a common name), leaving off the last letter and putting "is" at the end (another common name), and people who add in an "i" before the last letter (Yet again, a SORT OF common name.) The biggest fail is when they say my name the correct way and then cycle through these other ones.

They think using my name will endear them to me. Well, lemme just say that saying my name wrong isn't going to make you any more of my friend. Now I don't mind some nick names, you can cut off the first and last letter of my name and it's pretty cool, but not when I don't know you.

It's like they think it's a magic word. Well, your magic powers can come back to haunt you if you say the spell wrong.

[Rapscallion]

I like to remember a customer's name, but I'll use it at the end of a call to make sure they know I remembered it. Done this as a customer as well. Using it more than that? Creepy.

Rapscallion

[ralerin]

I made a thread about this ages ago, I can't be bothered to pull it up. Basically, this one woman is over familiar with using my name. She was in last night and asking me, "So, ralerin, where are the Cadbury eggs? When did they put them out, ralerin? Oh really, ralerin? Wow, ralerin."

One of these days I might have to tell her: "My name is not some credit card or $100 bill you flash around to impress. I don't like you using my name so much, please stop."

[EvilEmpryss]

When someone is wearing a name tag at work, my husband feels that it is polite to at least acknowledge their existance by using their name once, usually at the end of whatever transaction they're handling. Usually this is just a simple "Thank you, Janice" after Janice says "Have a nice day."

I usually note the name, but then only use it if I need to leave a compliment or a complaint with a manager. Especially if I'm going to leave a compliment.

But yeah, anything beyond a greeting or a farewell is too much. Waaaay too much if the name is being used every sentence.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I don't like the customers calling me by name. That implies a level of familiarity that just isn't there.

That probably stems back to when I was a senior in high school and my high school band went on a trip to New York City. All of us had name tags, prepared by the company handling the trip for us, that we had to wear at all times. So then you'd have the folks selling counterfeit t-shirt, fake Oakley sunglasses, fake famous-name jewelry and watches, etc, all calling us by name trying to get us to make a purchase.

Before too long I took to wearing my name tag lower on my shirt, where some stranger couldn't just look at it and find out my name.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Where I work currently is pretty loose on employees wearing nametags. Most of our regulars learn our names anyway.

I had a CW who wore a nametag with a fake name.

At the call center the official rule was that we were required to give our FULL NAME to any customer who asked for it. Seeing as how I have an unusual last name, I absolutely refused to do this. I begged to be allowed to use a fake name instead, but settled on just using my first name and ID number. That was enough for the company to identify me with if a customer had a complaint.

[aurelemsrealm]

I've been at my store for several years now, so most of the regulars know me by name. I know most of them by name, too, but some I don't. I rarely ever bother putting on my tag, but I do keep it in my smock pocket just in case we get a surprise visit from the area manager or a surprise inspection. We have a few blank tags laying around, too, and sometimes I'll put one of them on instead just to see if anyone notices. It's been a while since anyone has said anything about it.

[Lace Neil Singer]

My name badge is so battered now, that the name part has rubbed off. I've been wearing the now blank name badge for ages, just to see how long it takes before someone notices. So far, no-one has.

For the record, a lot of old dears and old men call me duck, dear, pet, etc... and I don't mind in the slightest. It's not meant to be insulting; it's a regional thing, especially those born and bred in Yorkshire.

[Imogene]

I HATE (No, seriously, HAATE! I keel you!) my legal name. I mentally tune it out when I hear it.

I went in to get my first paycheck from my new job yesterday (Hurray, money!), and the secretary who had the checks asked for my social security number so she could find my check, then went, "...'Legal name'?"
*sigh* "Yes..."
"Okay, 'Legal name', you do have a check, 'Legal Name'. Just sign the sheet with your name on it, 'Legal Name'!"
Did you just use my legal name three times in rapid succession? Just so you know, I HAAATE you now.
Even the trainer knew I prefer 'Shorter Name' after the first time we met face to face. That was a surprise to me, let me tell you.

[Plaidman]

My past two bosses were pretty lax on us wearing nametags. However, the vice president of our company has recently started cracking down on us wearing aprons and/or shirts, and nametags. I had to reorder mine as I've lost mine years ago and never worn it.

Now people started to use my name, and its starting to see people know my name, yet I know nothing of theres.

[Andara Bledin]

Nekojin's mom doesn't care for her given name and goes by a shortened version.

She has said that if she gets to the pearly gates and St Peter calls for her by her given name, she's going to hell.

^-.-^

[Zoom]

I used to have a nametag that was so old that the ink on the name had smudged all over the tag and had the illusion of filth. I put a store sticker on it with a corner of it missing, so it looked like an orange Pac-Man was about to gobble some unsightly black pellets inbetween two blue stripes of maze wall.

At least with our nametags we don't have to deal with giving the full last name, only the initial; but since we've had to put a "Lower Prices" ribbon underneath the nametag, I like to tell people my NEW last name is "Lower Prices".

The only time anyone asks for my last name is when they want to report me to management because I had refused to sell them booze. Presumably they're sober enough to actually remember the last name, but I magnify my evilness in their minds by telling them to get out a pen and paper so they can spell it right.