Customers Using Your Name

[Mr Hero]

It's even more annoying when they keep calling you a name that's not yours.

[Jay 2K Winger]

It's even more annoying when they keep calling you a name that's not yours.

This. Twice over the last three days I've had people calling me "Ryan" or "Brian." My given name is nowhere near those two, doesn't even SOUND like them.

The first person who called me that, I said, "My name's not Brian." "Oh. I'm sorry, Ryan." "That's not my name either." Then she squinted at my nametag and called me by my real name, then laughed about what just happened. "I don't need more sleep, really!"

Then there was Firefighter-Fios Guy, who's called me "Ryan" as well. I haven't had the chance to correct him yet.

[Ironclad Alibi]

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.

Just because you're required to give your last name doesn't mean you have to spell it correctly. That could sidetrack any potential stalkers.

Regarding names, I used to work for the US Navy. A few times people would call in to my office having misheard my first name. They thought my first name was "Captain." I rarely bothered to correct them.

[SuperRTL]

I hate hate hate having people use my name if they don't really know me. To make matters worse, my name is a familiar sounding one that's spelled differently. Most people have to take a couple tries at it before they realize that, yes, I am a Valley Girl. Thankfully, the only time I have to wear a name tag is if I"m wearing the apron. If I'm wearing one of the official shirts, I don't hafta. Yay! It was honestly worth the investment to get enough shirts to for the week.

Now, I have pet names that I call people when I'm helping them. If I need to get by somebody in an aisle I'll say "Scuse me, darlin', don't want to run over you". I'll say yes, ma'am and yes, sir, as well. I've called my bff Pookie over the intercom before, too. If I call you princess, though, I'm just pretty sure you're worthless or you're acting worthless.

[SourRobot]

It's even more annoying when they keep calling you a name that's not yours.

Hahaha! This happened to me a lot when I first started working at my current job, and now it only happens once in a while.

I keep my name tag with me, but I don't usually wear it. I REALLY HATE my name with a passion, so whenever I hear it I cringe. I don't mind at all when people shorten it and I really wish I could get a name tag with my shortened name on it, but they won't give me one. I guess it's okay when the customer says my name when they're thanking me at the end, but any other time I feel that it's very unnecessary. One time I was already helping someone at my register and one guy came over and said, Excuse me?" and I ignored him because I was still talking to the customer I had been helping, and then he said, "Uh, (name)?" That made me irritated. Uh, I know you're there, I'm just not finished with my current customer!

[lobo94]

For years, I went by an ethnic variant of my name. My family used this variant to distinguish me from my father, rather than calling me "Junior". When they didn't use my childhood nickname. IN school, people usually didn't use my legal name. And in the Army, it was either my rank and last name, or just my last name.

When I entered the civilian workforce, people would use the legal name until I told them what I preferred to be called. Every now and them, someone would ask where I got my preferred name from. I got tired of explaining that my "traveling name" was a variant of my legal name from the old country.

So, a few years ago, I gave up the variant. Easy enough to do. My relatives mostly use the nickname. Old friends have pretty much fallen into place. Though if someone calls me "Wolf" rather than "Lobo," I won't lose any sleep over it. And to be fair, a young lady thought "Lobo" was prettier than "Wolf". Note:I only use Lobo here;I'm just making a point.

Kal-El to Clark Kent to Superman-it's all the same.

[Calvin St.Hobbes]

I just introduce myself as "Mr. Xxxxxxx" and answer to only that or "sir"

[scorpionf]

I hate when customers use my name like we are best friends!!! It's like - you are only going to speak to me this one time, we are never going to speak again, we are never going to see each other in person, we are not friends, so don't start and end every sentence with my name!

I don't need to hear "Hi scorpionf, I need to change my internet plan scorpionf, can you please change me onto the 12 Gigabyte plan scorpionf?"

It makes me wonder if it is possible for my name to be worn out...

In saying that, I hate it even more when I get called sweetheart, honey, babe, sweetie etc etc... Yeah, not even my ex used those when speaking to me, so what makes you think I want to hear a random voice on the phone calling me this!!

Then there's when they call me "scorp" like my friends would, when they are not one of my friends, they don't know me from a bar of soap... So if you're going to use my name, at least use my full name.

[MoonChild2007]

I think its worse that we call center reps have to say a customer's last name let alone having the customer say our names. Some customers have those really long names and some of them are hard to pronounce.

Not sure why we can't say thier first name if a customer is allowed to say our first name.

[MrSmiley]

This. Twice over the last three days I've had people calling me "Ryan" or "Brian." My given name is nowhere near those two, doesn't even SOUND like them.

On an unrelated note, once worked with a management team that included a "Ryan" and a "Brian"... and let me tell you, things got awfully confusing when customers said "I talked to...... **an"

On a related note, I wear a nametag and whenever a customer uses my name, I mentally flinch... but at the same time I understand that I'm wearing a nametag right there on my chest so it's acceptable. I don't have to like it though.

[Dentarthurdent]

Yeah, that's horrifyingly annoying. A couple pulled me off to the side to complain to me about the firmness of their mattress one morning and kept using my first name like it was the magic key to get me to escort them to the front desk and demand for them a refund in the name of all that was holy. Now really, if your mattress was "so bad we slept on the floor", why the HELL didn't you try to get a different room when you talked to the front desk LAST NIGHT?...I mean, I'm aware their response was something like "It's a brand new mattress", but surely you could have talked them into it...

"We're architects, <dragonslayer126>, so we like the way this is laid out..." well, then, you're idiots, because the architect responsible for these lumpy atrocities loosely classed as "buildings" was completely unaware of people's needs, winter weather in the area, etc. when she drafted them. I guess the interior decorating is moderately palatable, but it has a certain subdued ugliness and anachronism about it...

"...but we think you should fit a bigger bed in this room, <dragonslayer126>" sure, I'll just snap my fingers, since you figured out how to use my name to compel me, and give you a free mattress upgrade, and what's more I'll travel in time so you had it last night. For truly I am a goddess.

"Well, thanks for your time, <dragonslayer126>" I resent every second, you pricks "and we hope you concede, <dragonslayer126>, that this is no way to run a business" fair enough. "I guess we got what we paid for, it's only a $XX room" Yeah, no shit, so why did you just spend the last ten minutes using my name like a Valley Girl uses "like"?

Erm...sorry. Got carried away.

I laid on the mattress in several places and positions, and found it better than the one in my dormitory, though it did have one slightly sunken spot. I flipped it end-for-end and got on with my day. And their claims that "2 of every 10 guests will complain about this mattress, <dragonslayer126>" were completely unsubstantiated...