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Politeness

Kent Wang

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I try to avoid saying "no problem" as "you're welcome" and "my pleasure" are much more courteous. More businesses, especially restaurants and hotels, should address their customers as Mr. Perhaps people address me by my first name because I'm young but this is ageist.
 

globetrotter

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Originally Posted by Kent Wang
I try to avoid saying "no problem" as "you're welcome" and "my pleasure" are much more courteous.

More businesses, especially restaurants and hotels, should address their customers as Mr. Perhaps people address me by my first name because I'm young but this is ageist.



not to sound like our friend kenny P, but this pisses me off too. I really hate it when I get refered to by my first name by people who are serving me or providing me a service.
 

itsstillmatt

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I am the opposite. I always ask people to call me by my first name.
 

Matt

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Originally Posted by iammatt
I am the opposite. I always ask people to call me by my first name.
yeah me too. Im Australian, so I think a casual egalitarian streak kinda comes with the territory. Of course in Vietnam I am Mr Matt
 

Kent Wang

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I've always been fond of the term sahib.
 

globetrotter

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Originally Posted by m@T
yeah me too.

Im Australian, so I think a casual egalitarian streak kinda comes with the territory.

Of course in Vietnam I am Mr Matt



I was called Mr. Zach for a big part of my life, too.
 

CoryB

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I'm always fond of formality. It is sad that no one still uses titles anymore. I think they are a form of respect not of subserviance, but if I (at 17) use Mr. or Mrs. it is always get a response similar to "I'm just like you, call me [blank]."

A friend recently related a story of his mother (who is in her 90s) recieving a telemarketer who called her by her first name. She asked who he was looking for and again called her by her first name. She then said "you are speaking with Mrs. Stoddart" and then put down the phone. We need more people like that.
 

itsstillmatt

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I always chuckle at your name since I went to high school with somebody named Zach Trotter.

Even after many, many years of being an adult, when smebody calls me by Mr. I look around to see if some older family member might be in the room.
 

Matt

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Originally Posted by globetrotter
I was called Mr. Zach for a big part of my life, too.
good mate in Saigon, was talking about how he is always called Mr Chris. Said he was talking to someone who called him Mr Chris and then stopped to correct himself. Chris thought 'ahh cool, finally someone who knows i should be Mr. Smith' The correction..."Dr. Chris" Given that he works in an ad agency and never went to college, that's a hell of a promotion and he accepted it graciously
smile.gif
 

globetrotter

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globetrotter

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Originally Posted by m@T
good mate in Saigon, was talking about how he is always called Mr Chris.

Said he was talking to someone who called him Mr Chris and then stopped to correct himself.

Chris thought 'ahh cool, finally someone who knows i should be Mr. Smith'

The correction..."Dr. Chris"

Given that he works in an ad agency and never went to college, that's a hell of a promotion and he accepted it graciously
smile.gif


yeah, sometimes in Latin America I have been called "doctor" - basically, I guess the whiter you are, the more educated they figure you are in some places.
 

rdawson808

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I try to get my students to call me Bob but some just won't. Some call me Dr., some Prof. Many call me Dr. Bob.

But in a service setting I really would prefer it that people not act like we've been friends for years and call me Bob. I have to admit it. When I'm really pissed with someone's crappy customer service and then they call me Mr., I correct them with Dr. But that takes alot.

bob
 

globetrotter

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Originally Posted by rdawson808
I try to get my students to call me Bob but some just won't. Some call me Dr. Dawson, some Prof Dawson. Many call me Dr. Bob.

But in a service setting I really would prefer it that people not act like we've been friends for years and call me Bob. I have to admit it. When I'm really pissed with someone's crappy customer service and then they call me Mr Dawson, I correct them with Dr. Dawson. But that takes alot.

bob



I gotta say, if I had worked hard and had a doctorate, it would be hard for me not to mention it all the time. I know it is wrong, and I never refer to myself as "mr", but it would be very attractive to call myslf "doctor" if I had put in the time.
 

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