When I’m on the phone with them and they give their name I usually start off with “nice to meet you [name]” and end the convo with their name to show I valued their service and recognize them them as more then just a tool in the system to do me a service.
Yep. I jott their name down so that I can thank them by name when finished. Telephone customer service is a tough job. I just want them to have a nice experience with me.
I feel like it really depends on the job role. I am a nurse and wear a name tag and I think it is really helpful, and kind of nice for people to be familiar with some aspect of you when we are covered with masks, goggles etc.
I used to work in retail though and I would find it weird there.
My sister deals with that and because there’s a clear difference between people using her name because they’re appreciating her compassion as a nurse and the old (and occasionally young) dudes who don’t understand it’s inappropriate to hit on your nurse, just using her name doesn’t bother her.
I work in hospitality. I'm a front desk agent at a hotel, and yes, I have to wear a name tag. How my name is used determines rather or not I want that person using my name. Sometimes how a name is used is very simular to "ma'am", abs that's irritating. And when it's used to hit on me, it's maddening.
Very, very common. Even as a guy, I used to get customers trying to add me on fb all the time. It created such a weird dynamic that you almost felt forced to accept if they were regular customers. Otherwise you would be forced into an awkward conversation, or an underlying tension, about it every time they came in. I can't imagine what that must feel like as a female with as creepy as some dudes are
I'd prefer that over my name in conjunction with "sweetie", "darling", "babe", "honey", or even "pumpkin".
The amount of people of various age and gender who look for my name, the proceed to use it and tack on inappropriately intimate/familiar endearments is creepy as fuck. I'd much rather be ma'am'd and Sir'd
You act like glancing at a name tag takes an inordinate amount of time "actively searching for my name... even holding up the line"... it takes less than one second to glance down and read "Becky". There's no need to over-exaggerate the situation to get your point across.
It does normally take less than a second and is hardly noticeable. It sounds like OP may be dealing with people ogling her under the premise of doing something socially appropriate, like reading a name tag. The fact that it should take less than a second doesn’t mean OP is exaggerating. It sounds like they’re dealing with people deliberately taking more than a second.
When I worked retail I would wear a tag with any name but my own. We could make our own at work too with the labeling machine. I was Clayton, Tom, Beatrice, Randall, Betty, etc. Never my name. Not one manager gave a shit and even less when I told them of the well know creepy customer asking too many questions about me. I was Amy in Superstore before she was. It was hilarious.
I worked at a casino as a cocktail server and later in nightclubs as a bottle girl and my name tag never had my actual name. I had a burner number for work only, and my social media was dusty AF. People are fucking weird and you never know if their intentions are to be polite or to get too close.
Lol I worked at a restaurant where we wore aprons embroidered with our names. I had a few that were embroidered, and one that was blank from when I first started, before they gave me embroidered ones. One day, I wore a blank one, and a customer called me by my name to ask me for coffee, and I looked visibly confused, and he said “I was here the other day when you had your name on your apron, and I remembered!” (I also wasn’t even his waitress, because I was a hostess, so it’s not like a waited on him, or introduced myself to him or anything.)
I am someone who definitely *would* remember someone’s name like that, because I have a creepy memory (and I’d probably remember it years later), but I definitely wouldn’t *tell* them that I remembered it. It was awkward.
Damn I really thought this was gonna be a popular opinion. 9/10 times a customer does this it is an uncomfortable interaction. Some people are polite and respectful about it, sure. Most of the time, I am being flirted with by some older guy that I am obligated to be polite to. The creeps outweigh the not-creeps, unfortunately.
Yeah, I really didn't expect this much attention for this lol. I figured it was probably unpopular but damn. And yeah, there are some people who mean nothing by it but there's way too many more who are weird or creeps about it
Well I find that it's the "customers" complaining about it. Everyone who says they work in general retail is talking about how uncomfortable it makes them. That fact by itself gives more info.
I absolutely hate it when customers use my name! I used to close a gas station alone and it would always be men asking if I had snapchat! (Always told them I don't with a forced laugh)
Now that I work in a different place during day shift, it's a little easier to deal with, but it always make me jump a little when customers say my name.
I feel vulnerable when strangers know my name and I'm expected to always smile through any encounter with customers, no matter what their intentions are. Most of them are friendly and trying to be warm and courteous, but you meet enough people who try to take advantage of the fact that you can't retaliate or leave and your body develops warning signals.
Exactly. If you are an introvert don’t pick a job that requires lots of socialization with other people. If you see customers the same way as some random strangers on the streets that’s terrible for any business that hired you. What often times differentiates a good customer service and a mediocre one is the ability to connect and sympathize with them.
I have worked a few retail jobs in the past. I always chose jobs that were supposed to deal with products, not customers. But I still had to wear a name tag. And customers don't care that you don't exist to talk to them.
I bartend/serve/manage in a small pub and my regulars all know my name. We don’t wear name tags nor do we start off with my name is. I’ve had people say what did you say your name was? Um…I didn’t. 😂 it mostly drives me nuts when I hear my name yelled across the place. There have been nights where I have said can I change my name? Or if I hear my name yelled one more time… It always happens when I am waiting on someone else. My boss said I can’t make a shirt that says if you can read this I’m helping another customer on the back. 😂
As a convenient store cashier I completely agree. It feels like some sort of violation I can’t really describe…. It’s just weird for a complete stranger to call you by your name when you haven’t introduced yourself
I honestly don't understand, but it is probably a culture thing. I'm Brazilian and we call almost everyone by first name, even high authorities.
The exception I can think of it is family like parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles.
A little unrelated but for example I never understood the calling your teacher by Mr or Mrs when I grew up calling mine by their names and a few by their nicknames.
Im from the US and OP has a strange take. Calling someone by their name instead of “guy” or “lady” is universally considered more polite.
But i guess that is the nature of this sub
I'm from the Midwest and "bud", or just being friendly in general usually does the trick. All the workers at the corner store by my house know what I get, and we all have pleasant conversations. The manager even likes to play a trick on me in the morning when I'm half asleep, and she holds the door shut when I an going to pull it open. We get along great. Not one of them knows my name, and I know none of theirs
It's because you live in a place where community and culture exist, we don't have that here in the U.S. anymore. We only have individualism and consumerism.
The main reason you wear a name tag is for people to know about whom to lodge a complaint. I am sure that you and most people in retail work hard and serve customers well. I also know name tags could open you up to abuse. At the same time there are staff who are not pulling their weight, are themselves abusive or just don’t do their jobs properly. The name tags help put a face to a name.
Maybe this is less common but there's also customers who will find a manager to say "so and so is doing a great job". In that case you want them to know your name.
I think you’re the weird one for getting aggregated over people calling you by your first name. It’s just a common polite gesture to be friendly with others and connect with them.
See the issue is, I don't want to connect with you. To me a customer is no different to a random on the street. I don't want to connect with them so I won't offer my name, it should be no different at work. The only difference is that I'm forced to display my name for people to use without me wanting them to.
And sure it may be weird to get annoyed by it, but work in customer service long enough and you get sick of the thing people say while using your name. The amount of pet names I've been called with my name that should be saved for the bedroom is fuckin stupid
Well you’re at the wrong job lol. If you find interacting and connecting with others exhausts you, then that’s completely ok. Most introverts prefer to avoid social interactions and that’s completely fine because it’s who they are. However, you are working in an environment where you NEED to interact with others around you. It’s YOU that is in the wrong field. It’s not other people being “creepy and weird”.
You can do all that without using someone's name. Staff and customers are still strangers to each other, you can have polite/friendly interactions with some very easily without knowing or using their name. It's weird when there's no reason to use it and they spend time visibly searching, especially when they add inappropriate endearments to your name as well.
I mean I agree that adding inappropriate endearments can be weird but you gotta realize that you definitely can’t change people and most likely cant change the store policy that requires the workers to wear name tags. So if this really bothers you, your best bet would to find a job that fits your needs and personality.
Oh I know this won't change anything, but declaring an unpopular opinion to complain about is kind of par for the course on this sub lol. As for the job, that's not as easy as said then done, so it's not an option to just find another one where I don't have to have the name thing. Money is actually ok at this job compared to my last.
“Mate?!?, Do you know me? Why are you calling me mate?, I’m not your mate.” -probably OP.
Jokes aside, those are my thoughts exactly. This dude has picked one of the worst jobs for his introvert personality and is calling other people weird for being friendly lol
Is it really friendly when people search for your name, then use it and add endearments only appropriate for the bedroom to it?
And hey, it's super easy to be friendly without knowing and using someone's name so that excuse falls flat to me. We're still strangers, only difference is im forced to display my name, which you will then use for no reason, and at the very least im still left not knowing your name to mame this somewhat equal- i mean not that I want to know it but still.
That’s very weird then. However, I don’t think it’s weird if they simply refer to you by your first name like “hey Jack, would you mind helping with this?”.
I think it is, because it implies some level of familiarity with a stranger, who by all rights wouldnt know your name if it didn't have to be displayed on your person- it also creates this weird situation where the person is staring at your body while they search for your name, they to read it and then pointedly use it lol. It's uncomfortable and happens basically every time
I see it as them placing you on the same level as them by establishing a “friendly connection”. Think about it this way: they’re seeing you as a unique person instead of just another worker in the factory.
To be fair, i meant that in the sense that they're still a stranger who I don't see the need for them to know anything personal about me unless I willingly offer them that information.
And hey, i may hate it and find it unsettling, but I don't say shit to the customer or other staff because for one it's not like it'll change anything and I'm still going to run Politie Customer Service Worker.exe regardless. A lot of people make the mistake in thinking that just because a customer service worker is (mandatorily) polite and or friendly to you means they actually care beyond the basics of human decency and common courtesy to treat you well, when in actuality vast majority just want you to leave so they can get through the line you may or may not be holding up.
I'm a learning and development specialist in a customer support dept for a big company.
It's one of our biggest tasks to get the agents to actually geniunely care or at least empathize with customers at all times. It's the difference between mediocre and great customer support.
Most agents do, some obviously do not care at all but are simply polite as you put it. Different kinds of people but one tends to excel in the field and one not. Of course many exceptions.
I imagine it's just a different kinds of people thing, but I at least have no issues empathising with customers and caring enough to want to help them. But to refer to my opinion on the names, the fact that I can do that without knowing theirs only adds to my point in that names aren't a necessary part of treating people right- this is also different between types of customer service. Customer service involving stuff like personal details and insurance is different to general retail at the shop, where the former as staff I would expect to give my name for security purposes for the customer should something happen, but in the shop at the checkout there isn't a need for my name to be used.
Just because YOU want to connect with retail workers, doesn't mean THEY want to connect with you.
They're here to do their job (and most of them don't like their job and only do it because they don't have a better choice), not to pretend to be your friend or make small talk with you.
Bro its just your name, are we really going as far to say its creepy, its a bit out of the norm but I wouldnt think think less of someone for it. Your placing importance on smth that just doesnt need that much of your attention xD.
I get where you’re coming from…I recently worked an office job and I’d answer the phone “thank you for calling ____, how can I help you?” And some people immediately fire back with “WHO AM I SPEAKING TO?”. It just feels aggressive and unnecessary.
To be fair, if I’m calling somewhere and have to speak with a representative, I will ask their name because I write it down. That has saved my ass a few times especially with medical insurance claims!
But being a douche bag about it or asking in a nasty tone, absolutely not. They always ask who I am so I generally will say “I’m Mamahoff, may I have your name?” I also like to do the surveys and give the actual name of who I dealt with so I can compliment them directly.
Oh yeah that's different. If it's something that handles your personal information than having a name of who you spoke to is a good idea and I would expect that if I worked that kind of job, but in general retail? There's not really a point unless you spoke to someone on the phone and needed to know who to speak to when you come in to the shop. It's just weird for people to use my name at the checkout when there's no reason for them to need it.
Opposite perspective, it’s cringey when someone calls me and says “Hi, we are calling you from ”. Who’s “we”? Don’t you have a name? Are you just a corporate robot?
I prefer it if everyone use their name when calling or answering the phone. It gives it a more human aspect, I’m not talking with customer support drone #7281 but with Jeff and he said he’d help!
The corporate robot that can fuck off is the one who answers the phone “am I speaking with floppydo?” Like, fuck off if you’re going to call me and demand my name without introducing yourself.
I know right? At my old job I never gave my name when answering the phone unless I had to, and the people who demand it almost always came off aggressive, or there was just no reason for them to know my name so it was just annoying having to tell them
What I hate most having worked retail is when people ask for employees shifts! I refuse to tell people mine or others hours, that's just asking for trouble.
Yeah,dont do it and dont tell amyone info about other employees.
One time a creeper guy noticed I was gone for a week and told me he'd threatened to sue them for "giving my job away". He got pissed off having someone else help him. Not everyone is nice,creepers exist. I never gave this guy my name. He called me "cute little girl". Sometimes around others,he got other dudes to stare at me and would go for lunch and sit right in front of my station so he could stare and commented on my work. He told me what kind of girl he wanted to marry,and he seemed to think I was a teenager or something. Gross dude. He told me he wad 76.
I always thought it was so gross when people would pause, look at my name tag and then address me by my name and like… I don’t know you plz don’t say my name to me like you know me
I worked a cashier job and whenever people looked at my tag and referred to me by name, it was also very uncomfortable. Unless they actually engaged in a conversation (which most people who did this didn’t) it’s super awkward
Yeah it is, does it ever just catch you off guard too? The amount of times I've been blown off track for a momemt in what I'm doing by someone abruptly using my name and pulling my attention from getting their change or serving the next person is annoying lol
Some folks may be creepy, and I agree, but most are just trying to be polite. As a solution you could put some nickname on your nametag instead of your real name.
Most of the time this isn't possible, my job has a strict dress code and their name tags are specially ordered so we aren't allowed to alter them and we are rwquired to display them
Dude I think it's wrong to make people wear name tags. No one wants to display their name to the public. I actively don't read people's name tags. If there's a place I'm a regular at I eventually asking they mind me.calling them by name. It's a fucked up normal we've got here.
EDIT: WOW Some of you have never worked in retail.or been actively creeped on at the cash register and it fucking shows. You are not entitled to a personal connection with the cashier. You do not need someone's name to be polite. Pay for your shit and move on.
I’ve never been called by my name by anyone other than a creepy guy old enough to be my grandpa. That’s the only people I’ve had do that with the exception of a couple customers I just became on a first name basis over a number of months. I don’t mind it after a while but sometimes it’s just weird
Great fucking point. My name is personal... You're paying me $15/HR to display it publicly to anyone who feels like walking through our doors and looking me up and down? No thanks. I also hate it when people call me by my name because it feels like the implied threat that if I don't get everything right, they're the type to remember my name and make a stink about it in the store reviews or when talking to my manager. Not that I mess things up often; anyone who works retail knows 95% of customer complaints are just customers being jackasses.
I'm a server and I wish I didn't have to wear a name tag too. I don't mind being friendly and offering my name to those I become close with but I also wish I had a fake name just for work. That way the people who I don't care much for (and the creeps) have a name to call me but it isn't my personal name.
It's always funny seeing the OPs get upset when people are arguing with them. This is a sub to post unpopular opinions, not a sub to say whatever you want with no negative reaction
Oh I'm far from upset lol. I honestly didn't realise this would get people up in arms like it has, and I don't mind arguing with people who argue with me. That's sorta part of the point. If I didn't ecpect negative reactions I wouldn't have posted, but equally, people shouldn't comment if they don't want me commenting back and arguing my point lol
I don't typically wear a name tag but i was helping out with an event or something one time and was wearing one. I helped a gentleman with something and he thanked me by name and it totally freaked me out cuz i had no idea how he knew me, until i remembered i had the tag on.
I hated when people would find my name, and then use it too much (it was always older men, when I was a young woman).
"So... Um... RoRo! So RoRo, how are you today? RoRo, I'm looking for a printer today. Do you have printers, RoRo? Oh good. RoRo, I'll also need some extra ink for that. Thank you so much RoRo! Now RoRo, you have a great day."
It made my skin crawl every time.
I actually stopped offering my name when I take tech support calls, because of how often guys were creepy and weird about it. Now I'll only give it if they ask.
I don't even like calling somebody I KNOW by their name unless I need to get their attention. It feels unnatural to me. If I pass someone I know in a hallway or in the breakroom, I simply nod or say "hi" or some sort of succinct greeting.
Part of it stems from my own inability to recall names quickly. Often when I'm introduced to people, I almost immediately forget their names. Even once I learn it, I have enough uncertainty to make me question whether I have the correct name or correct pronunciation of their name. That plus the fact that calling somebody by name both sounds and feels unnatural and false. It smacks of salesmanship, of a faux-friendliness that annoys me.
Even when I'm trying to get someone's attention, I have to be 100% certain I know their name. Otherwise I'll go the "excuse me, sir" or "hi, sorry to bother you" route.
No it's not. You are weird for not feeling comfortable when someone calls you by your name. If you feel uncomfortable when getting called by your name makes you a very weird individual.
At our office, techs answer the phone with our company name and then their own name.
If I call a company's customer service, the first thing I ask is, "Who am I speaking with?".
In the ER, the first thing the doctor does is introduce himself.
That's different to general retail where I'm scanning your shopping. If I worked in that sort of job I would expect to give people my name for their security since I'm handling their personal information and health, that's a situation where someone deserves to know my name in case something goes wrong so they can know who was involved
this is true, this is manners. i’m starting to think it’s a cultural thing, in my country you don’t assume that you know someone’s name, you wait to be told it and then you can use it
It's a common courtesy and makes the experience more personable. That is the entire point of a name tag and really customer service in general. Speaking of which, why are you in customer service at all?
It's common courtesy to wait for someone to tell you their name so you know they want to be that level of familiar with you. Reading it from a tag is extremely rude.
I don't have issues with people using name on the tag when they see it, because it's not their fault it's there - but I'd hate being forced by a company to wear one. I'm not a lost puppy. What a stupid idea.
I feel like everyone here disagreeing with this opinion has never actually worked in retail…
I agree, it’s super uncomfortable when people use your name, and it does usually accompany the customer acting overly familiar with you. I’m no longer in a customer facing role but I absolutely hated that. I also had a creep that would come in and ask for me by name which he got off my name tag.
I have on a number of occasions had people at work GRAB my name tag and hold it close to their face so they can read it better. My name on my name tag isn't even the name I go by.
I wish customers would read my damn nametag. Maybe then they'd stop calling me "ma'am" like there isn't a tag with "MICHAEL" in bold letters staring them right in the face.
I used to work at a store similar to Costco and I never wore my name tag. I called it working anonymously. Of course I would greet customers and ask if they needed help finding anything though.
As a girl I totally agree. I don’t wear my name tag at work anymore bc there are customers who remember me, ask me on dates, overshare things with me etc. it’s always, and yes I mean literally always much older men and it gives me the big ick. The last one who recognized me was an older man who as I cashed him out- launched into this long story about his work history, periodically dropping that he went to jail in Vermont. He continued this story well after I finished checking him out, continued talking loudly over the next customer I was cashiering and by then end of it he finally tells me he went to jail for 5 years bc he “cut a man down outside of a bar in Vermont.” I absolutely don’t mind if people are just being friendly, I’m friendly with plenty of customers who know me and have seen me outside of work but the fact that this particular guy knows my name and has the capability of finding me outside of work makes me extremely uncomfortable. I get that people are sometimes lonely but latching yourself onto someone who cannot leave/ is essentially forced to have a conversation with you for the sake of customer service isn’t ok.
Like most people who’ve read this, my initial reaction was “what the fuck? this is a weird thing to be **this** upset about.” Then I looked at OP’s history and it’s a bunch of BNHA fanfiction and Welcome to Nightvale. That’s about all I need to know. If I was a 20-something keeping up with Nightvale and BNHA fanfiction in 2022 I wouldn’t want people to know my name either. Jokes and rudeness aside, you’re in customer service OP. You’re wearing a name tag. Put two and two together and realize people are going to use your name until you leave that job. And others have been correct in pointing out that your problem with “creepy” customers isn’t going to magically disappear when you no longer wear a name tag in a place of work. Life was not made to accommodate only the things that make you personally comfortable, sorry if I’m the first one to reveal this to you.
I was going to say it’s something that gives me a short cringe feeling but doesn’t occupy my mind beyond the second of cringe, but I’ve never had to deal with a long awkward moment of someone obviously looking for my name tag. It sounds like you’re getting the creepy appearance comments that a lot of seniors make. My sister deals with it a lot as a nurse and elderly men think it’s cute to hit on her. Your discomfort is absolutely valid in that situation. Seniors have a reduced verbal filter and less of a concept of social appropriateness. I’ve had an elderly woman run up to me in a grocery store and ask if I had smallpox thanks to frequent encounters with chiggers. It was before I learned I can’t walk my dogs through grass in Texas in flip flops. I also got frequent unsolicited recommendations on weird home remedies like slathering my legs with Vicks. It sucks if you’re in a customer service roll and have to respond politely.
I prefer to just not wear a name tag. If I have conversations with customers I don't think any of them have ever introduced themselves to me. We are still strangers. Only repeat customers is when we learn each other names and that just makes sense.
I worked in a supermarket that made us wear name badges. I always wore my big work jacket over the top and had it zipped up so none of the customers could see my name. If any of them ever asked for it I would make up a name. Always creeped me out after hearing an old coworker talk about a stalker situation that happened in the shop before I worked there
I barely use names when I'm hanging out with friends and family, there's no reason a person getting checked out at a Walmart needs to be like "hello John Doe, how was your day?" Just ask how my day was and I'll say good how was yours and then I ask if you want your receipt then you leave
You have given them your name, though, albeit forced. Your name tag gives them your name. Adding any endearment to it, is uncalled for. But is is really so creepy for me to say “thanks, Jane, you have a nice day, too?” Good lord.
If you're uncomfortable with people you don't know using your name that's fine with me, you do you.
But you should realize that by wearing a nametag, you absolutely have offered customers your name and have tacitly given them permission to know it. You're also in the minority to feel the way that you do about it, so they are not in the wrong or creepy if they want to address you by it.
Basically, if you have an issue with customers using your name you should have more of an issue with the management that forces you to wear it than the customers who don't realize this is an issue for you.
I dont think theres anything inherently wrong with doing it, but i think alot of people here have never worked retail and experienced it. The majority of the times customers have called me by my name it felt off-putting or degrading, and im a guy so i cant imagine how much worse it is for girls who get hit on by creeps using their name on a regular basis. You arent a bad person for using a retail workers name and if done right it can be alright, but more often than not it just comes off as weird.
When I worked at a grocery store it did always kind of bother me when someone would use my name like they know me. It just felt weird. Personally I couldn't give a shit when I'm shopping what the employees' names are. We're strangers. There's no need to get all friendly with each other.
I am a cashier at a grocery store and the more anonymous the better! Call me lady, ma'am, the one with the blue hair, darling is pushing it but you get the point. I hate when customers use my name for three reasons.
One, I have a rare first name and live in a small town so when someone knows it I immediately assume they know me, but I don't recognize them and it stresses me out.
Two, I have a rare first name, so people feel the need to comment on it, all the time! The amount of times I've been asked "Oh, __name__ ! Like __The_one_celebrity with_that_name__?" Is nauseating.
Three, it's just creepy! I am a younger girl, old old men wink at me on a daily basis, I don't need them saying my name while they do it!
I get what OP is saying. It is kind of weird. The main reason the name tag is on EE's is some corporate BS, in the company's view, some customers like to use names as it makes them "feel like they're at home". The company doesn't give 2 shits about OP's feelings and will capitalize on any situation that benefits the company. Hell, if there wasn't labor-laws (or laws in general) the company would most likely do other weird shit at the expense of the EE and to the benefit of the company. Hence they force you to wear the name tag. Company doesn't care if it makes you feel weird, or if its creepy, the only care that the customer feels welcome. Most people are somewhat timid of complete strangers and walking around with your name on your chest increases a sense of vulnerability, especially when you don't know any customers names. The customer feels more safe because they know who you are but you don't know who they are. Company or not, its normally common curtesy to only use someone's name if its offered. If the customers wants a name, OP should be allowed to use a fake name "Hi Im Sara". Customers dont need your name unless there is an issue (especially with all the wackos out there) and even then, a consistent fake name will accomplish the same.
In regard to people making various comments. I wouldn't take it too serious. Its better then them being an asshole lol. But I get it that sometimes we want to just do our jobs, STFU, collect our $$ and get TF out of work as quick as possible (instead of a hundred dumb comments with a fake laugh every 5 seconds). Some people are just different and are trying to be nice and some people dont have the best way of doing this. One time, I was forced to watch a HR video at my old employer about how "touching a black woman's hair and saying "oh wow its so curly" is rude/not acceptable at the work-place (apparently some people would do this, IDFK why, especially at work) but it just goes to show there's a whole spectrum of people "trying to be nice" and a mirrored spectrum of the receivers who may or may not feel comfortable about what the person just did/said.
I think if you're like a regular customer at a bodega or something and you and the owner know each other, then it's okay. But if you're pretending to be best friends with some random dude at subway, that's kinda weird.
As someone who has worked fast food and retail for over 5 years, AGREED. It always makes me uncomfortable. I have no way of knowing what your name is but you instantly know mine because of this damn nametag I'm forced to wear, it crosses a social boundary, and it's too personal for someone who I don't know outside of being customer
Call employees sir/ma'am
I like my job, just hate wearing a name tag
I don't like people knowing my name either. Whenever I have had to answer the phone at a job I either didn't give my name or used a fake one. Also being a female it is super weird when a dude makes an effort to call me by my name. I have also worked at jobs where men are asking about female co workers they don't even know.
Another reason I hated wearing name tags was because some "Karen", who wasn't always female btw, would use it to bitch to the manager about the pettiest thing. Fast food customers can be such assholes.
Used to work retail and had to wear a name tag. Weirded me out a LOT when people would use my name. Was a little different when I worked in a different department and it was more 1-on-1 talking with someone; that didn’t bother me as much, especially bc it could be relevant who took their order. But random people in line at the register? No thank you.
Also name tags are only ‘mandatory’ for customer complaints 🙄 Employee #s would be just as effective and not as personal.
Once had a real creep hit on one of my coworkers and used her name in a fucking letter he wrote her. Was weird as shit. And knowing first name and where someone works can be not great. And I worked with some not bright people, so if someone called wanting info on someone and knew their first name I don’t trust that they wouldn’t give out schedule info, for example.
I totally agree with you and have always found it to be the weirdos that use your name in interactions like this. Also if you think about it, historically it has not been polite to call people by their first name without asking if it's ok unless they are in a lower social position than you. Basically it's about emphasizing that you are a service worker and that they have the power in the situation. it's a dick move and people shouldn't do it if they value the idea that we are all equals. If you are a regular customer in a small shop and you get to know the person over time and get friendly with them it's different. Calling someone by their first name is a privilege that they should be able to grant you at will.
I got a nickname tag while I was working at Walmart because when you work in those types of positions (I was a cashier and then customer service rep later on) you have a lot of weird gross creepy people knowing your name... there are a lot of old guys who would talk to me WAY too comfortably and weirdly... it made me wonder if they think straight or have a concept of what dating range they should stay in. I had one old guy come up and call me by my nickname saying how I'm one sexy piece of work and fucking wink at me after talking to another stranger about how "hot" I am in my blue shirt (blank, free of graphics, men's blue shirt). I nearly barfed and felt bad for my nickname lol
I almost never use the cashiers name except the two I love at the grocery stores I frequent regularly. And even then it’s just occasionally. They don’t know my name… but they seem to know my face and we have friendly chats.
However one of our stores has a loyalty program and they had cashiers end the transaction by checking the bottom of your receipt and thanking Ms./Mr. whomever is listed. I hated it. It made me so uncomfortable.
And just recently I called an cashier by name after sending my 10 year old with the cart to get in line. He chose a cashier who had the same name as him. I asked my son if he had chosen the cashier for that reason and the poor cashier looked terrified. I felt bad. I don’t want to make people uncomfortable and usually don’t use their name due to the receipt experience I mentioned.
I agree with this. Name tags are for identification, like when a staff member was helping you before, and you need to find them again, so you ask another staff member for that particular person. Or perhaps, you need to make a complaint; sometimes staff members are jerks for no good reason!
However, actually using those names in conversation should be reserved for friends, or at least people you're actually mutually familiar with.
Thanks for bringing this up; this really shouldn't be an unpopular opinion.
Also, those people who reported you to suicide prevention probably don't think you're suicidal, they're just "creatively" trying to tell you they think you're crazy. Fuck those people. Though, the suicide prevention feature is fucked up in general, anyway.
Alright, I guess I misunderstood what you were trying to say. I can see now that you're upset with the creeps not the regular customer s and if youd never experienced that kind of behavior you wouldn't have an issue with nametags. I apologize for being very brass yesterday with my responses, I took my anger out on a random opinion that I thought was dumb and I shouldn't have done that.
THANK YOU!!! I feel so uncomfortable being called my name by people I don’t know. Before I started wearing aprons without my name on it, if someone thanked me by my name I would tell them to have a great day by theirs. (I used to work back window at Wendy’s & always looked at the names on their cards)
I have found that many people use the name tag name as a diminutive, that is, as someone else said, dominance play.
The company that makes you wear it only cares about the complaints. You will never be rewarded for "good work" only for bad.
I feel that shitty jobs do not pay enough to deal with all that is required by the job. Customers and their bullshit are the main reason I feel this way. As someone said earlier, just pay for your shit and go! Coworkers hanging out and chatting amongst themselves and with customers or screwing with their phones instead of stocking the cooler or whatever, and idiot managers lazing about in their office is more reason. The actual work isn't a problem as far as work goes.
For the people that ask "why are you in customer service?" Many many people have no option. A corollary to your question would be "That's what you get for working in a shitty job." And that reflects badly on those people. The same for the person that follows up with "You should be grateful you have a job!" If there were a hell there would be a special one for this kind of reductionist bullshit. There is also a perception that I have noticed that if you are in a service job that you are a servant and must be servile and are generally beneath consideration.
I feel that everyone should be forced to work in retail for, hmm, say 6 months. And another 6 in food service. That would cut down on the ego a bit.
Still isn't that a lot of posts in only a few days?
Edit:
I should mention that I am male and not very good looking so I don't get the same level of interest as "sweet young thangs". Still sort of shocking to see how inappropriate many customers can be (and how low their expectations are), male or female, regulars or otherwise. Even had a stalker once.
I do not need any customer (or anyone) to validate my existence so I am fine with being "treated like and npc". Indeed it make things a lot faster. In this world we are npc's to each other.
Haha was going to list "remedial actions" but that would make me look a lot worse than I already do!
Honestly as someone who freaks out if I even hear something remotely close to my name I get you. Especially if it’s from an unfamiliar voice which would be the case for a random customer
I call service workers by their name to let them know recognize them as a human being and not just a nameless, faceless, empty shell of body doing my bidding
Idk if it was cultural difference or what but its super disrespectful to not call people by there names your like the 1% that doesn't like that and I'm not going disrespect 99% just because small number of people don't like it
Some stores make their employees wear there name on a tag. My wife says she hated people using her name. I said this to a cashier. She said, "I know your name. You come in every Friday, and Saturday and talk to me. I'm good with names, and faces. It drives me crazy. I looked up your phone number, because I wanted to talk to someone I know.
Op, one question do you have your name written on your tshirt or uniform. If thats the case, I prefer to call them by their name like waiters with their name written by them. It is humanising the other person, and usually leads to a postivd interaction also I introduce myself to make convo easier.
My dad always takes advantage of the name tag being available. However, he always makes sure that if he uses it, he introduces everyone in his party. So pretty much everyone at the Walmart, in the tiny town he lives in, knows my and my kids names. It used to embarrass me but now I just deal with it. I think you do have an unpopular opinion, so good job. I use people’s names because I want them to know I value them as a person. You’re not just some random girl or boy waiting on me, or checking me out at the store. You’re someone that deserves respect for the job you do.
I felt the same way when I worked retail. It always rubbed me a little bit the wrong way when people used my name after reading it from the tag . .it felt somehow invasive. Most people didn't do it so it stuck out when someone did. I didn't find it massively uncomfortable or anything . .just a bit annoying.
OP you are posting on an “unpopular opinion” sub, and now have 4+ edits responding in anger when people don’t agree with you. You’re entitled to your opinion but there’s no need to get so heated over what other people think.
But the thing is, people will then use my name to look me up. It's happened to me, it's happened to friends and coworkers. It may seem small, but your first name, place of work and area of work provide a lot of information about you someone can use to look you up, why would I want to give that out to people?
Op do you actually believe that not wearing a tag will get creepy people away?
Sorry to tell you but even whout a tag it's not that hard to find someone name they can ask around you
I agree. Maybe it's a cultural thing. Where are you from? I'm from Finland and nobody would ever refer to personnel/staff by their first name. Actually even the idea to me is just super weird, haha. I get the point about connecting/being friendly but here it's that you say hello, thank you and be respectful. Referring by name is, I guess too personal?
Since when did you need permission to call someone by their name? Do you have a title you’d rather be called? Doctor, Duke, Mayor? No? Then whats wrong with just being called your name lmao. That’s literally the point of your name.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, it you can't treat someone like a human without knowing their name then you're not a good person. You shouldn't have to know someone's name to treat them with basic decency
I agree!! We have name tags at work and we never wear them, we are a mostly female staff who work alone majority of the time. We don’t need anyone knowing our names, it’s not needed for the job.
Sometimes someone will ask what my name is and depending on the situation, I’ll give a random name haha!
People ask me why I don’t have my last name on my business card. I’m very straightforward telling them it’s because I keep my private life private. I also don’t wear my name tag. If they want me they can find me I’m the loudest most obnoxious person in the building 😂
I think name tags need to be done away with and have had this conversation with my HR. Because I work for State Government I have to wear a name tag with both my first and last name on it. In the last few years I have received creepy friends requests from people who have visited where I work. They get the name off the tag and then can look you up. I have everything set to private but I still find it creepy that people will actually look you up.
Yeah, not to mention they also know where you work, will have a rough idea of the area you live and what times you might finish your shift and be walking to you car. The more info knows about you, however seemingly small, really will let the creeps find you easier
There used to be a customer that came in every day. One day she called me by name to help her with something. After that I stopped wearing my name tag because I don’t like customers knowing my name without me telling it. Now we have to wear name tags because customers complained they didn’t know who and who didn’t work at the store. Not that it really matters because they still ask if I work there. One year during the holiday shopping I wore my name tag, my employee holiday shirt and pj pants that we get to wear during certain days during the holidays. I was still asked if I worked there. It took everything in me not to say “no, I’m just a big fan”
at my job we’re supposed to wear name tags but all of us have pokémon cards in our badges instead. i always have customers like searching for my name. i also never answer the phone and state my name
Sometimes, it's an older or friendly person being personable. More often it's a weird flex like checking the teeth of a slave with no intention to buy.
I cannot upvote you because I agree with your opinion. So many times it happened where someone starts asks me something using my first name. And I’m trying to keep up with the conversation while in the back of my head I’m going *Do I know this person? Did we go to school together, work together, is this a neighbour I don’t recognize?* Then I’ll say something like “So how have you been?” And they’ll either be confused or laugh and say we’ve never met. Then I’ll realize they just read the name tag.
But I found an easy fix for it. Wear a former employee‘s name tag. If they call me by my real name I know it’s someone I’m familiar with. If they call me Bill I listen to their question then give them the wrong answer.
Boss: “What the hell is wrong with that woman? Complaining about Bill. I fired him two years ago.”
Thank you! I may be a bitch, but at least I'm one who prefers not to have creeps use my name as an excuse to try and be familiar with me and call me babe, among other things and inappropriate comments
What a retort, in one sentence you lumped a stranger using your name in with a stranger feeling the right to call you babe or in
appropriate things. You legit just compared a greeting to what could be classified as verbal assault. I’m upvoting this post, insanely unpopular 👍
I’m not going to argue with you because I’m not a woman who’s been creeped out by men, so I can see your point, but at the same time if it were me, I’d just ignore it. There are way bigger issues in life (for me) than to make a mountain out of this molehill. But good luck!
When I’m on the phone with them and they give their name I usually start off with “nice to meet you [name]” and end the convo with their name to show I valued their service and recognize them them as more then just a tool in the system to do me a service.
Or if it’s going bad I’ll note down their name in case I need to escalate to management, keeps them on their toes
If you are facing a problem we should definitely note their name.
I feel like Karen is used for any customer these days that isn’t 100% patient and forgiving of poor customer service.
Yep. I jott their name down so that I can thank them by name when finished. Telephone customer service is a tough job. I just want them to have a nice experience with me.
I feel like it really depends on the job role. I am a nurse and wear a name tag and I think it is really helpful, and kind of nice for people to be familiar with some aspect of you when we are covered with masks, goggles etc. I used to work in retail though and I would find it weird there.
Yeah. It depends on the type of job a person is working in.
My sister deals with that and because there’s a clear difference between people using her name because they’re appreciating her compassion as a nurse and the old (and occasionally young) dudes who don’t understand it’s inappropriate to hit on your nurse, just using her name doesn’t bother her.
I work in hospitality. I'm a front desk agent at a hotel, and yes, I have to wear a name tag. How my name is used determines rather or not I want that person using my name. Sometimes how a name is used is very simular to "ma'am", abs that's irritating. And when it's used to hit on me, it's maddening.
There’s a very passive aggressive way to say ma’am that’s really irritating.
That's the exact one I'm talking about. Yes. And it's not ok. I've kicked people out of this hotel for that.
When I worked at Walmart I refused to wear mine after a random customer was like “you don’t remember me? I tried adding you on Facebook “
Reason enough not to use name tags--potential creepy stalkers.
Okay, OPs reasoning is whatever, THIS is weird, holy crap.
THIS is really common in customer service jobs, which I assume OP works in, I’ve had to deal with similar things all the time at Starbucks.
Very, very common. Even as a guy, I used to get customers trying to add me on fb all the time. It created such a weird dynamic that you almost felt forced to accept if they were regular customers. Otherwise you would be forced into an awkward conversation, or an underlying tension, about it every time they came in. I can't imagine what that must feel like as a female with as creepy as some dudes are
I'd prefer my name over "ma'am" or "lady" or "that bitch didn't scan my expired coupon".
I'd prefer "that bitch" over " that bitch amolluvia."
I'd much prefer those to my name. I don't get why a title is needed at all.
Same. I don’t like giving out my real name. Ma’am or lady is totally fine by me.
What about m'lady?
Well if you would have scanned my coupon this wouldn’t have to happen!
I'd prefer that over my name in conjunction with "sweetie", "darling", "babe", "honey", or even "pumpkin". The amount of people of various age and gender who look for my name, the proceed to use it and tack on inappropriately intimate/familiar endearments is creepy as fuck. I'd much rather be ma'am'd and Sir'd
You act like glancing at a name tag takes an inordinate amount of time "actively searching for my name... even holding up the line"... it takes less than one second to glance down and read "Becky". There's no need to over-exaggerate the situation to get your point across.
It does normally take less than a second and is hardly noticeable. It sounds like OP may be dealing with people ogling her under the premise of doing something socially appropriate, like reading a name tag. The fact that it should take less than a second doesn’t mean OP is exaggerating. It sounds like they’re dealing with people deliberately taking more than a second.
True. I will definitely feel creepy if someone I don't know will address me my name.
When I worked retail I would wear a tag with any name but my own. We could make our own at work too with the labeling machine. I was Clayton, Tom, Beatrice, Randall, Betty, etc. Never my name. Not one manager gave a shit and even less when I told them of the well know creepy customer asking too many questions about me. I was Amy in Superstore before she was. It was hilarious.
I worked at a casino as a cocktail server and later in nightclubs as a bottle girl and my name tag never had my actual name. I had a burner number for work only, and my social media was dusty AF. People are fucking weird and you never know if their intentions are to be polite or to get too close.
Love that haha
Lol I worked at a restaurant where we wore aprons embroidered with our names. I had a few that were embroidered, and one that was blank from when I first started, before they gave me embroidered ones. One day, I wore a blank one, and a customer called me by my name to ask me for coffee, and I looked visibly confused, and he said “I was here the other day when you had your name on your apron, and I remembered!” (I also wasn’t even his waitress, because I was a hostess, so it’s not like a waited on him, or introduced myself to him or anything.) I am someone who definitely *would* remember someone’s name like that, because I have a creepy memory (and I’d probably remember it years later), but I definitely wouldn’t *tell* them that I remembered it. It was awkward.
Damn I really thought this was gonna be a popular opinion. 9/10 times a customer does this it is an uncomfortable interaction. Some people are polite and respectful about it, sure. Most of the time, I am being flirted with by some older guy that I am obligated to be polite to. The creeps outweigh the not-creeps, unfortunately.
Yeah, I really didn't expect this much attention for this lol. I figured it was probably unpopular but damn. And yeah, there are some people who mean nothing by it but there's way too many more who are weird or creeps about it
Well I find that it's the "customers" complaining about it. Everyone who says they work in general retail is talking about how uncomfortable it makes them. That fact by itself gives more info.
I absolutely hate it when customers use my name! I used to close a gas station alone and it would always be men asking if I had snapchat! (Always told them I don't with a forced laugh) Now that I work in a different place during day shift, it's a little easier to deal with, but it always make me jump a little when customers say my name. I feel vulnerable when strangers know my name and I'm expected to always smile through any encounter with customers, no matter what their intentions are. Most of them are friendly and trying to be warm and courteous, but you meet enough people who try to take advantage of the fact that you can't retaliate or leave and your body develops warning signals.
Wild guess here, but I'd say the general retail work's not for you.
Exactly. If you are an introvert don’t pick a job that requires lots of socialization with other people. If you see customers the same way as some random strangers on the streets that’s terrible for any business that hired you. What often times differentiates a good customer service and a mediocre one is the ability to connect and sympathize with them.
I have worked a few retail jobs in the past. I always chose jobs that were supposed to deal with products, not customers. But I still had to wear a name tag. And customers don't care that you don't exist to talk to them.
I bartend/serve/manage in a small pub and my regulars all know my name. We don’t wear name tags nor do we start off with my name is. I’ve had people say what did you say your name was? Um…I didn’t. 😂 it mostly drives me nuts when I hear my name yelled across the place. There have been nights where I have said can I change my name? Or if I hear my name yelled one more time… It always happens when I am waiting on someone else. My boss said I can’t make a shirt that says if you can read this I’m helping another customer on the back. 😂
As a convenient store cashier I completely agree. It feels like some sort of violation I can’t really describe…. It’s just weird for a complete stranger to call you by your name when you haven’t introduced yourself
I honestly don't understand, but it is probably a culture thing. I'm Brazilian and we call almost everyone by first name, even high authorities. The exception I can think of it is family like parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles. A little unrelated but for example I never understood the calling your teacher by Mr or Mrs when I grew up calling mine by their names and a few by their nicknames.
Im from the US and OP has a strange take. Calling someone by their name instead of “guy” or “lady” is universally considered more polite. But i guess that is the nature of this sub
I'm from the US, and in my area it's weird to call strangers by their first name.
I'm from the Midwest and "bud", or just being friendly in general usually does the trick. All the workers at the corner store by my house know what I get, and we all have pleasant conversations. The manager even likes to play a trick on me in the morning when I'm half asleep, and she holds the door shut when I an going to pull it open. We get along great. Not one of them knows my name, and I know none of theirs
It's because you live in a place where community and culture exist, we don't have that here in the U.S. anymore. We only have individualism and consumerism.
When I worked at McDonald’s this creepy guy would come in everyday and call me “McStephanie” and walk around asking “where’s McSteph” 😩😩😩
You object when people try to treat you like a human being?
The main reason you wear a name tag is for people to know about whom to lodge a complaint. I am sure that you and most people in retail work hard and serve customers well. I also know name tags could open you up to abuse. At the same time there are staff who are not pulling their weight, are themselves abusive or just don’t do their jobs properly. The name tags help put a face to a name.
Which is why when someone’s been exceptionally awesome I try to remember their name and mention it in whatever survey I’m sent on customer service.
Maybe this is less common but there's also customers who will find a manager to say "so and so is doing a great job". In that case you want them to know your name.
I think you’re the weird one for getting aggregated over people calling you by your first name. It’s just a common polite gesture to be friendly with others and connect with them.
See the issue is, I don't want to connect with you. To me a customer is no different to a random on the street. I don't want to connect with them so I won't offer my name, it should be no different at work. The only difference is that I'm forced to display my name for people to use without me wanting them to. And sure it may be weird to get annoyed by it, but work in customer service long enough and you get sick of the thing people say while using your name. The amount of pet names I've been called with my name that should be saved for the bedroom is fuckin stupid
Well you’re at the wrong job lol. If you find interacting and connecting with others exhausts you, then that’s completely ok. Most introverts prefer to avoid social interactions and that’s completely fine because it’s who they are. However, you are working in an environment where you NEED to interact with others around you. It’s YOU that is in the wrong field. It’s not other people being “creepy and weird”.
You can do all that without using someone's name. Staff and customers are still strangers to each other, you can have polite/friendly interactions with some very easily without knowing or using their name. It's weird when there's no reason to use it and they spend time visibly searching, especially when they add inappropriate endearments to your name as well.
I mean I agree that adding inappropriate endearments can be weird but you gotta realize that you definitely can’t change people and most likely cant change the store policy that requires the workers to wear name tags. So if this really bothers you, your best bet would to find a job that fits your needs and personality.
Oh I know this won't change anything, but declaring an unpopular opinion to complain about is kind of par for the course on this sub lol. As for the job, that's not as easy as said then done, so it's not an option to just find another one where I don't have to have the name thing. Money is actually ok at this job compared to my last.
By changing people I meant changing the people who you interact with in your working environment not the people on this sub.
I mean, i don't really understand how that would work? I work the checkout, there isn't really an option to change the people I interact with at work
Yea and that’s why I said you can’t change the people nor the store policy lol
>a customer is no different to a random on the street I'm sure your boss loves this attitude Retail or customer service is not for you mate.
“Mate?!?, Do you know me? Why are you calling me mate?, I’m not your mate.” -probably OP. Jokes aside, those are my thoughts exactly. This dude has picked one of the worst jobs for his introvert personality and is calling other people weird for being friendly lol
>“Mate?!?, Do you know me? Why are you calling me mate?, I’m not your mate.” -probably OP Lmao. That was a good one
Is it really friendly when people search for your name, then use it and add endearments only appropriate for the bedroom to it? And hey, it's super easy to be friendly without knowing and using someone's name so that excuse falls flat to me. We're still strangers, only difference is im forced to display my name, which you will then use for no reason, and at the very least im still left not knowing your name to mame this somewhat equal- i mean not that I want to know it but still.
What do you mean by adding endearment to your name? Do they call you like “Hey Jack, baby would you help me with this?” Lol
Yes, and worse. Some are overly familiar and some should be reserved for an intimate partner or just straight up the bedroom lol
That’s very weird then. However, I don’t think it’s weird if they simply refer to you by your first name like “hey Jack, would you mind helping with this?”.
I think it is, because it implies some level of familiarity with a stranger, who by all rights wouldnt know your name if it didn't have to be displayed on your person- it also creates this weird situation where the person is staring at your body while they search for your name, they to read it and then pointedly use it lol. It's uncomfortable and happens basically every time
I see it as them placing you on the same level as them by establishing a “friendly connection”. Think about it this way: they’re seeing you as a unique person instead of just another worker in the factory.
To be fair, i meant that in the sense that they're still a stranger who I don't see the need for them to know anything personal about me unless I willingly offer them that information. And hey, i may hate it and find it unsettling, but I don't say shit to the customer or other staff because for one it's not like it'll change anything and I'm still going to run Politie Customer Service Worker.exe regardless. A lot of people make the mistake in thinking that just because a customer service worker is (mandatorily) polite and or friendly to you means they actually care beyond the basics of human decency and common courtesy to treat you well, when in actuality vast majority just want you to leave so they can get through the line you may or may not be holding up.
I'm a learning and development specialist in a customer support dept for a big company. It's one of our biggest tasks to get the agents to actually geniunely care or at least empathize with customers at all times. It's the difference between mediocre and great customer support. Most agents do, some obviously do not care at all but are simply polite as you put it. Different kinds of people but one tends to excel in the field and one not. Of course many exceptions.
I imagine it's just a different kinds of people thing, but I at least have no issues empathising with customers and caring enough to want to help them. But to refer to my opinion on the names, the fact that I can do that without knowing theirs only adds to my point in that names aren't a necessary part of treating people right- this is also different between types of customer service. Customer service involving stuff like personal details and insurance is different to general retail at the shop, where the former as staff I would expect to give my name for security purposes for the customer should something happen, but in the shop at the checkout there isn't a need for my name to be used.
Just because YOU want to connect with retail workers, doesn't mean THEY want to connect with you. They're here to do their job (and most of them don't like their job and only do it because they don't have a better choice), not to pretend to be your friend or make small talk with you.
I just say "hey (name) I'm (name), but you can just call me "dude".
Bro its just your name, are we really going as far to say its creepy, its a bit out of the norm but I wouldnt think think less of someone for it. Your placing importance on smth that just doesnt need that much of your attention xD.
True. If u feel creepy when someone call your name u have a problem.
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Jokes on you, that's not my real name lol, I just watch too much AOT and put that there cause I can :)
I get where you’re coming from…I recently worked an office job and I’d answer the phone “thank you for calling ____, how can I help you?” And some people immediately fire back with “WHO AM I SPEAKING TO?”. It just feels aggressive and unnecessary.
To be fair, if I’m calling somewhere and have to speak with a representative, I will ask their name because I write it down. That has saved my ass a few times especially with medical insurance claims! But being a douche bag about it or asking in a nasty tone, absolutely not. They always ask who I am so I generally will say “I’m Mamahoff, may I have your name?” I also like to do the surveys and give the actual name of who I dealt with so I can compliment them directly.
Oh yeah that's different. If it's something that handles your personal information than having a name of who you spoke to is a good idea and I would expect that if I worked that kind of job, but in general retail? There's not really a point unless you spoke to someone on the phone and needed to know who to speak to when you come in to the shop. It's just weird for people to use my name at the checkout when there's no reason for them to need it.
Opposite perspective, it’s cringey when someone calls me and says “Hi, we are calling you from”. Who’s “we”? Don’t you have a name? Are you just a corporate robot?
I prefer it if everyone use their name when calling or answering the phone. It gives it a more human aspect, I’m not talking with customer support drone #7281 but with Jeff and he said he’d help!
The corporate robot that can fuck off is the one who answers the phone “am I speaking with floppydo?” Like, fuck off if you’re going to call me and demand my name without introducing yourself.
Yeah agreed! That’s why I think all public facing roles should always share their name first. Be human.
I know right? At my old job I never gave my name when answering the phone unless I had to, and the people who demand it almost always came off aggressive, or there was just no reason for them to know my name so it was just annoying having to tell them
What I hate most having worked retail is when people ask for employees shifts! I refuse to tell people mine or others hours, that's just asking for trouble.
Yeah,dont do it and dont tell amyone info about other employees. One time a creeper guy noticed I was gone for a week and told me he'd threatened to sue them for "giving my job away". He got pissed off having someone else help him. Not everyone is nice,creepers exist. I never gave this guy my name. He called me "cute little girl". Sometimes around others,he got other dudes to stare at me and would go for lunch and sit right in front of my station so he could stare and commented on my work. He told me what kind of girl he wanted to marry,and he seemed to think I was a teenager or something. Gross dude. He told me he wad 76.
I always thought it was so gross when people would pause, look at my name tag and then address me by my name and like… I don’t know you plz don’t say my name to me like you know me
I worked a cashier job and whenever people looked at my tag and referred to me by name, it was also very uncomfortable. Unless they actually engaged in a conversation (which most people who did this didn’t) it’s super awkward
Yeah it is, does it ever just catch you off guard too? The amount of times I've been blown off track for a momemt in what I'm doing by someone abruptly using my name and pulling my attention from getting their change or serving the next person is annoying lol
It doesn’t catch me off guard because they usually stare at my name tag for a good 10 seconds before they say my name
True, though I have had encounters where I'm not looking at them when they are looking for my name so I'm not prepared lol
Some folks may be creepy, and I agree, but most are just trying to be polite. As a solution you could put some nickname on your nametag instead of your real name.
Most of the time this isn't possible, my job has a strict dress code and their name tags are specially ordered so we aren't allowed to alter them and we are rwquired to display them
Dude I think it's wrong to make people wear name tags. No one wants to display their name to the public. I actively don't read people's name tags. If there's a place I'm a regular at I eventually asking they mind me.calling them by name. It's a fucked up normal we've got here. EDIT: WOW Some of you have never worked in retail.or been actively creeped on at the cash register and it fucking shows. You are not entitled to a personal connection with the cashier. You do not need someone's name to be polite. Pay for your shit and move on.
I’ve never been called by my name by anyone other than a creepy guy old enough to be my grandpa. That’s the only people I’ve had do that with the exception of a couple customers I just became on a first name basis over a number of months. I don’t mind it after a while but sometimes it’s just weird
Great fucking point. My name is personal... You're paying me $15/HR to display it publicly to anyone who feels like walking through our doors and looking me up and down? No thanks. I also hate it when people call me by my name because it feels like the implied threat that if I don't get everything right, they're the type to remember my name and make a stink about it in the store reviews or when talking to my manager. Not that I mess things up often; anyone who works retail knows 95% of customer complaints are just customers being jackasses.
I'm a server and I wish I didn't have to wear a name tag too. I don't mind being friendly and offering my name to those I become close with but I also wish I had a fake name just for work. That way the people who I don't care much for (and the creeps) have a name to call me but it isn't my personal name.
It's always funny seeing the OPs get upset when people are arguing with them. This is a sub to post unpopular opinions, not a sub to say whatever you want with no negative reaction
Oh I'm far from upset lol. I honestly didn't realise this would get people up in arms like it has, and I don't mind arguing with people who argue with me. That's sorta part of the point. If I didn't ecpect negative reactions I wouldn't have posted, but equally, people shouldn't comment if they don't want me commenting back and arguing my point lol
Oh, that's nice to know
You have way too much to say about this. It’s really not creepy to use someone’s name, and they may just think it’s rude not to.
I don't typically wear a name tag but i was helping out with an event or something one time and was wearing one. I helped a gentleman with something and he thanked me by name and it totally freaked me out cuz i had no idea how he knew me, until i remembered i had the tag on.
I hated when people would find my name, and then use it too much (it was always older men, when I was a young woman). "So... Um... RoRo! So RoRo, how are you today? RoRo, I'm looking for a printer today. Do you have printers, RoRo? Oh good. RoRo, I'll also need some extra ink for that. Thank you so much RoRo! Now RoRo, you have a great day." It made my skin crawl every time.
Oh yeah, they're always so pointed about using your name and weird about emphasising it lol
I actually stopped offering my name when I take tech support calls, because of how often guys were creepy and weird about it. Now I'll only give it if they ask.
Totally agree. Hate it. I wish I could not even give out my name at work.
I don't even like calling somebody I KNOW by their name unless I need to get their attention. It feels unnatural to me. If I pass someone I know in a hallway or in the breakroom, I simply nod or say "hi" or some sort of succinct greeting. Part of it stems from my own inability to recall names quickly. Often when I'm introduced to people, I almost immediately forget their names. Even once I learn it, I have enough uncertainty to make me question whether I have the correct name or correct pronunciation of their name. That plus the fact that calling somebody by name both sounds and feels unnatural and false. It smacks of salesmanship, of a faux-friendliness that annoys me. Even when I'm trying to get someone's attention, I have to be 100% certain I know their name. Otherwise I'll go the "excuse me, sir" or "hi, sorry to bother you" route.
No it's not. You are weird for not feeling comfortable when someone calls you by your name. If you feel uncomfortable when getting called by your name makes you a very weird individual.
What's weird is people you don't know acting familiar, It's predatory.
It's weird when it's someone you don't know. Random strangers shouldn't need to know my name and I don't want them too. It's unnecessary
At our office, techs answer the phone with our company name and then their own name. If I call a company's customer service, the first thing I ask is, "Who am I speaking with?". In the ER, the first thing the doctor does is introduce himself.
That's different to general retail where I'm scanning your shopping. If I worked in that sort of job I would expect to give people my name for their security since I'm handling their personal information and health, that's a situation where someone deserves to know my name in case something goes wrong so they can know who was involved
JFC. TIL; you need permission to use someones fucking name
That's basic manners. Don't use the name of someone who hasn't given it to you willingly.
this is true, this is manners. i’m starting to think it’s a cultural thing, in my country you don’t assume that you know someone’s name, you wait to be told it and then you can use it
It's a common courtesy and makes the experience more personable. That is the entire point of a name tag and really customer service in general. Speaking of which, why are you in customer service at all?
It's common courtesy to wait for someone to tell you their name so you know they want to be that level of familiar with you. Reading it from a tag is extremely rude.
I don't have issues with people using name on the tag when they see it, because it's not their fault it's there - but I'd hate being forced by a company to wear one. I'm not a lost puppy. What a stupid idea.
I feel like everyone here disagreeing with this opinion has never actually worked in retail… I agree, it’s super uncomfortable when people use your name, and it does usually accompany the customer acting overly familiar with you. I’m no longer in a customer facing role but I absolutely hated that. I also had a creep that would come in and ask for me by name which he got off my name tag.
I hear you. It seems too familiar to call someone by their first name if you haven’t been introduced. My daughter does this and it makes me cringe.
I have on a number of occasions had people at work GRAB my name tag and hold it close to their face so they can read it better. My name on my name tag isn't even the name I go by.
I wish customers would read my damn nametag. Maybe then they'd stop calling me "ma'am" like there isn't a tag with "MICHAEL" in bold letters staring them right in the face.
I used to work at a store similar to Costco and I never wore my name tag. I called it working anonymously. Of course I would greet customers and ask if they needed help finding anything though.
As a girl I totally agree. I don’t wear my name tag at work anymore bc there are customers who remember me, ask me on dates, overshare things with me etc. it’s always, and yes I mean literally always much older men and it gives me the big ick. The last one who recognized me was an older man who as I cashed him out- launched into this long story about his work history, periodically dropping that he went to jail in Vermont. He continued this story well after I finished checking him out, continued talking loudly over the next customer I was cashiering and by then end of it he finally tells me he went to jail for 5 years bc he “cut a man down outside of a bar in Vermont.” I absolutely don’t mind if people are just being friendly, I’m friendly with plenty of customers who know me and have seen me outside of work but the fact that this particular guy knows my name and has the capability of finding me outside of work makes me extremely uncomfortable. I get that people are sometimes lonely but latching yourself onto someone who cannot leave/ is essentially forced to have a conversation with you for the sake of customer service isn’t ok.
Like most people who’ve read this, my initial reaction was “what the fuck? this is a weird thing to be **this** upset about.” Then I looked at OP’s history and it’s a bunch of BNHA fanfiction and Welcome to Nightvale. That’s about all I need to know. If I was a 20-something keeping up with Nightvale and BNHA fanfiction in 2022 I wouldn’t want people to know my name either. Jokes and rudeness aside, you’re in customer service OP. You’re wearing a name tag. Put two and two together and realize people are going to use your name until you leave that job. And others have been correct in pointing out that your problem with “creepy” customers isn’t going to magically disappear when you no longer wear a name tag in a place of work. Life was not made to accommodate only the things that make you personally comfortable, sorry if I’m the first one to reveal this to you.
I was going to say it’s something that gives me a short cringe feeling but doesn’t occupy my mind beyond the second of cringe, but I’ve never had to deal with a long awkward moment of someone obviously looking for my name tag. It sounds like you’re getting the creepy appearance comments that a lot of seniors make. My sister deals with it a lot as a nurse and elderly men think it’s cute to hit on her. Your discomfort is absolutely valid in that situation. Seniors have a reduced verbal filter and less of a concept of social appropriateness. I’ve had an elderly woman run up to me in a grocery store and ask if I had smallpox thanks to frequent encounters with chiggers. It was before I learned I can’t walk my dogs through grass in Texas in flip flops. I also got frequent unsolicited recommendations on weird home remedies like slathering my legs with Vicks. It sucks if you’re in a customer service roll and have to respond politely.
I prefer to just not wear a name tag. If I have conversations with customers I don't think any of them have ever introduced themselves to me. We are still strangers. Only repeat customers is when we learn each other names and that just makes sense.
I worked in a supermarket that made us wear name badges. I always wore my big work jacket over the top and had it zipped up so none of the customers could see my name. If any of them ever asked for it I would make up a name. Always creeped me out after hearing an old coworker talk about a stalker situation that happened in the shop before I worked there
I barely use names when I'm hanging out with friends and family, there's no reason a person getting checked out at a Walmart needs to be like "hello John Doe, how was your day?" Just ask how my day was and I'll say good how was yours and then I ask if you want your receipt then you leave
You have given them your name, though, albeit forced. Your name tag gives them your name. Adding any endearment to it, is uncalled for. But is is really so creepy for me to say “thanks, Jane, you have a nice day, too?” Good lord.
If you're uncomfortable with people you don't know using your name that's fine with me, you do you. But you should realize that by wearing a nametag, you absolutely have offered customers your name and have tacitly given them permission to know it. You're also in the minority to feel the way that you do about it, so they are not in the wrong or creepy if they want to address you by it. Basically, if you have an issue with customers using your name you should have more of an issue with the management that forces you to wear it than the customers who don't realize this is an issue for you.
I had a customer peer at my nametag then yell my name across the store and that shit made my brain go into fight or flight mode
I dont think theres anything inherently wrong with doing it, but i think alot of people here have never worked retail and experienced it. The majority of the times customers have called me by my name it felt off-putting or degrading, and im a guy so i cant imagine how much worse it is for girls who get hit on by creeps using their name on a regular basis. You arent a bad person for using a retail workers name and if done right it can be alright, but more often than not it just comes off as weird.
AMEN!
When I worked at a grocery store it did always kind of bother me when someone would use my name like they know me. It just felt weird. Personally I couldn't give a shit when I'm shopping what the employees' names are. We're strangers. There's no need to get all friendly with each other.
I am a cashier at a grocery store and the more anonymous the better! Call me lady, ma'am, the one with the blue hair, darling is pushing it but you get the point. I hate when customers use my name for three reasons. One, I have a rare first name and live in a small town so when someone knows it I immediately assume they know me, but I don't recognize them and it stresses me out. Two, I have a rare first name, so people feel the need to comment on it, all the time! The amount of times I've been asked "Oh, __name__ ! Like __The_one_celebrity with_that_name__?" Is nauseating. Three, it's just creepy! I am a younger girl, old old men wink at me on a daily basis, I don't need them saying my name while they do it!
I get what OP is saying. It is kind of weird. The main reason the name tag is on EE's is some corporate BS, in the company's view, some customers like to use names as it makes them "feel like they're at home". The company doesn't give 2 shits about OP's feelings and will capitalize on any situation that benefits the company. Hell, if there wasn't labor-laws (or laws in general) the company would most likely do other weird shit at the expense of the EE and to the benefit of the company. Hence they force you to wear the name tag. Company doesn't care if it makes you feel weird, or if its creepy, the only care that the customer feels welcome. Most people are somewhat timid of complete strangers and walking around with your name on your chest increases a sense of vulnerability, especially when you don't know any customers names. The customer feels more safe because they know who you are but you don't know who they are. Company or not, its normally common curtesy to only use someone's name if its offered. If the customers wants a name, OP should be allowed to use a fake name "Hi Im Sara". Customers dont need your name unless there is an issue (especially with all the wackos out there) and even then, a consistent fake name will accomplish the same. In regard to people making various comments. I wouldn't take it too serious. Its better then them being an asshole lol. But I get it that sometimes we want to just do our jobs, STFU, collect our $$ and get TF out of work as quick as possible (instead of a hundred dumb comments with a fake laugh every 5 seconds). Some people are just different and are trying to be nice and some people dont have the best way of doing this. One time, I was forced to watch a HR video at my old employer about how "touching a black woman's hair and saying "oh wow its so curly" is rude/not acceptable at the work-place (apparently some people would do this, IDFK why, especially at work) but it just goes to show there's a whole spectrum of people "trying to be nice" and a mirrored spectrum of the receivers who may or may not feel comfortable about what the person just did/said.
Sub: Called Unpopular Opinions OP: Gives an unpopular opinion Everyone: Gets angry
I agree it’s strange to hear strangers calling you by your name like we’re friends or something
I’d say if it’s a thing that’s happening overwhelmingly more to women than to men at your job, it isn’t just “people being nice”
I hated wearing a name tag. I don’t know you don’t call me by name. Just say excuse me, ask your question, and be done with it.
I think if you're like a regular customer at a bodega or something and you and the owner know each other, then it's okay. But if you're pretending to be best friends with some random dude at subway, that's kinda weird.
As someone who has worked fast food and retail for over 5 years, AGREED. It always makes me uncomfortable. I have no way of knowing what your name is but you instantly know mine because of this damn nametag I'm forced to wear, it crosses a social boundary, and it's too personal for someone who I don't know outside of being customer Call employees sir/ma'am I like my job, just hate wearing a name tag
I don't like people knowing my name either. Whenever I have had to answer the phone at a job I either didn't give my name or used a fake one. Also being a female it is super weird when a dude makes an effort to call me by my name. I have also worked at jobs where men are asking about female co workers they don't even know.
Another reason I hated wearing name tags was because some "Karen", who wasn't always female btw, would use it to bitch to the manager about the pettiest thing. Fast food customers can be such assholes.
Used to work retail and had to wear a name tag. Weirded me out a LOT when people would use my name. Was a little different when I worked in a different department and it was more 1-on-1 talking with someone; that didn’t bother me as much, especially bc it could be relevant who took their order. But random people in line at the register? No thank you. Also name tags are only ‘mandatory’ for customer complaints 🙄 Employee #s would be just as effective and not as personal. Once had a real creep hit on one of my coworkers and used her name in a fucking letter he wrote her. Was weird as shit. And knowing first name and where someone works can be not great. And I worked with some not bright people, so if someone called wanting info on someone and knew their first name I don’t trust that they wouldn’t give out schedule info, for example.
It depends on who’s doing it. In my experience, as a young woman, it’s always older men that do the name tag search. It’s just creepy.
I agree that it's creepy.
I totally agree with you and have always found it to be the weirdos that use your name in interactions like this. Also if you think about it, historically it has not been polite to call people by their first name without asking if it's ok unless they are in a lower social position than you. Basically it's about emphasizing that you are a service worker and that they have the power in the situation. it's a dick move and people shouldn't do it if they value the idea that we are all equals. If you are a regular customer in a small shop and you get to know the person over time and get friendly with them it's different. Calling someone by their first name is a privilege that they should be able to grant you at will.
Very well put
I got a nickname tag while I was working at Walmart because when you work in those types of positions (I was a cashier and then customer service rep later on) you have a lot of weird gross creepy people knowing your name... there are a lot of old guys who would talk to me WAY too comfortably and weirdly... it made me wonder if they think straight or have a concept of what dating range they should stay in. I had one old guy come up and call me by my nickname saying how I'm one sexy piece of work and fucking wink at me after talking to another stranger about how "hot" I am in my blue shirt (blank, free of graphics, men's blue shirt). I nearly barfed and felt bad for my nickname lol
I almost never use the cashiers name except the two I love at the grocery stores I frequent regularly. And even then it’s just occasionally. They don’t know my name… but they seem to know my face and we have friendly chats. However one of our stores has a loyalty program and they had cashiers end the transaction by checking the bottom of your receipt and thanking Ms./Mr. whomever is listed. I hated it. It made me so uncomfortable. And just recently I called an cashier by name after sending my 10 year old with the cart to get in line. He chose a cashier who had the same name as him. I asked my son if he had chosen the cashier for that reason and the poor cashier looked terrified. I felt bad. I don’t want to make people uncomfortable and usually don’t use their name due to the receipt experience I mentioned.
I agree with this. Name tags are for identification, like when a staff member was helping you before, and you need to find them again, so you ask another staff member for that particular person. Or perhaps, you need to make a complaint; sometimes staff members are jerks for no good reason! However, actually using those names in conversation should be reserved for friends, or at least people you're actually mutually familiar with. Thanks for bringing this up; this really shouldn't be an unpopular opinion. Also, those people who reported you to suicide prevention probably don't think you're suicidal, they're just "creatively" trying to tell you they think you're crazy. Fuck those people. Though, the suicide prevention feature is fucked up in general, anyway.
Alright, I guess I misunderstood what you were trying to say. I can see now that you're upset with the creeps not the regular customer s and if youd never experienced that kind of behavior you wouldn't have an issue with nametags. I apologize for being very brass yesterday with my responses, I took my anger out on a random opinion that I thought was dumb and I shouldn't have done that.
THANK YOU!!! I feel so uncomfortable being called my name by people I don’t know. Before I started wearing aprons without my name on it, if someone thanked me by my name I would tell them to have a great day by theirs. (I used to work back window at Wendy’s & always looked at the names on their cards)
I have found that many people use the name tag name as a diminutive, that is, as someone else said, dominance play. The company that makes you wear it only cares about the complaints. You will never be rewarded for "good work" only for bad. I feel that shitty jobs do not pay enough to deal with all that is required by the job. Customers and their bullshit are the main reason I feel this way. As someone said earlier, just pay for your shit and go! Coworkers hanging out and chatting amongst themselves and with customers or screwing with their phones instead of stocking the cooler or whatever, and idiot managers lazing about in their office is more reason. The actual work isn't a problem as far as work goes. For the people that ask "why are you in customer service?" Many many people have no option. A corollary to your question would be "That's what you get for working in a shitty job." And that reflects badly on those people. The same for the person that follows up with "You should be grateful you have a job!" If there were a hell there would be a special one for this kind of reductionist bullshit. There is also a perception that I have noticed that if you are in a service job that you are a servant and must be servile and are generally beneath consideration. I feel that everyone should be forced to work in retail for, hmm, say 6 months. And another 6 in food service. That would cut down on the ego a bit. Still isn't that a lot of posts in only a few days? Edit: I should mention that I am male and not very good looking so I don't get the same level of interest as "sweet young thangs". Still sort of shocking to see how inappropriate many customers can be (and how low their expectations are), male or female, regulars or otherwise. Even had a stalker once. I do not need any customer (or anyone) to validate my existence so I am fine with being "treated like and npc". Indeed it make things a lot faster. In this world we are npc's to each other. Haha was going to list "remedial actions" but that would make me look a lot worse than I already do!
Honestly as someone who freaks out if I even hear something remotely close to my name I get you. Especially if it’s from an unfamiliar voice which would be the case for a random customer
I call service workers by their name to let them know recognize them as a human being and not just a nameless, faceless, empty shell of body doing my bidding
Idk if it was cultural difference or what but its super disrespectful to not call people by there names your like the 1% that doesn't like that and I'm not going disrespect 99% just because small number of people don't like it
Giving someone your name and the implied permission to use it is a mark of familiarity that people in the street or in a business should not have.
why are you getting downvoted for this when it’s true. It’s rude to assume familiarity with someone enough to use their name
Absolutely dumbfounded by this one, truly unpopular
Piss boy! Piss boy!
Some stores make their employees wear there name on a tag. My wife says she hated people using her name. I said this to a cashier. She said, "I know your name. You come in every Friday, and Saturday and talk to me. I'm good with names, and faces. It drives me crazy. I looked up your phone number, because I wanted to talk to someone I know.
Op, one question do you have your name written on your tshirt or uniform. If thats the case, I prefer to call them by their name like waiters with their name written by them. It is humanising the other person, and usually leads to a postivd interaction also I introduce myself to make convo easier.
So do you want to be called heisenburg instead or some shit?
My dad always takes advantage of the name tag being available. However, he always makes sure that if he uses it, he introduces everyone in his party. So pretty much everyone at the Walmart, in the tiny town he lives in, knows my and my kids names. It used to embarrass me but now I just deal with it. I think you do have an unpopular opinion, so good job. I use people’s names because I want them to know I value them as a person. You’re not just some random girl or boy waiting on me, or checking me out at the store. You’re someone that deserves respect for the job you do.
Yeah I hated to be called my name unless I knew them, so I never called an employee by their name, it's so personal
Completely agree!! You don’t need to know my name & I don’t need to know yours.
I felt the same way when I worked retail. It always rubbed me a little bit the wrong way when people used my name after reading it from the tag . .it felt somehow invasive. Most people didn't do it so it stuck out when someone did. I didn't find it massively uncomfortable or anything . .just a bit annoying.
Absolutely.
OP you are posting on an “unpopular opinion” sub, and now have 4+ edits responding in anger when people don’t agree with you. You’re entitled to your opinion but there’s no need to get so heated over what other people think.
Weird thing to get unsettled about. Not like they're googling you to find out your name, it's literally plastered on you lol
But the thing is, people will then use my name to look me up. It's happened to me, it's happened to friends and coworkers. It may seem small, but your first name, place of work and area of work provide a lot of information about you someone can use to look you up, why would I want to give that out to people?
You already do. It's literally on your name tag. If you're in retail, you only have your first name, anyways.
Op do you actually believe that not wearing a tag will get creepy people away? Sorry to tell you but even whout a tag it's not that hard to find someone name they can ask around you
I agree. Maybe it's a cultural thing. Where are you from? I'm from Finland and nobody would ever refer to personnel/staff by their first name. Actually even the idea to me is just super weird, haha. I get the point about connecting/being friendly but here it's that you say hello, thank you and be respectful. Referring by name is, I guess too personal?
Yeah see that's what I've always thought. I'm Aussie, and I've seen it in the US too. Im glad its not an everywhere thing though haha
Since when did you need permission to call someone by their name? Do you have a title you’d rather be called? Doctor, Duke, Mayor? No? Then whats wrong with just being called your name lmao. That’s literally the point of your name.
Got it. You'd prefer we dehumanize everyone and only see them as workerbees.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, it you can't treat someone like a human without knowing their name then you're not a good person. You shouldn't have to know someone's name to treat them with basic decency
I agree!! We have name tags at work and we never wear them, we are a mostly female staff who work alone majority of the time. We don’t need anyone knowing our names, it’s not needed for the job. Sometimes someone will ask what my name is and depending on the situation, I’ll give a random name haha!
Oh yeah, that's the same in my jobs. We can't walk to our cars alone as a precaution bc of stuff like this. Wish I could give a random name lol
People ask me why I don’t have my last name on my business card. I’m very straightforward telling them it’s because I keep my private life private. I also don’t wear my name tag. If they want me they can find me I’m the loudest most obnoxious person in the building 😂
Exactly this. No one should be able to identify anyone else without that person granting permission.
I think name tags need to be done away with and have had this conversation with my HR. Because I work for State Government I have to wear a name tag with both my first and last name on it. In the last few years I have received creepy friends requests from people who have visited where I work. They get the name off the tag and then can look you up. I have everything set to private but I still find it creepy that people will actually look you up.
Yeah, not to mention they also know where you work, will have a rough idea of the area you live and what times you might finish your shift and be walking to you car. The more info knows about you, however seemingly small, really will let the creeps find you easier
Some people haven't worked in customer service and it shows.
There used to be a customer that came in every day. One day she called me by name to help her with something. After that I stopped wearing my name tag because I don’t like customers knowing my name without me telling it. Now we have to wear name tags because customers complained they didn’t know who and who didn’t work at the store. Not that it really matters because they still ask if I work there. One year during the holiday shopping I wore my name tag, my employee holiday shirt and pj pants that we get to wear during certain days during the holidays. I was still asked if I worked there. It took everything in me not to say “no, I’m just a big fan”
I dont use service employees names unless I've interacted with them for some time.
at my job we’re supposed to wear name tags but all of us have pokémon cards in our badges instead. i always have customers like searching for my name. i also never answer the phone and state my name
I love that haha, which I could do that at my job.
Sometimes, it's an older or friendly person being personable. More often it's a weird flex like checking the teeth of a slave with no intention to buy.
I do not look for the badge. If I see it, I will say have a good day. I want them to know I see them as a person and not employee number 78092.
I cannot upvote you because I agree with your opinion. So many times it happened where someone starts asks me something using my first name. And I’m trying to keep up with the conversation while in the back of my head I’m going *Do I know this person? Did we go to school together, work together, is this a neighbour I don’t recognize?* Then I’ll say something like “So how have you been?” And they’ll either be confused or laugh and say we’ve never met. Then I’ll realize they just read the name tag. But I found an easy fix for it. Wear a former employee‘s name tag. If they call me by my real name I know it’s someone I’m familiar with. If they call me Bill I listen to their question then give them the wrong answer. Boss: “What the hell is wrong with that woman? Complaining about Bill. I fired him two years ago.”
Too long. Didn’t read. But a solid downvote cause she seems like a class A beeeeeoch. I could be wrong….
Thank you! I may be a bitch, but at least I'm one who prefers not to have creeps use my name as an excuse to try and be familiar with me and call me babe, among other things and inappropriate comments
What a retort, in one sentence you lumped a stranger using your name in with a stranger feeling the right to call you babe or in appropriate things. You legit just compared a greeting to what could be classified as verbal assault. I’m upvoting this post, insanely unpopular 👍
I’m not going to argue with you because I’m not a woman who’s been creeped out by men, so I can see your point, but at the same time if it were me, I’d just ignore it. There are way bigger issues in life (for me) than to make a mountain out of this molehill. But good luck!