It’s really nice, when you hear a name unfamiliar to you, to have the conversation go like this:
Caller “Hi this is ___, can I talk to somebody?”
Receptionist: 'I’m sorry I didn’t get your name, can you repeat it?"
Caller: ____
Receptionist: “Oh, ____ what a lovely name.”
RATHER THAN
Caller “Hi this is ___, can I talk to somebody?”
Receptionist: 'I’m sorry I didn’t get your name, can you repeat it?"
Caller: ____
Receptionist: (silence) “That’s a weird name.” or anything like that
It’s just nicer to compliment the name rather than insulting it. And I speak as someone who has an odd name as well as someone who’s answered lots of company phones.
I had a customer who’s name was Evie. I didn’t think about any other way to spell it. When we went to go write up a contract, I spelt it just like that. Well, she says “No, it’s spelt I V Y”. In my head…“what?? that’s not said like Evie, that’s a sort of shrub…Ivy.” Out loud…“that is so unique. I like it…very pretty.”
At the end of a particularly trying day I’ve been known to do:
Caller “Hi this is ___, can I talk to somebody?”
Inigo Montoya: 'I’m sorry I didn’t get your name, can you repeat it?"
Caller: ____
Inigo Montoya: (silence) “Huh…haven’t come accross that one before.”
:smack: I manage to play it from there without offense, but not without admitting to being a complete buffoon. Folks know when they got weird names.
Where my husband used to work, he had a customer named Wyvetta. At least, that’s how she pronounced it.
Then one time he saw it in writing and her name was spelled Yvette.
He had to feign a coughing fit to cover his laughter.
As for the OP, I usually refrain from commenting on a person’s name in any way, positively or negatively. Though I’m afraid I do in the course of my job need people to spell their names for me quite often, and that’s really a pain. It would be nice if everyone were named Sally.
I was once putting through a purchase for a girl, and she handed me her credit card. Her name on the card was “Dea D. Blagherhoff”. Odd name to begin with, but on first glance I missed that there was a period there and read it as “Dead Blagherhoff”. I didn’t say anything, but I had to pretend I was coughing to disguise my laugh.
Holy shit I almost fell over laughing. That is too funny.
Anyway, it’s not a requisite, just a request! I know it’s difficult when we have strange names and you are really trying…just remember, somewhere our name is really common and it’s “Sally” that’s the weird one.
Mangetout, that reminds me of “It’s Boo-kay” for some reason.
My poor sister has trouble with both her first and last name. Her first name because my parents decided on a different spelling for a traditional name (mistake, we know, but there were good reasons). Her married surname is trouble because it looks like the alphabet threw up.
So, if people aren’t ‘correcting’ her first name, they’re mangling her last. I’ve watched in amazement as people argue with her over the correct pronunciation and/or tell her her name is weird.
I’ve experienced that. You’d think with four letters my last name wouldn’t be so hard, but the ‘au’ in the middle is pronounced with a nice Germanic ‘ow’ not a nice Romance ‘aw’. And I’ve had people argue with me when I pronounce my name, telling me I’m mispronouncing it.
At this point, after 36 years with it, I’ve basically given up. I’ll respond to most any pronounciation of my last name. But I still have problems with know-it-alls telling me, from time to time, I’m mistaken in how I pronounce it. :smack:
I’d prefer to be told that I have a different name. I always have people tell me my name is pretty. I know that. And I don’t particularly like it, it’s too pretty for my tastes (one reason I go by a nickname). So I’m not big on being told my name is pretty.
Like OtakuLoki, I’ll respond to almost any pronunciation of my first name, although it’s been a while since I’ve heard any really bad ones. However, I often end up thinking people are talking to me when they aren’t. :smack:
I had one young woman do some serious flirting along the lines of ‘what an interesting name’. Unfortunately, it was telebanking, and she then saw the size of my overdraft. :eek: :smack: :mad:
“What an interesting name!”
“Yeah, baby, Would you like to see the size of my overdraft?”
“I’ll do anything for you, mr Asswipe!”
“I’ts pronounced Ahh-swee-pay!”
I have an unusual middle name and went by a nickname for it until I was a freshman in high school.
My all-time favorite reaction to my name is: “You’re kidding! Is that really your name?” :rolleyes:
How was I supposed to respond? “Just a second, let me do a quick review of nicknames for Guadalupe and see if Lupita is on the list…?” Or maybe bring Mom in to class to explain? (The reaction came from a classmate when we introduced ourselves in home ec class.) Perhaps crack a joke about how my parents never actually named me and I was still trying out names? The teacher handled it well, but I still wanted to melt into the floor. I really don’t miss that age.
The comment clinched my decision to start using my first name…
I have a really bad last name. I’ve never met anyone not directly related to me that knew how to pronounce it. So just ask me how it’s pronounced, and move on. I really don’t need to go through the “Oh, wow, I never would have guessed that. Where’s it from?” conversation for the eleventeenth billion time.
Writer H. Allen Smith told of a young girl who had the given name of “Pishey.” When her mother was asked how she arrived at the name she pointed to a calendar and said, “Off that.” The calenday had a picture of Psyche, Cupid’s main squeeze.
I work in a customer-service environment (thank heavens I don’t have to work the phones anymore), and I’ve started keeping a list of really unusual names - I’m up to 150 or so. First names are “Jew,” “Putsie,” “Delarious,” and “Porn,” just to name a few. At this point, if I did have to go back on the pones, I’d probably embarrass myself by saying something like “Oh, I GOTTA put your name on my list!”
To most folk, I have an unpronounceable Welsh first name. Thanks, Mom & Dad… :dubious:
:mad: