# Calling people by the name on their name tag. Do you do it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-people-by-the-name-on-their-name-tag-do-you-do-it/650193 "2013-02-13T17:08:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-people-by-the-name-on-their-name-tag-do-you-do-it/650193/101 "2013-02-14T17:05:04Z")
> [@](#): > > And I’m not buying the “they don’t get your signals” noise. Most of them get it just fine. They do it because they enjoy needling people who they know aren’t allowed to poke back. It’s a way of ignoring someone else’s boundaries, because the worker is absolutely not allowed to tell a customer “Please don’t call me \”. And some people enjoy pushing past other people’s boundaries, but in most situations the boundary breakers would have to deal with the repercussions. In the customer/worker situation, though, the customer is free to break the worker’s boundaries without the worker being able to do anything about it, other than perhaps not be delighted to be asked out. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-people-by-the-name-on-their-name-tag-do-you-do-it/650193/102 "2013-02-14T17:05:20Z")
People have stated several variations of ‘it’s condescending’, ‘people feel they have power over me’, ‘makes the relationship unequal.’ I’m sorry, who is serving who in those circumstances? The relationship is unequal. ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-people-by-the-name-on-their-name-tag-do-you-do-it/650193/103 "2013-02-14T17:11:35Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > People have stated several variations of ‘it’s condescending’, ‘people feel they have power over me’, ‘makes the relationship unequal.’ > > I’m sorry, who is serving who in those circumstances? The relationship is unequal. Obviously. So why needle someone by reminding them of that fact? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-people-by-the-name-on-their-name-tag-do-you-do-it/650193/104 "2013-02-14T17:12:32Z")
Oh, never mind! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-people-by-the-name-on-their-name-tag-do-you-do-it/650193/105 "2013-02-14T17:25:39Z")
Until yesterday, I had no idea it was considered rude. No idea at all, and I’m a generally well adjusted member of society. Now, not everyone thinks it’s rude, but twice as many do as don’t. I shall therefore adjust my habits accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-people-by-the-name-on-their-name-tag-do-you-do-it/650193/106 "2013-02-14T23:02:32Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Until yesterday, I had no idea it was considered rude. No idea at all, and I’m a generally well adjusted member of society. Now, not everyone thinks it’s rude, but twice as many do as don’t. > > I shall therefore adjust my habits accordingly. Taking your social cues from SDMB posters? Caveat emptor. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-people-by-the-name-on-their-name-tag-do-you-do-it/650193/107 "2013-02-15T01:11:04Z")
I really don’t think any server would call it rude, they know they are wearing a name tag, after all. Rude is not the right word, for me. I’d say it’s more off putting and inelegant. It’s awkward because it seems inserted, often where unneeded. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-people-by-the-name-on-their-name-tag-do-you-do-it/650193/108 "2013-02-16T00:42:07Z")
Other. I’m a nurse, so I don’t have customers, I have patients and their parents. I wear a name tag because it’s the law. Also, it’s the only way I can get into the carpark, blood bank, chemo drug room etc etc. I introduce myself to new families or ones I haven’t looked after for a while (there are 60 of us on this ward, so I never expect anyone to remember my name if I haven’t nursed their child regularly). “Hi, my name’s Jabiru and I’ll be looking after \ this afternoon.” Quite often they tell me their first names, which I use. If they don’t, I call them Mr or Mrs even though they’re usually half my age. I’m daggy and old fashioned. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-people-by-the-name-on-their-name-tag-do-you-do-it/650193/109 "2013-02-16T01:42:27Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Rude is not the right word, for me. I’d say it’s more off putting and inelegant. It’s awkward because it seems inserted, often where unneeded. That’s exactly it. I meant to comment on **Leaffan’s** quote: “Now, not everyone thinks it’s rude, but twice as many do as don’t.” to mention this. The poll is two-to-one against people doing it, but that doesn’t mean folks who don’t do it consider it _rude_, per se. My view on it is basically like yours, that’s it’s off-putting and inelegant. Or, simply “awkward.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-people-by-the-name-on-their-name-tag-do-you-do-it/650193.md?page=5)