# New customer service rule - would you want me to do this to you?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 20, 2002, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684 "2002-11-20T03:07:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/21 "2002-11-20T08:29:48Z")
I’m also against this. Beats me why anyone thinks it’s a good idea.
My former bank used to give out questioniars. I was not very satisfied with this bank, but the questions were far afield from anything that would have revealed this. All the questions made rather a point of wanting to know ONLY about what happened on my most recent encounter with them. Like, they didn’t want to know how anything about how satisfied / disatisfied I was about anything, they wanted “just the facts, ma’m” about my most recent visit to their bank.
Anyway, one of the questions was if the teller called me by name. Presumably, the tellers were supposed to do so. No questions re did I like or dislike being called by name by the teller, just did she call me by name. They cared if the tellers were following orders, but they didn’t care what their customers thought about the practice.
I think this kind of stuff occurs because the people at the top have no clue about what’s annoying, or about anything else about what customers actually want. The front line troops usually do know, but their opinions are not wanted.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/22 "2002-11-20T08:59:59Z")
I would find it more than a little unsettling; I believe this is one of those cases where the retail/customer service gurus are just wrong (like they were about ‘eye level is buy level’).
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/23 "2002-11-20T09:11:34Z")
Hi, I’m **jjimm** , and I’ll be giving my opinion to you.
Absolutely hate this kind of thing.
Thank you for asking for my opinion, **AntaresJB**.
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### Author:  [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/24 "2002-11-20T10:23:03Z")
I don’t like it either. Let me tell you a story…
I was in a supermarket one night to pick up a few items. I might have been the only customer in the store at the time. There were two guys at the checkout that I hadn’t seen before - young guys, maybe about 19 or 20 years old. One of them was operating the cash register, the other was bagging. I didn’t really look at them, I just shuffled up to the checkout and put my purchases on the conveyer, handed the kid my card, and waited while he rung up the order.
After I paid, I heard the other guy (the bagger) address me by name. He said something like “Seeya later Manduck” in a normal conversational tone. Of course my automatic response, when I hear myself being addressed by name, is to think that this guy must no me from someplace. So I took a good look at him.
It was Kevin Bacon!
Not really, but he looked exactly like Kevin Bacon looked about 20 years ago, right down to the spiky hair. Also, he had the exact same voice as Kevin Bacon. So when I looked at him, he immediately looked familiar to me, although I couldn’t place him right away. So the thoughts going through my head were, in order:
1. I hear a familiar voice say my name.
2. I look at source of voice; face familiar, but from where?
3. Oh right, it’s Kevin Bacon.
4. Wait, Kevin Bacon wouldn’t know my name and he wouldn’t be working in a supermarket, and anyway he should look about 20 years older than this guy.
5. So how the hell does this guy know my name??
I don’t know how long I stood there slackjawed, but the kid stood there the whole time grinning at me. I guess he was enjoying my flummoxedness.
Eventually the other guy took mercy on me and explained that my name came up on the screen when he scanned my card. But for a while there I felt like I was in the twilight zone.
The only unexplained part of the incident is why that kid had the 80’s hairdo that made him a dead ringer for Kevin Bacon in Footloose. Maybe he was aware of the resemblance and was playing it up so that he could have fun confusing people like me. Did I mention that he also had Kevin Bacon’s voice?
Anyway, it was a bizarre little incident and kinda funny in retrospect.
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### Author:  [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/25 "2002-11-20T10:54:41Z")
As far as I’m concerned, if I’m shopping, the cashier’s job is to run my stuff through the checkout, tell me how much it costs, and take the money. I go to shops to make a straightforward business transaction, not to have my ego ineptly stroked by wage-slaves smirking at me and calling me by my first name, or indeed any name.
If I actually _know_ the person, and we’ve both got time to chat, that’s fine. But this ersatz familiarity, imposed by management, is just irritating. Not to mention the fact that some retail drones hardly know how to work their registers anyway, and having to memorize official corporate fake-friendliness scripts is only going to confuse them.
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### Author:  [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/26 "2002-11-20T11:13:39Z")
Oooooooh, another business trend I abhor. Thank the deities we didn’t have to do this anywhere I worked, but I HATE it whe it is done to me.
I have an oddly spelled first name - normally you’d see it as two _very_ common women’s names side by side (think “Norma Jean”, but that’s not it), but mom decided to make me unique by scrunching them together with a spelling change :rolleyes: . Really amusing listening to folks mangle the pronouciation:
Nor **MA** Jeanne?
**NOR** maj **EA** nay?
Norma **JEAN** eeeeee?
Better yet, is when they try to be respectful and use a title, like when I was at the bookstore:
“Thank you for shopping here, Mrs. Owl.”
No ring on the finger, I’m mumbledinaudiblyyearsold, still not married, mom is getting more vocal about wanting grandkids, I can’t even find myself a date, the last blind date was a complete disaster, and I’m buying a book on dating. Boy, just rub some salt in that wound, why doncha. Sheesh.
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### Author:  [@Reuben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reuben)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/27 "2002-11-20T12:42:29Z")
Never experienced it here in the UK, but anyone trying it on me would get a pretty stiff reply and zero future custom.
What a STUPID idea. Isn’t it depressing that someone _actually got paid for thinking this up_! What sort of sociopathic management must a retail chain have to allow such a braindead proposal to become reality?
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### Author:  [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/28 "2002-11-20T12:45:56Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by kevja \*
> \*\*
> What’s worse is when they punctuate each sentence with your name. Now kevja, knowing you’re always looking for ways to improve your data collection process, we have a new product, kevja, that will make your life and job much easier, kevja. kevja, if I could show you a way to do that, kevja, would you be interested, kevja.
>
> arrggghhhh to the 10th power! \*\*
Oh good lord yes. I used to work with a manager who had an extremely patronising manner and used to use people’s first names to excess. You don’t actually have to use someone’s first name in ever other sentence to get them to realise that you’re talking to them.
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### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/29 "2002-11-20T12:52:06Z")
Another vote for **HATE it**! Take my money, bag my purchases, and hand me my receipt. Don’t tell me what kind of day to have. Don’t try to engage me in chit-chat. And don’t call me by name. I’m sure you’re a nice person and perhaps in a different setting, we could be friends. But I just want to complete my transaction and get out of here. Nothing personal, but I do have other things to do rather than schmoozing with the checker at WalMart.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/30 "2002-11-20T13:08:32Z")
I suppose one way to deal with this would be to scream loudly and cower every time the salesperson tries to use your name; if we get enough people to do this, it could turn the tide.
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### Author:  [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/31 "2002-11-20T13:46:21Z")
Yeah, what Mange’ said.
I have and will continue to respond to this practise as follows:
Clerk - “Thanks for shopping with us, MyFirstName.”
Me - “Are you required to call me by name?”
Clerk - “Yes.”
Me - “Tell your manager it’s a crappy idea. People don’t like it.”
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### Author:  [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/32 "2002-11-20T13:51:53Z")
The bank I use to go to would call you Mr/Mrs Lastname when you made a deposit.
They would assume that my last name was always the same as the last name of the person I was making a deposit for. It was odd to make a deposit for my boss one day and have them call me Mrs. Boss.
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### Author:  [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/33 "2002-11-20T13:52:13Z")
I’ve been running into this policy for the past year and a half at Safeway-- and nobody (at any of the three locales I frequent) can manage to pronounce my name correctly, let alone my wife’s (yeah, we have different last names, deal).
The names aren’t even hard to pronounce. Friggin _actors_ have the same last name.
But you know what-- the next time I go into a store, and they mangle my name, I’m gonna demand to see the manager and tell them the policy is offensive because nobody is able to say my name correctly.
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### Author:  [@EchoKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EchoKitty)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/34 "2002-11-20T13:59:00Z")
Someone ought to print this thread and send it to the grocery store guru and tell him to brush up on his marketing technique!
I hate the first name thing. A simple “Thank-you, nameless patron of my place of employment” would be sufficient. I’m not your friend – I’m you customer!
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### Author:  [@ShadowWarrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowWarrior)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/35 "2002-11-20T14:09:46Z")
I have no problem with being called by my surname - hell, that’s what it’s for… but I would definitely look strangely at any shop assistant who called me by my first name… first off, it’s a borderline invasion of privacy, secondly it’s certainly not polite - you should always use someone’s surname until given permission to use first names. Thirdly, it just causes confusion, as customers try to work out exactly where the clerk knows them from, and tries desperately to remember their name, so they can respond…
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### Author:  [@Skerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skerri)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/36 "2002-11-20T14:13:05Z")
I must be lucky. I’ve never had a checker/bank person/other service person call me Skerri. Of course, I usually get “ma’am”, which sometimes irks me, as I am almost old enough to be the cashier’s mother.
\
One Christmas, I was in downtown Charleston watching the parade. Everyone lines up on King Street, but my friends and I sat on the roof of a store to catch the sights. (Most of the buildings on King St. are only 2 floors.)
So, here I sat, watching the parade, when the local rock radio station float comes up. Everyone on the float is acting fool, (I found out later they’d been into the eggnog) and one of the DJs looks up and yells “MERRY CHRISTMAS, SKERRI!” I must have had a look of shock on my face, so he finally pointed out that I had my name printed on the front of my Santa hat. 😃 D’oh! (On a side note, I ended up dating that DJ for a little while, based on the fact that he introduced himself as “the guy screaming your name at the parade”. )
\
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### Author:  [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/37 "2002-11-20T14:20:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by In Conceivable \*
> \*\*The bank I use to go to would call you Mr/Mrs Lastname when you made a deposit.
>
> They would assume that my last name was always the same as the last name of the person I was making a deposit for. It was odd to make a deposit for my boss one day and have them call me Mrs. Boss. \*\*
A teller did that to me recently when I was withdrawing money from another person’s account.
I think she did it to try to trip me up and reveal that I was trying to pull a fast one.
Didn’t work.
Spiff
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### Author:  [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/38 "2002-11-20T14:26:29Z")
They can ask for an ID if you are withdrawing money. The name trick isn’t necessary. And they don’t care who you are if you are only making a deposit.
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### Author:  [@Sebhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebhal)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/39 "2002-11-20T14:37:21Z")
Count me against. Mr Surname might be OK, but first name? No thank you.
So **AntaresJB** (add me to the ‘great name Antares’ list BTW), are you going to show the library the thread? If you have, what did they say?
N.
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### Author:  [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-customer-service-rule-would-you-want-me-to-do-this-to-you/137684/40 "2002-11-20T14:57:13Z")
Chalk me up for against. Like Nerrie, I could deal with the surname, but not the first name.
As has been said before, you don’t use the first name unless you’re given permission, or are distinctly peers, such as coworkers.
With a clerk - customer relationship, it should be surname only. Since your customers are typically other students (peer group) I could see how it would be muddled. In that case, no names at all.
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