How should customers be addressed?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

Virgin Trains has "apologised unreservedly" for a tweet which some social media users described as "sexist".

In response to a passenger complaint about being referred to as "honey", the official Virgin Trains East Coast Twitter account asked if she would "prefer 'pet' or 'love' next time".

The passenger, Emily Lucinda Cole, 27, said she was "stunned" by the response.

[ChrisB]

Totally wrong response, but it's not sexist. oop north, men get called both those.....

[grahame]

Totally wrong response, but it's not sexist. oop north, men get called both those.....

I know, ducks!  but some people are just so sensitive!

[SandTEngineer]

..I've been called 'My Luvver' by several guards over the years down here in the far Southwest...

[TaplowGreen]

"Sir" and "Madam" is how our staff address customers unless & until they offer their names....we've never had any complaints.

[IndustryInsider]

I'm fine with being addressed as 'Sir' though only once or twice.  I hate it when it's 'Sir' this and 'Sir' that.  I'm also quite happy with mate, pal or bud to be honest!

[JayMac]

I agree with you there TG. Sir and Madam is what it should be. Until and unless a name is given. And if a customer says they'd like to be addressed by title and surname then that's what staff should do. That's how I was taught in the hospitality trade.

Terms of endearment should be avoided in staff/customer interactions. The reason they should be avoided is because some people do find them sexist or inappropriate. Whilst certain terms may be common parlance in certain geographical areas, the person you are addressing may not be from that area.

I don't like being called 'mate' by bar staff for example.

Just a few posts show differing opinions. That's why it's always best when dealing with customers to stick to Sir and Madam.

[bobm]

My pet hate is when I am out with my (female) partner and we are addressed as “guys”.

I’m also not keen with being told to like my meal as the server places the dish in front of me with the command “Enjoy!”.

[lordgoata]

You can call me whatever you like if it means the train will be on time, formed of all scheduled carriages and I will get a seat!

[Chris from Nailsea]

In my day job, delivering groceries, we address all customers by their title and surname - unless they ask us otherwise.

We van drivers are all known by our first names - the customer is sent a text message telling them when 'Chris from Nailsea' will arrive, for example. 

[JayMac]

'Chris from Nailsea'

Is that what's on your name badge? 

I often see a former teacher of mine in Wetherspoons in Taunton, of whom I can't get out of the habit of calling 'Sir'. Despite appearances to the contrary, I wasn't dragged up and did learn manners and respect! And no, teaching me didn't drive him to drink!

He tells me every time to call him by his given name.

[rower40]

In 1st Class, I've been addressed by name "Mr <rower40>" by a Senior Conductor who I had never met before, after he had closely studied my pass/photocard.

[JayMac]

You can call me whatever you like if it means the train will be on time, formed of all scheduled carriages and I will get a seat!

OK, pal. 

[johnneyw]

In 1st Class, I've been addressed by name "Mr <rower40>" by a Senior Conductor who I had never met before, after he had closely studied my pass/photocard.

Not quite GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) but due to the foibles inherent with electronic direct marketing mail, my brother whose initials are MC has received a letter to Mr McWalker.

[LiskeardRich]

Varies from customer to customer to avoid coming across robotic. A quick assessment on how they address me,
If they address me as ‘mate’ etc I can flex  to be a little less formal. An older customer always mr or Mrs <insert surname>. Although some of my regular older customers  insist on me addressing them as their given first name. Some I’m on first name terms with, and know about their family and vice versa.
I’m guessing ChrisFromNailsea will have the same experience, but a sad sign of the current times that is and the postman are the only people some of our older customers see from week to week. We can log a ‘customer requires assistance’  which gives the driver  20-30 mins each future visit to that customer. Only today I delivered to a 80+ man who I’m on first name terms with, his family up north do his ordering for him, and he told me today he hadn’t seen anyone since I delivered to him last Wednesday as he hadn’t been out due to the bad weather. We had a good chat whilst I helped him put stuff away. It gives me great job satisfaction that I’ve been social company for that man, but it makes me sad this is a reflection of 2018 Britain where the grocery delivery person is the only person an elderly person has seen for a week.