customer services getting my title wrong

[gasman]

I have just phoned a major UK retailer (famed for their customer service). Despite me introducing myself and then correcting them once they persisted on calling me Mrs Gasman.

I am not Mrs Gasman. I am Dr Gasman. They were also being unhelpful in actually dealing with my problem so I terminated the call. I told them it was because they couldn't get my name right.

WIBU?

[LEMisdisappointed]

funnily enough, i got told off by the receptionist at the emergency dentist because i used Miss rather than dr, then when i had to show my NHS card it had Dr on it. I tend to avoid using Dr at the doctors/dentist etc because the assumption is that I am a medical doctor and I'm not. She said that her brother had a PhD and she was so proud of him that everyone should be proud to use the title. She was nice :)

[Sidge]

YANBU.

It doesn't matter whether your title is Miss, Mrs, Doctor or Baroness.

It's the fact that the call centre staff member asked you for your title and then failed to use it.

Why ask if you don't pay attention or intend to apply the knowledge you've gained by asking?

[DoctorRobert]

You actually terminated the call because they got your title wrong? Yes, YWBU.

I worked in a call centre for nearly 10 years. I highly doubt they were "persisting" on calling you Mrs to annoy you - it sounds like a simple mistake. This was somebody probably feeling harrassed to adhere to call lengths & meet unreasonable targets or risk warnings and job loss. It's not an easy environment to work in. The vast majority of people they speak to will be a Mr or Mrs, so they've just gone onto autopilot.

You do not know what else might be going on in their life that could have caused them to be a bit distracted. I have sat on the phone speaking to rude, unreasonable customers whilst miscarrying. Really in the scheme of things does them failing to address you as Dr actually matter

[LRDYaDumayuShtoTiKrasiviy]

So you reckon that customers should spend their time making allowances and ignoring the call centre making mistakes because those workers might be having a rough day?

Think you've got the 'customer' and 'employee' thing the wrong way around there!

[inallmydays]

lems sorry for being naive , but i thought all dr`s were medical , what can you be a dr in other than medical , genuine question , i just really dont know .

[DoctorRobert]

LRD I think if people had actually worked in a call centre themselves then they would make more allowances, yes. Not for a "rough day" but for the overall working conditions.

Obviously mistakes which actually carry an impact should not be excused, but getting a name wrong doesn't really fall into that category imo

[LRDYaDumayuShtoTiKrasiviy]

I would certainly make allowances for working conditions, yes, I agree.

Btw, getting a name or a title wrong can have an impact - if you book something in one name and title and get it in another, you can have a load of hassle.

[LRDYaDumayuShtoTiKrasiviy]

And I am sorry about your miscarriage, I should have said that.

[StuntGirl]

Yes you're being very silly but of course you know that. It's just easier to direct your rage/annoyance/upset at this incident than any of the bigger stuff you're having to deal with right now.

[Woodhead]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_(title)

The title originated for academics, medics adopted it later.

[LadyClariceCannockMonty]

Doctor, I have worked in more than one call centre and boy did I have some 'rough days' and, um, below-brilliant working conditions.

No matter how pissed off and demotivated, though, if a customer corrected me on what to call them I managed to retain that information and get through the rest of the call using the title they had requested.

And getting a name wrong clearly did 'carry an impact' for the OP ? enough of an impact for her to get impatient to the point of hanging up ? and judging by this thread it would carry an impact for lots of people.

[LEMisdisappointed]

inallmydays Someone has the title Dr if they have a PhD (Doctor of philosophy), it can actually be in any subject - mine is in biochemistry, so loosely medical, but I am not a medic. People can have PhDs in engineering, physics, English literature and Art, anythin really, and sometimes some really obscure stuff

It is people with PhDs who are historically proper Doctors, medical doctors are given Dr as an honorary title, apparently.

To be fair, if i hear the title Dr then i always assume medic, but its not always the case.

[LEMisdisappointed]

cross posts woodhead :)

[skylerwhite]

inallmydays Anyone with a PhD is a Dr. So you can have a PhD in English Lit, French Lit, Psychology, Physics, Political Science, any academic subject.

[inallmydays]

thanks lems , they say you learn something everyday :)

[skylerwhite]

Triple cross posts. In fact, in academic processions (graduations and the like), PhDs are given precedence over MDs. Because PhDs make a contribution to knowledge, whereas MDs master an existing body of knowledge, apparently.

[LRDYaDumayuShtoTiKrasiviy]

I would always assume most Drs are medics, but it doesn't matter, does it?

I think we need to remember the OP's mother has recently died - that is a time when you feel vulnerable and I think you do naturally cling to identity.

I can well believe being called 'Mrs whatever' could be extremely upsetting, especially if that is the OP's mum's name, don't you think?

[inallmydays]

thanks skyler really never knew that

[mindyourownbusiness]

I am married but use my maiden name still.

The number of times I get called Mrs Mymaidenname is untrue, even though I have Ms or no title at all on all documentation. I always feel like saying 'yes I am married. but not to my father or my brother, we are a strange family ,I grant you but not that strange'.

I generally just say 'No, I'm not 'Mrs Mymaidenname' I am married but don't use my DHs name , so I am either 'Ms Mymaidenname' or just no prefix at all will do'

Sometimes they say 'right sorry, 'Mrs Mymaidenname' .........Aaarggggh



Doesn't really bother me though , I usually give up after two corrections and answer to anything

On a side note DH has said we might aswell get divorced and go back to how we were as I have been saying I will change everything into my married name for years and just cant be arsed.

He is joking of course

[Arnie123]

My title is Dr but call centres nearly always refer to me as Mrs. It has never bothered me. I do not get why you are so offended by this. You sound incredibly stuck up your own backside.
If you want to respond t

[DoctorRobert]

Thank you LRD.

LadyClarice I agree that I would have retained that information too. I was always far better at the customer service than the sales aspect of my job. I can just see how easy it would be for somebody to go on autopilot & get it wrong, and I really don't think it's cause for hanging up / creating an AIBU.

[Arnie123]

....to respond to this post CALL me Dr Arnie...or else I will have a hissy fit

[clarinetV2]

YANBU. The person you were speaking to was discourteous in not remembering your title even after you'd reminded them. Discourtesy is not acceptable from a customer service department and you were not unreasonable in being hacked off, or in terminating the call.

I'm also a Dr (not a medical one) and it happens quite a lot that when I answer the phone, people ask to speak to my husband, assuming he must be the Dr. It's quite funny as they are usually very apologetic and mortified when I say, 'No, I'm Dr Clarinet', so I don't get bothered by it, but it is indicative of the assumptions people make. Those assumptions may or may not have been made by the person you were speaking to, there's no way of knowing - the fact, however, remains that they did not treat your call appropriately.

[LadyClariceCannockMonty]

I don't blame the OP for hanging up after they persistently got her title wrong after being corrected.

And I think people have created AIBUs for much less

[PurpleRayne]

I rang up my broadband provider to make some account changes. I was told my husband would have to ring. Erm, I am the account holder. But I have the title Dr.