To refuse to call him by his stupid nickname??

[PonyPals]

So we have a brand new staff member in my team who has a perfectly sensible name - Steven but has decided to use some ridiculously stupid nickname he made up - Sonty
And he is now constantly correcting all of us and insisting we use his nickname. I am his manager. I feel silly even uttering Sonty. Yet he corrects me every time I say Steven.
Aibi to want to take Sonty and shove it up his bum!
PS not his real name or moronic nickname but they are similar to what I said.

Absolutely call him Dazza The Great or whatever he wants in the office but be utterly firm that you will introduce him to clients by his real name. If he becomes so matey with them it is appropriate for him to suggest them using his stupid nickname then he can do so later down the line.

He needs to have a serious chat about professional boundaries. These are clients, not friends.

Problem is, if there are other people in the team who are known by more "regular" nicknames (Elizabeth / Libby, Michael / Mike, Steven / Steve), it is rather difficult for the OP to refuse to use this one, particular nickname.

say his name was Nicholas, he insisted on being "nickbo".

We had a temp in whose name was Ross. I asked him to send out a formal email and he signed it off as "Rossco" after I'd approved the wording. I could have cheerfully shaken him!

Peg is a well documented and archaic nickname for Margaret though. Dazza is not

This thread is the funniest I´ve read on here for a long time. :-)

I worked with a colleague who shortened her name and stuck a Z on the end. Think Barbara shortened to Barbz. I used to cringe when she signed her emails off to senior management. Completely unnecessary!

I went for an interview a few years ago and met a potential colleague - Matthew. I subsequently got the job and started a month later.

Met same colleague only for him to start referring to himself as Merlin. He remained Merlin for the next few years. It was a bit weird having to introduce him to senior clients, but it did become a bit of an ice-breaker. Any eye-rolling was directed towards him and it didn't reflect on me.

Christ, this has just reminded me of the old rocker bloke I briefly worked.with back in the 90's. Name was Keith but he insisted on 'Keef' and spelled it thus on letters and whatnot.

maybe this thread should be linked at the top of the baby names topic

I knew a woman who insisted on being called Pooey...

Pooey, if you're reading this, I'm sorry but your nickname is awful...

Unless you're working on a building site, you cannot be introduced to clients as Dazza and expect to be taken seriously
It's White Van Man's name.

Dazza isnt an accepted shortening though.

Libby/Lizzie/Beth/Bet even Queenie are all acceptable shortenings for Elizabeth but I am sure that there would be raised eyebrows at "Please call me The Lizmeister" (although I am secretly hoping the Queen calls herself that!).

I hope his last name is Ling?

Hello Professor Alexander this is Dazza

In that situation, I would say 'Hello Professor Alexander this is Darren Cunningham, your new customer contact.' When they shake hands, Dazza can then say please call me Dazza. And I would be waiting for the reply 'Please call me Professor Alexander.'

Richards, by any chance, Gatekeeper?

What happened after a few years, did he revert to Matthew?

I do hope Britbat's colleague is writing down all those hilarious nicknames for her bullying grievance.

BEANS!

You could posh it up and call him Darrence.

I'm not sure Soloman - he left the company and I left the country, round about the same time.

A quick stalk of LinkedIn has him with the name Matthew Merlin Surname, so he may well have done!

Just tell him it's big boys work now and not school.

OMG THe LizMeister!!

More oomph than Lilibet!

Dazza is def (imo) a mates only name.

Darrence! Love it. 😀😀😀

V funny taste of MN norms.

OP: "Junior employee insists on being called by casual nickname but I don't want to"
MN hive mind: assumes that nn is Jonty "Oh don't be so uptight OP, you should absolutely call him by whatever his chosen name is unless it's 'twatface'"
OP: "By the way it's Dazza"
MN Hive mind: "Dear heavens no! What if someone important heard it?! "

I cannot tell a lie, I'd introduce him to clients as Darren Jones too, but I wouldn't have a problem with it in the office.

Does sound unprofessional. You could introduced him to clients as Darren, and let him say call me dazza.....