Wearing a name badge at work

[Darkestnight]

I have to wear a name badge at work but would just prefer a id card instead. I really don't like having my name on public show and if anyone wanted my name I would just give it or show my id badge.
Aibu to not want my name on show. I know it's part of my uniform and wear it but I prefer it if I didn't have to wear it.

As a customer I expect staff in retail to have these. It means I have been able to accurately and effectivelg complain about certain staff but equally give praise when deserved.

Then one name should be sufficient and staff should have the option to use a pseudonym.

Its not that difficult to describe the difference between two people of the same forename especially since you know the time and location of the interaction.

If a customer wants to stalk you, they don't need your full name

It does however make it much easier for a stalker and much more difficult to identify the stalker as they have no point of real connection with you.

I worked in insurance admin doing inbound calls and occasionally a very irate customer would ask for my full name (we give our first name at the start of every call) "for their records".

I do this as well. always ask who I am talking to. too many big companies shirk otherwise and hide behind the mass off call centre staff.

Well yes, thanks Lweji. I've since deleted my facebook, although my LinkedIn still comes up.

Exactly ideal with some right weirdos at work and don't want them knowing my name. Just a initial or fake name would do

Tell them you've changed your name and need a new badge. I am now called bob smith. Job done

Name badge is not compulsory in the nhs. In our trust you have to pay £5 if you want one. Funnily enough I don't. I think they're just first names anyway on the few I've seen.

Years ago one of the midwives in antenatal clinic was threatened by a woman's partner. She had quite an unusual surname and he said he was going to track her down and get her. Most midwives put stickers over their surname on their ID cards after that. Though to be honest that seemed a bit pointless to me seeing as you have to sign and print your full name in the handheld notes so many times.

I do this as well. always ask who I am talking to. too many big companies shirk otherwise and hide behind the mass off call centre staff.

I'd happily repeat my first name so they could write that down along with the date/time of the call. This way they could always reference back to our conversation as we could find and listen back to it.

I can promise that, for my company at least, we would always find and listen to calls if a customer made a complaint. The FOS/FCA would be down on us like a ton of bricks otherwise.

I had to wear one at Centerparcs but the minute i left base I would put it in my pocket.
It's nobody's business what my name was. I was just a housekeeper working hard and fast and didn't have time to chat.

If you'd give out your full name if anyone asked then what's the difference?
I can't believe people are expecting their name and phone number to be private. What do they think these things are for?! I do think we've all gone a bit privacy mad.

What do they think these things are for?

They are for me to give to people with whom I choose to share them.

Our name badges have first name and surname. I hate it! Get people saying "hello/thank you/how are you Bear" and always have a few moments racking my brains thinking I must know them somehow but no, they've just seen the badge

I hate name badges and feel sorry for anyone who has to wear one. When I worked in retail, I remember a man staring at my name badge on my left breast, he then asked me what the other right one was called.

I have my first name and surname embroidered onto my work shirts and worst of all on my work coat! Brought this up with managers multiple times, especially after receiving Facebook requests from customers who ordinarily wouldn't be able to track me down (privacy settings etc). I've taken to holding my handbag shoulder bag handle across my chest when in a supermarket to hide my name as don't want random strangers knowing where I work and my full name when going about my daily business! Wasn't an issue when worked in retail when I was younger, first name only on a name badge never caused any issues and in fact helped multiple times when customers told my managers in store/wrote to head office naming me giving good customer service, got a few vouchers over the years for that

I used to work in retail and we didn’t wear name badges. I remember fondly the day a customer identified the member of staff who he wanted to see as ‘you know who I mean, the moon faced boy’. Obviously we never, ever used Moonface’s proper name again.

Name badges tell us who to complain about or praise and we know how to refer to you. It makes it a personal transaction.
I suppose you could change job to a factory, or warehouse, they don't wear them there.

For people worried about social media privacy- I work with troubled youngsters and wouldn’t want them to be able to see any of my SM so I use a nickname on Facebook etc. My friends and family know who I am but clients aren’t able to find me.

The only times I actively read name badges are when I've had really amazing service & want to send positive feedback about Wendy in my local Pret or similar.

When I was at uni I used to work in a supermarket, I did a really late shift a couple of nights a week so used to get some real creeps coming in late on using my name to ask what time I finished etc. I used to “forget” to wear it all the time as I hated people referring to me by name as if they knew me, management would make me a hand written one if they noticed. It was only first name and before Facebook etc but still I didn’t like it.

A friend of mine works in a civil enforcement role, and has had people threatening to track her down and "do her in" more than once. Would make it much easier for those people to do that, if her name was on view.

In one of my old jobs our badge had our full name, preferred nickname, country and languages we spoke. This was helpful though for other staff members as we had over 1000 staff with very high turn over so it was almost impossible to learn each others name or find the right person for a translator

Customers don't need to know my surname that's my business not there's infact and my company would not tell a customer my surname.

When I worked in a library we had our first names on our lanyards but not surnames.

Yanbu. I believe the Suzy Lamplugh Trust advises against having your full name on a name badge.

A pseudonym is a much better idea and should be standard practice.

Name badges tell us who to complain about or praise and we know how to refer to you. It makes it a personal transaction.

Oh well, that's far more important than the personal safety of staff