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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Calling people who work in shops "colleagues"

72 replies

earlydoors42 · 14/06/2021 11:46

I've noticed supermarkets and places like Argos referring to the people who work in their shops as "colleagues", not as if they are talking about their own colleagues, but as if that is the word for them for all of us.

So they will say things like "if you need help, find a colleague and ask them" - none of my colleagues are usually there as I usually only see them at my place of work.

Why and when did they decide to change the use of a word in the English language that the rest of us were already using for something else?

AIBU to think this isn't the way to use that word?

OP posts:
Joeblack066 · 14/06/2021 14:13

@EnfieldRes

Beats Disney's 'cast members'.
But they have names as their favourite ‘cast’ member too- it’s for kids- does it really matter?!
Etinox · 14/06/2021 14:33

@Henryhoover12

Well the dictionary definition off colleague is “a person whom works works in a business” so it’s very accurate to call a supermarket worker a colleague because they work in that business. Just because it’s not YOUR colleague doesn’t mean that it’s not the person working there’s colleague. This is very pretentious that only people who work in offices can be called colleagues and supermarket workers must be referred to as less then. Maybe you can call them heros of the pandemic who fed the nation whilst you were probably on furlough pondering about this 😂
It flipping isn't. Only just got my round who/whom/who's/whose so don't you be coming here with your made up dictionary entries. Angry Wink

Also I think the OP's point is that colleague refers to a relationship. Your colleagues are the people who work in your office; I'm colleagues with my stripper mates/ fellow coalminers whatever. The strippers and coal miners aren't your colleagues.

queenatom · 14/06/2021 14:34

This has been going on for a long time - I worked in ASDA as a teenager back in the mid-00s and it was the required term back then. I'll confess I used to hate it when I was working there, it always felt a bit 'brain-washy' like we were part of some sort of cult.

Nsky · 14/06/2021 14:35

Just retired from retail, often used, seemed wise and good

applespearslemons · 14/06/2021 15:59

Not in Waitrose

They are Partners

And hair salons now only have guests, not clients or customers

If you want to be called a customer, ride the train. They no longer have passengers

GreyhoundG1rl · 14/06/2021 16:00

And hair salons now only have guests, not clients or customers
Seriously?!

MrsExpo · 14/06/2021 16:05

In Sainos the other day and over the tannoy "This is a colleague announcement .... " Eh? I agree OP, it's pretentious at best. Why not call them staff? "This is a staff announcement ....", "I'll get a member of staff to help you" etc. People who work in places are staff to their customers and colleagues to each other. Gets my goat too ....

SticksAndStoned · 14/06/2021 16:12

@MrsExpo

In Sainos the other day and over the tannoy "This is a colleague announcement .... " Eh? I agree OP, it's pretentious at best. Why not call them staff? "This is a staff announcement ....", "I'll get a member of staff to help you" etc. People who work in places are staff to their customers and colleagues to each other. Gets my goat too ....
You are calling it 'Sainos' yet you have an issue with them using the work colleague? Wink

In that instance, colleague makes sense. I'm pretty sure that the person making the announcement will be a fellow member of staff, so a colleage of the people they are speaking to...

GreyhoundG1rl · 14/06/2021 16:25

You are calling it 'Sainos' yet you have an issue with them using the work colleague? Wink
What' the connection there?

SticksAndStoned · 14/06/2021 16:28

Typo. Should have said 'word' not work.

Colleague is a real word. Sainsos is not.

GreyhoundG1rl · 14/06/2021 16:30

@SticksAndStoned

Typo. Should have said 'word' not work.

Colleague is a real word. Sainsos is not.

Nobody is arguing that colleague is not a real word 🙄. Just whether it's an appropriate one in the circumstances. You get that, right?
Etulosba · 14/06/2021 16:31

YANBU Also when did we have to start calling drinks fucking beverages?

It's middle English, so at some point between about 1100AD and 1500AD. Approximately

I was going to say, I'm old and it's nothing new to me.

SticksAndStoned · 14/06/2021 16:32

Nobody is arguing that colleague is not a real word 🙄. Just whether it's an appropriate one in the circumstances. You get that, right?

I do. And you 'get' how I explained how, in the specific event that poster mentioned, it seems appropriate, right?

GreyhoundG1rl · 14/06/2021 16:33

And you 'get' how I explained how, in the specific event that poster mentioned, it seems appropriate, right?
I just didn't agree...

SticksAndStoned · 14/06/2021 16:36

I just didn't agree...

That's ok. You don't have to.

ladymalfoy · 14/06/2021 16:38

Ofsted Inspectors refer to all teaching staff as colleagues.
Wankers.

RockPainting · 14/06/2021 16:43

I started work for ASDA in 1996 and we were Colleagues then.

It really removes the hierarchy and provides a completely inoffensive term for - well - colleagues!

I raise you 'co-workers' at IKEA... Grin

Gwenhwyfar · 14/06/2021 16:44

"Surely member of staff would be equally confusing as to whether they meant a member of their staff or a member of your staff."

What? Unless you're a celebrity or something you're not shopping with a member of your staff are you? 'Ask a member of staff' in a supermarket clearly means a person working in that supermarket and not your butler!

Gwenhwyfar · 14/06/2021 16:46

"If someone comes to me at the customer service desk to ask for help with a grocery enquiry I will make an announcement for "a colleague from the grocery department to come to the CSD". Equally if I am making an announcement over the tannoy directed to any member of staff (from shop floor staff to the store manager) it will be prefaced with "Colleague announcement" so that the staff know that they should pay attention in case it is for them."

That's fine because they are your colleagues, but it would be wrong to refer to them as your customer's colleagues.

melj1213 · 14/06/2021 17:19

That's fine because they are your colleagues, but it would be wrong to refer to them as your customer's colleagues.

Nobody ever refers to staff as customers colleagues - they are store colleagues, hence why signage asks people to "Ask one of our colleagues for help" or "Speak to a colleague at the CSD for help".

The point of my post was that the company has decided that the people who work in their shop are referred to as colleagues. Everything we do where we reference someone who works in our shop they are referred to as "colleagues" as this is our job title

Therefore, even when addressing customers - either verbally or in signage - the people who work in the store are referred to by their title, in this case "colleague".

TerrifiedandWorried · 14/06/2021 17:24

Aldi announcements start "Dear customer..."
It is utterly bizarre. Sounds like they're dictating letters.

Newkitchen123 · 14/06/2021 20:03

If something as simple as this confuses you then maybe you shouldn't be allowed out on your own

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