"Inbox me hun" ?!?

[VeloHostage]

We're on the lookout for a local gardener to keep our grass cut.

Saw an ad on our local FB page from a young lad who's just trying to start his own business in that area.

Was thinking to pop a message, and then noticed in the comments ...

Could you give me a quote ?

reply ?

Inbox me hun

at which point, I stopped being interested. Sorry, but I can't begin to describe how patronising I found the "hun" bit. To a stranger and (presumably) because they had a feminine name.

It's true how much patience you lose as you get older.

(I've swallowed my dislike of the use of "Inbox" as an imperative rather than noun, so that is not my beef here )

@Icecreamsoda99

*I would seriously consider sending him a brief message - "I know you're a kid looking to do a bit of gardening, not a top lawyer, but honestly I demand a bit of professionalism with people I employ and you failed miserably with your response. I strongly suggest you think about how you address potential customers and perhaps take advice from older people you know. Good luck with your business".

Then block him as soon as you know he's seen it.*

Don't do that, for a start it's an unnecessarily nasty thing to do, second of all he might call you out publicly about it on Facebook.

It's also performance outrage used as an excuse to belittle someone considered an inferior because of their age and occupation.

@5128gap It's not, it's about opening someone's eyes to how many other people think, and not only that many other people who are potential (and maybe vital) customers.

If the person can't take feedback then maybe they're not suited to running a business (or working or being in a relationship for that matter).

Belittling them would be to call them a lazy moron who you wouldn't dream of employing if they were the last person on earth.

[quote LaetitiaASD]@5128gap It's not, it's about opening someone's eyes to how many other people think, and not only that many other people who are potential (and maybe vital) customers.

If the person can't take feedback then maybe they're not suited to running a business (or working or being in a relationship for that matter).[/quote]
For feedback to be helpful if needs to be specific , and constructive. If you genuinely desire to help the recipient it should also be delivered with respect.

If the person can't take feedback then maybe they're not suited to running a business (or working or being in a relationship for that matter)

Erm...so why suggesting blocking him after? Surely if you are "opening someone's eyes" you would want to give them the chance to ask further questions or to thank you for your unsolicited and not in any way patronizing advice?

It's only about how you think though. Plenty of other potential customers may not be bothered at all.
You don't speak for everyone.

To be honest, where I'm from, demand for most trades far exceeds supply, so the chances of someone receiving a message like that and thinking anything other than they'd dodged a bullet in avoiding the 'demands' of that type of customer would be very remote.

I genuinely could not give a shit about this tbh

Prob gf runs the page

@Crystal90567

You're objecting to builders speaking like builders?

Do you only employ tradespeople who converse in the proper Queen's engerlish?

Pedants are annoying.

"Pedants" as you refer to them, are customers - or at least potential customers. I don't expect the Queen's English, no, but I do expect basic courtesy, especially at the first point of contact. How hard is it to just not use terms like hun/love/babe? It would immediately put me off any tradesperson who spoke to me like that.

I was hunned during the week, I’m seriously considering not using their services because of it.

@BlotBangRub

It's only about how you think though. Plenty of other potential customers may not be bothered at all. You don't speak for everyone.

Surely you would want to appeal to as wide a range of potential customers as possible? I'm assuming you wouldn't be put off by someone NOT calling you hun? So it's best not to use it at all, then you don't put anyone off.

As a professional gardener...id be embarrassed if whoever ran my fb group called anyone hun, love, etc...the most I go for with female customers (I'm male) is mate...until id built some kind of relationship. Some 15 years later are still mrs. Smith, bloggs etc some are first name and some are nicknamed or love or yer YOU!

NOBODY CALLED THE OP HUN.
She hasn't spoken to the bloody gardener.

Yeah OK you don't like it you think it's unprofessional but it's a young lad and this is how they are and what is acceptable also if you want a quote you would contact them directly rather than posting on a page he didn't mean it to be offensive and probably has no idea that people would be offended he's a young lad starting out and will make mistakes like everyone else does

I hate hun but moreso from males. The historical use of honey as a demeaning, patronising misogynistic slur, along with darling as , has tainted it.
I also hate the faux friendliness of it, from anyone. I am nobody’s “hun”.

Anyone using the word “hun”, or “indeed “inbox” as anything other than a noun, isn’t getting my business

Yeah OK you don't like it you think it's unprofessional but it's a young lad and this is how they are and what is acceptable also if you want a quote you would contact them directly rather than posting on a page he didn't mean it to be offensive and probably has no idea that people would be offended he's a young lad starting out and will make mistakes like everyone else does

Aside from the gist, which I understand to be, “he should be allowed to be unprofessional because he’s young”, would punctuation hurt or something?

😹

@CalamityJaneDoe

I hate hun but moreso from males. The historical use of honey as a demeaning, patronising misogynistic slur, along with darling as , has tainted it. I also hate the faux friendliness of it, from anyone. I am nobody’s “hun”.

Ooo. Calm down hen. 🐓🐓🐓

Sorry this would make me cringe in real life. But the outrage on here is also making me laugh.

In the real world no one gives a shit about this sort of stuff. Mumsnet is just a “how miserable can I be” competition.

@DixonD

I wouldn’t deal with anyone who used “hun”. I can’t stand it.

Ditto

Loathe it

Oh and don’t get me started on Hunny… it’s not even a word ffs!

It's weird that people use "hun" to make an email sound approachable and pleasant, but "please" and "thanks" are so often missing from FB posts.

Saw an ad on our local FB page from a young lad who's just trying to start his own business in that area.

If you are willing to take a chance on a young lad who is just starting out I would forgive the language. It's common nowadays, as is the 'looking for a joiner/plumber/gardener - pm me' shite. No. Just no. You go to the tradespeople, not the other way round.

Personally I would be after an experienced gardener.