To find 'pet' names unprofessional in CS?

[BigFatBully]

Am I being unreasonable to find the usage of pet names by customer service staff unprofessional?

I am the customer and a stranger, I expect to be treated with respect. My name isn't sweetheart, it isn't love, honey, darling or sweetie.

I think pet names are fine for family members, spouses or CLOSE friends. Am I being unreasonable to think there is a time and a place for such familiarity?

YABVU

Your 2nd post makes you sound completely uptight and ridiculous.
These friendly terms are used by bar staff, market stall holders, and 1001 other people who interact with the public through their job because they don't know everyone's name.

Though, as you aren't engaging with the thread, I'm now assuming you just made up something ridiculous to get people worked up

Oh this thread has reminded me of two of my customers, one calls me 'flower' and the other calls me 'treacle'! I love it! Makes me feel as though I'm part of an actual community, not just someone standing behind a till selling stuff. Like I'm 'seen' in an odd kind of way.

I do hate it when someone I've never seen before reads my name badge and uses my name every other word in conversation. That sounds vaguely threatening, somehow.

But treacle... any day!

Sounds like you have quite a rigid and literal style of thinking, with the "pal" comment, OP.

You're free to dislike anything you want, but pet names are a normal part of social interactions between strangers in most parts of the UK.

Where I live, it's love, lovey or even cocker, from older people. It doesn't bother me. I do hate "guys", it makes me cringe, but it's just how some people speak these days. I would never embarrass someone by calling them out for using love, darling, etc.
You could make yourself a big badge saying "Call me madam" to let them know how you'd like to be addressed.

The Amazon man here once called me ‘mami’ which I took as a massive compliment since I’m basically invisible these days 🤣
When I go home to the N of England I love that people still use these terms. If they started with the ‘madam’ I’d be a bit horrified.
To me it’s not misogynistic or condescending, it’s just a way of showing friendliness. Though where I’m from, being called ‘pal’ usually implies that you’re going to be invited round the back of the pub for a punch up 😳

Was there any need to do that?

What a delight you are!

I find the use of "pal" intersting..... I have only ever heard it in the contaxt of "You lookin at me pal?"

new dentist #2 called me sweetheart all morning
dont care but strange only time before when hospital for a month

I think I would have given you a look and walked out for showing me up kie that if I was your dh.

I love when someone calls me ‘pet’. Especially now I’m 58🤣 Nurses do it a lot, especially the ones around my age and older. It’s a lovely term of endearment.

Our local chippy has a Northerner running it, everyone is called Pet, Chuck or Love. He's a friendly person and his shop is very popular.

I'm a waitress and call everyone lovely "are you ready to order lovely?" Always done it but even more so now, what with non binary, trans etc it means I can't misgender with sir, miss.......

The only pet name that gives me the rage is "flower".

I can be a love, a duck, a hinny, a hen, a pet, some honey...but am I fuck a flower.

aaa your THAT customer

I love terms of endearment. It’s part of British culture.

Come on, it's neither, people of different ages and regions use different language, my grandma would call everyone love, and found it funny when I went to Uni in the midlands and everyone called you 'duck', having come from home counties it was a phrase I had never come across before, but it was just a regional, warm friendly greeting, nothing patronising about it.

Jesus, another one who would happily remove colour and warmth from the world in the name of 'professionalism'. I think this sort of language is great, especially given the breadth of regional variation as already mentioned on the thread. I struggle to believe the barman story tbh, as even if somebody was miserable enough to do that in real life I don't think anybody would be daft enough to admit it.

It is. The regional variations are nice.

Theres some sorts of customer service where endearments might not be appropriate I suppose - it’d probably be a bit incongruous in technical support type roles.

🤦🏼‍♀️

I was going to say this. I work in tourism and often get called love or pet etc. There's a man who works in a local charity shop who calls everyone (including old ladies like me) mate. Doesn't bother me at all. One of my friends is broad black country and she calls anyone serving her sweet or sweetheart.

I've never worked in a school where children haven't been referred to as sweetie, darling, chick etc.

Are you a snob OP? People working in CS roles are usually working class. Do you see yourself as being better than them and requiring of an elevated form of address such as “madam” or “sir”? Is that why the idea of your husband being “pals” with a bartender disgusted you so much?

You sound insufferable

Awrite, pal?