"May I call you by your first name, sir?"
Mar 11, 2018, 11:18 am
#31
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I spent decades qualifying for my title. I really don't mind whether people call me by my first name, call me Mr, or call me Professor, but I do mind them wasting my time by asking unnecessary questions, especially after an extended period of listening to Lakmé.
I was confused by the rancor expressed in this thread over a simple if unnecessary question.
Until I read your last line. Yep, 45 minutes of Delibes could make anyone a bit churlish.
Mar 11, 2018, 11:29 am
#32
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Mar 11, 2018, 11:29 am
#33
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Let’ s just have everybody call everybody else “hon” or “honey”. No need to ask for name, rank or consult Burke’s Peerage (since this is the BA forum). Saves on having to remember real names also. 
Mar 11, 2018, 11:30 am
#34
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In many parts of the world names are the opposite to the UK way. For the last 7 years in China I have been known to work colleagues and hotel staff as Mr Phil. I am sure the same has happened in India.
Mar 11, 2018, 11:30 am
#35
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This is simple a throwback to a time when people were polite and there were rules that governed what that actually meant. It was considered rude to use someone's given name unless they had given you permission to do so. And actually, it was to be offered not asked for as a previous poster wrote.
Having someone ask if they can use my given name doesn't bother me nearly as much as having someone call me 'dude', 'buddy', or 'bro'. Those are truly offensive. I haven't had any call centre person ask if they can use my given name although I have had some that just went ahead and used it without asking. I can't say it bothered me at all.
I will say though that your raising the issue has made me think that if someone did ask, I don't think I would be able to resist replying, 'No, you may call me Sir'. I live in the 21st century too and can be just as impolite as the next person sometimes.
Please excuse me from commenting on your thread Passmethesickbag before we have been properly introduced.
Having someone ask if they can use my given name doesn't bother me nearly as much as having someone call me 'dude', 'buddy', or 'bro'. Those are truly offensive. I haven't had any call centre person ask if they can use my given name although I have had some that just went ahead and used it without asking. I can't say it bothered me at all.
I will say though that your raising the issue has made me think that if someone did ask, I don't think I would be able to resist replying, 'No, you may call me Sir'. I live in the 21st century too and can be just as impolite as the next person sometimes.
Please excuse me from commenting on your thread Passmethesickbag before we have been properly introduced.
Mar 11, 2018, 11:36 am
#36
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I too am annoyed by call centres doing this. My solution is to ask, "before I answer that please would you tell me your full name and what your naming preference is?".
The second most annoying call centre script is "is there anything else I can do for you today?"
This reminds me of a hilarious incident with a friend of mine when we sat down in an American Diner somewhere in Louisiana. The waitress came over and before she could speak, my friend said "Hi, my name is Fred, and I am going to be your customer today". The poor lady's expression was priceless!
The second most annoying call centre script is "is there anything else I can do for you today?"
This reminds me of a hilarious incident with a friend of mine when we sat down in an American Diner somewhere in Louisiana. The waitress came over and before she could speak, my friend said "Hi, my name is Fred, and I am going to be your customer today". The poor lady's expression was priceless!
Mar 11, 2018, 11:41 am
#37
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I imagine the poor sod in the call centre turning to their colleague after the call and saying:
''well that escalated quickly'.
Having done a turn on the phones as a youngster, (not cold calling by the way, if that justifies it to some people) I'm familiar with how nasty people can be to others on the phone, and for that reason I try to be nice because it costs nothing and may just brighten someone's day a little bit.
If this bothers you perhaps take up yoga?
''well that escalated quickly'.
Having done a turn on the phones as a youngster, (not cold calling by the way, if that justifies it to some people) I'm familiar with how nasty people can be to others on the phone, and for that reason I try to be nice because it costs nothing and may just brighten someone's day a little bit.
If this bothers you perhaps take up yoga?
Mar 11, 2018, 11:57 am
#38
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Mar 11, 2018, 12:01 pm
#40
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Mar 11, 2018, 12:27 pm
#41
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May I call you by your first name, sir?
Mar 11, 2018, 12:36 pm
#42
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I have to admit, almost every time I have called BA and got through to the Indian call centre, I have felt that they go OTT with politeness, then often either give false promises of resolving a problem, or the level of expertise is just lacking on any even slightly complex question. I don't mind the politeness, but it's frustrating the lack of knowledge, sandwiched between long, pre-learnt polite sentences, I seem to encounter with the call centre.
Mar 11, 2018, 12:41 pm
#43
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Glasgow, UK
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During my student days, I worked in an inbound call centre - loosely travel related, in fact. Our script was to ask for a name, and then ask “and can I call you [First Name]?”
It didn’t take too long to figure out that wasn’t the best approach. So my informal policy was to err on the side of formality unless specifically asked not to.
In many cases, they were a ‘known’ customer, so we had access to all of their details. It was easy to simply say “how may I help you today Mr/Mrs/Miss Smith?” Occasionally they’d say “oh call me Bob/Barbara”. I found it generally easier to slip in to a less formal tone by starting formally, rather than trying to recover a faux-pas having offended The Hon. Professor Sir Double-Barrell.
The only potential pit fall was how to address ladies when you didn’t know their title. Falsely assuming that Barbara Smith was a Mrs or vice-versa, or deploying the controversial Ms, could occasionally offend. In those cases, usually asking directly “How would you prefer I address you?” was the best approach.
Interestingly, our offshore call centres followed the script to the letter. Agents in UK call centres often glossed the name part. So I wonder if something similar applies at BA? It’s officially part of the script, but UK agents tend to have a better ‘ear’ for the best approach for each caller, but their offshore agents are following to the letter?
It didn’t take too long to figure out that wasn’t the best approach. So my informal policy was to err on the side of formality unless specifically asked not to.
In many cases, they were a ‘known’ customer, so we had access to all of their details. It was easy to simply say “how may I help you today Mr/Mrs/Miss Smith?” Occasionally they’d say “oh call me Bob/Barbara”. I found it generally easier to slip in to a less formal tone by starting formally, rather than trying to recover a faux-pas having offended The Hon. Professor Sir Double-Barrell.
The only potential pit fall was how to address ladies when you didn’t know their title. Falsely assuming that Barbara Smith was a Mrs or vice-versa, or deploying the controversial Ms, could occasionally offend. In those cases, usually asking directly “How would you prefer I address you?” was the best approach.
Interestingly, our offshore call centres followed the script to the letter. Agents in UK call centres often glossed the name part. So I wonder if something similar applies at BA? It’s officially part of the script, but UK agents tend to have a better ‘ear’ for the best approach for each caller, but their offshore agents are following to the letter?
Mar 11, 2018, 1:06 pm
#44
Join Date: May 2012
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As someone who prefers to be addressed by my first name in any situation, I do understand others have different preferences. And that's fine by me.
What I haven't really figured out is why people need to use my name at all in a 1:1 phone conversation. Can there be any doubt about who they are addressing?
Repeated use of my name by a stranger doesn't foster intimacy. It diminishes it.
What I haven't really figured out is why people need to use my name at all in a 1:1 phone conversation. Can there be any doubt about who they are addressing?
Repeated use of my name by a stranger doesn't foster intimacy. It diminishes it.
Mar 11, 2018, 1:08 pm
#45
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 27
Interestingly, our offshore call centres followed the script to the letter. Agents in UK call centres often glossed the name part. So I wonder if something similar applies at BA? It’s officially part of the script, but UK agents tend to have a better ‘ear’ for the best approach for each caller, but their offshore agents are following to the letter?
One possible answer could be that the British worker has a union and laws to protect his/her job, I guess it's hardly as good in India, is it?
At least in my opinion it's extremely simple how I call a person...someone with a title has worked hard for it and deserves to be called with that title...not in every sentence though but at least at the beginning. If I don't know that person has a title I would not feel offended to be corrected. Calling someone by first name should only be done when that person allowed you to do so, for me it's a matter of respect.