First name or last name?

[DisneyJen0504]

I think using a last name when it is a work situation is totally acceptable. Age shouldn't matter. Just because they are younger than you doesn't mean that they are not an adult and do not deserved to be treated with resepct.

IMO you are being 100% rude. A teacher who is 22 is not a child and you are underminding her by calling her as such. She is no less of an adult than anyone else just because she is supposedly young enough to be your child. I would get over that attitude quickly if I were you and realize that because someone can be young enough to be your child does not mean they do not command respect. Would you do the same if she were a CEO of a company? What happens when you are 80? A 60 year old will still be a child in your book?

Well said. I totally agree!

 

[AlexandNessa]

My last name is also a first name. Often times, people don't know what to call me.

 

[dogluva]

As a teacher, I never call a parent by their first name unless I am a friend of theirs. As I get up there, most of my kids teachers are younger (my three younger kids, anyway) and I refer to them as Ms., Mr. Or Mrs. I would also be furious if my child called an adult by their first name. So disrespectful. I also hate being called my first name by children. I am not that old either. I don't mind Miss first name, however, especially by really little kids.

The most insulting time was when a parent left me a message on my answering machine and introduced herself as "Mrs. _____". Then proceeded to call me by my first name. Then in person, had the nerve to introduce her child to me using my first name. However, she obviously wanted to be called Mrs. _____. Very weird and rude. The child called me by my first name until I said someting like, "Tell Mrs. ____ (me) how old you are". The mother didn't even flinch.

 

[iggbees]

I am part of the Lastnametoolongtopronounceclub

Anyone else??

i'm part of that club too. when i accept packages at work, i tell the fedex guy my first name and then tell him my last name is way too complicated to want to plug into his computer. haha. sometimes they ask what it is and then say, is it ok if i just put the first 4 letters?

although i love my family to death, somedays i long for the day that my boyfriend and i will get married, because my last name would be one of the most generic on this planet. that day can't come soon enough. haha.

 

[eliza61]

In a professional situation I want to be addressed by my last name, no matter what the age.
I'm the opposite, I hate when young kids call me by my first name. I had to politely ask my neighbor to introduce me by my last name because her 12 yo son kept calling me "Eliza". I didn't like that. I'm not his friend or relative.

 

[NMAmy]

I am all over the place on this issue. Last summer, I went to NYC with dd, another student, and their teacher. We were in dorm rooms and I shared a bathroom with that woman for a week and I still couldn't bring myself to call her by her first name (although she told me to)--mainly because we were with the kids the whole time and they referred to her as Ms. R. She was quite a bit younger than I am but it seemed weird to call her by her first name.

DD's friends call me by my first name. I don't care if doctors call me by my first name but I always call them Dr. Lastname. I DO hate it when I take my dd to the doctor and they call me "Mom." I may be old enough to be your mom but I did not give birth to you. Don't call me Mom.

I've worked at two colleges and you can't swing a cat without hitting a Ph.D. All faculty are called by their first names although I did work directly for the president of one college who was always referred to as Dr. Lastname by everyone. His wife would throw me off when she'd call and ask for Jim.

A new instructor who was very proud of her shiny new Ph.D. came into the office with a problem one day. Another instructor (who was about 30 years older than her) happened to be there and gave her some advice and then said, "By the way, I'm Joe, what's your name?" She replied, "Oh, I'm DOCTOR HerLastname." He laughed and said, "Well, if we're going to be formal, then you can call ME Dr. HisLastname."

 

[Took]

DH

Me too. My maiden name & my married name are doozy's to pronounce. At least I know when it's a salesman calling.

As far as this argument over 1st or last names, I'm Southern, so everyone is a "Ma'am" or "Sir" (whether you are older or younger than me), and I always call folks by their last name unless they say otherwise. If I didn't, my Grandma would rise from the grave & slap me.

LOL, mine would slap me, too! It's always Mr. or Mrs. Lastname. Dr's are always Dr. Lastname and members of the clergy are always whatever they introduce themselves as: e.g. Father Ron, Rev. Harding, etc. Anyone I don't know well is Mr. or Ms. Lastname unless they ask me to call them something else ("Please, call me "Bob"). As a professor, I prefer Prof. or Dr. Lastname. I'm just uncomfortable with students calling me by my first name and I still don't call any of my former teachers or professors by their first names.

Now, I do call my colleagues (fellow profs) by either their first or last name only when I'm speaking directly to them. To students, I call them Prof. lastname.

And I absolutely can't STAND for customer service personnel to call me by my first name. I just want to scream "I'm not your friend. Stop it!"

I realize that many folks like first-name intimacy. I do with those I'm fairly close to or with those who are my absolute "equals" at work, not with others unless they ask me to.

 

[Darsa]

I kind of have a thing about last names, and the only reason that is, is because I work with lawyers statewide, and heaven forbid I should offend one of them. Sooo, in the interest of keeping my position, I address everyone by Mr, Mrs, or Ms unless they specifically say "call me *name*"

Heh, on the other hand, when people call, every time, I say "This is *first name*, how can I help you?" and when angry or annoying people call and ask me for my last name, I tell them that I'm not allowed to give out personal information such as that. Which I'm actually not

 

[DISUNC]

NOBODY uses my last name...it's a tounge twister.

As a kid with parents friends & older neighbors it was mostly always a First Name basis. In fact I never even called my parents Mom & Dad...It was ALWAYS their first name. I think its because I was the youngest & they just STOPPED listening to whenever someone called Mom or Dad!

In all my years of working fulltime (30 +) I can only recall ONCE someone insisted to be called "MR., MISS, MRS.MS...."! And this was one person who didnt deserve a ounce of respect.

I sooooooo understand the Op on this subject. Recently I was talking to a priest (WHO WAS A BABY) and calling him "Father" was just too bizarre for me.