When you are at a store do you...

[Soccer Princess]

When you are at a storedo you call the workers "hun", "Dear" or "darlin'" ?
While working my 8 hour shift yesterday, I was called one of these at least 25 times. Now, why do these people, who I have known for approximetely 10 seconds, feel the need to refer to me in a manner which suggests we have been quite friendly with one another for a while? It doesn't bother me all the time, but when you have middle-aged men calling you "darlin'" repeatedly, it starts to ge a bit weird. Just wandering if you all do this..sorry for the small rant.

 

[meeshi]

No, but when I go to a certain store there is a worker there that calls me hun, and she's about 5-10 years younger than me. That is a little annoying.

The only person I call hun is my dh.

 

[browneyes]

No, I don't, but I get called hon and sweetie a lot. That annoys me.

 

[Chattyaholic]

No, I don't. Pet-names are reserved for my family members only.

I'm a waitress and this happens to me quite a bit. A customer I've never seen before will call me all sorts of sweet little names and it bugs me to no end. We put tags with our NAMES on, on the tables we are waiting on. Why can't the person just call me by my NAME? Or "miss", or "waitress", or "ma'am", anything but honey, sweetie, dearie, etc. I just want to tell them NOT to call me those names, but of course I don't....I just "put up with it."

 

[Jenn Lynn]

My DH used to be SO bad about doing this. I told him that it was inappropriate and he has really made an effort to stop doing this. Some times it slips out though.

I have realized that all of the males in his family do this, including his Dad and Brother, and his Brother is only 27. I think it was how they were raised. They heard their Dad do it all of the time.

 

[binny]

It depends... normally not, unless I know them... but I get called that a lot. I dont mind unless its said in a sarcastic.

I love it when an older gentleman tips his hat to me and says " hi darlin" I love that!!

 

[dvcfamily41801]

No not at all. I just try to smile and be polite

 

[Lewski709]

I love the darlin thing too. None of the names bother me AT ALL UNLESS the person saying it to me is younger. I think it's better than MAM or LADY.

 

[Princess Dot]

At least for me, when you are home with little ones all day and you say the word "sweetie" or "honey" all day, the term "sweetie" seems to just slip out when you least mean it to. I have called the UPS guy "sweetie" by accident! LOL! So I'm sure that people that use that term are just doing it unconsciously. That doesn't mean that it can be annoying to hear it all day long from a variety of total strangers!

 

[lynxstch]

that habit..I moved from MA to MD...the first time a cashier in MD called me honey..I told her..'I don't know you..you don't know me..why are you calling me honey?'..she didn't have an answer..I guess it's a custom down here..but when a waitress calls my husband Honey, Sweetie, Darling, or anything more endearing than 'sir'..I ask her once to stop..if she doesn't..I ask for a manager..maybe it annoys me too much..but I don't really care!..lol!..he's MY husband..not hers!

 

[disykat]

It really annoys me. I'm not usually one to be fresh, but I tend to answer back. If they call me hon, I call them sweetie - or I give them the "hairy eyeball".

I can forgive a random slip, but someone in customer service should know better than to continually call a customer pet names.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

It must be a southern thing. I grew up in GA and I've found it quite common in the south for an elder that might not know someone younger personally to call them "hon", "darlin'", "sweetie", or "dear."

Look at it like this -- it's a lot friendlier than "hey, you."

At least I'm guessing it's a southern thing, Mandy. When I saw you're in KY, that's the first thing that came to mind. Anyone ever encounter this habit in other parts of the country?

 

[Micca]

I think most people do it just to be nice. In England many people use the term "love". i.e., "Another cup of tea, love?"

 

[momof2inPA]

I like it. I think it's friendly, not overly familiar.

-Hon

 

[darlene9947]

I definately think it's a Southern thing. I was born and raised in New Orleans and everyone calls everyone by endearments. We don't mean to offend anyone, we're just being nice. And I would absolutely prefer to be called darlin', hon, sweetie, or sugar than "Ma'am"

 

[doxdogy]

I have to admit, I am guilty of using the word dear. My DM use to do it all the time. Since I have lived in the South all of my life, I guess I could blame it on being a southern thing. It doesn't bother me if someone says it to me or if a waitress says it to my husband.

 

[preshi]

My best friend always calls everyone sweetie. I personally would find it very snotty if I was the person helping her in a retail setting. I actually make fun of her for it. I get called Hun all the time by my older female boss and it doesn't bother me any... I'm weird.

 

[olena]

You get more flies with honey....

 

[*Fantasia*]

Some of my co-workers sometimes call me "hun" or "sweetie". I don't really care for it unless I feel that close to them. I certainly don't like it when the store/restaurants workers call me that. They don't know me. Maybe I am not sweet.

 

[Lisa F]

I've found enough opportunities in life in which to be offended by people actually INTEND to be offensive that I don't need to go around looking for reasons to be offended when people are NOT trying to be offensive.

That particular practice generally makes me smile because someone has a positive outlook on life and goes around assuming that people are "sweet" and "dear" and good things about them rather than assuming they aren't worth a pleasant word or a smile.