Things that piss you off!

[MintTrav]

People that call other players 'sir'. 'Nice hand sir', 'its on you sir'. Especially when from younger players. I kinda find it patronising and fake.

+1 on this, but I'd add in anyone who calls you 'sir' - waiters, shop assistants, police, etc, etc. Patronising and fake is exactly how I would describe it.

Do you ever call anyone sir?

Is there ever a time when it's OK for someone to call you sir, or do you think the word should be abolished?

Well, it's difficult to abolish a word that people are still using, but I can't think of a non-military/quasi-military context in which it is appropriate.

I don't think that people working in customer-facing roles are subordinate to their customers - they are doing their job, just as the customer does theirs when they are at work, so why should they have to adopt a subordinate position and call them sir? [Though I'm not I keen on the current fashion of waiters addressing customers, even a couple, as 'guys' either].

The other context in which it often seems to be used is when there is a difference of opinion between an organisation and a customer. The employee/manager often adopts an officious tone and starts addressing the customer as 'sir' in an officious semi-aggressive manner.

The few people who do use it in a genuine polite manner tend to come across as pretty archaic imo (or American).

How should people working in customer-facing roles address their customers then?

I would prefer that they don't call me anything. I find it presumptuous, rude even, when they start calling me by my name when they don't know me. Maybe it's me.

[taximan007]

Never been in the services but why wouldn't you 'salute a foreigner' ? They are people the same as us and if their rank warranted a salute surely it is the respectful thing to do.

As for calling people Sir or Madam, when I started my working life in Hospitality it was the expected way to address customers and it is something I have carried with me all my working life, the company I work for now emphasis the importance on addressing the guests by name but as I have very little dealing with guests I still continue to address them as Sir and Madam as I believe this to be correct.....and as Tom said earlier how should I address the guests if I don't know their names?

 

[gatso]

Not being a dousche or antagonising

Have spoken alot of others about this and general consensus is 'no way on gods earth saluting a foreigner'

these 2 statements would seem to contradict each other

[Woodsey]

Never been in the services but why wouldn't you 'salute a foreigner' ? They are people the same as us and if their rank warranted a salute surely it is the respectful thing to do.

As for calling people Sir or Madam, when I started my working life in Hospitality it was the expected way to address customers and it is something I have carried with me all my working life, the company I work for now emphasis the importance on addressing the guests by name but as I have very little dealing with guests I still continue to address them as Sir and Madam as I believe this to be correct.....and as Tom said earlier how should I address the guests if I don't know their names?

I agree its fine and in fact expected in hospitality etc (I was actually brought up in that environment), its just in normal social interactions I find it out of place.

[RED-DOG]

People that call other players 'sir'. 'Nice hand sir', 'its on you sir'. Especially when from younger players. I kinda find it patronising and fake.

+1 on this, but I'd add in anyone who calls you 'sir' - waiters, shop assistants, police, etc, etc. Patronising and fake is exactly how I would describe it.

Do you ever call anyone sir?

Is there ever a time when it's OK for someone to call you sir, or do you think the word should be abolished?

Well, it's difficult to abolish a word that people are still using, but I can't think of a non-military/quasi-military context in which it is appropriate.

I don't think that people working in customer-facing roles are subordinate to their customers - they are doing their job, just as the customer does theirs when they are at work, so why should they have to adopt a subordinate position and call them sir? [Though I'm not I keen on the current fashion of waiters addressing customers, even a couple, as 'guys' either].

The other context in which it often seems to be used is when there is a difference of opinion between an organisation and a customer. The employee/manager often adopts an officious tone and starts addressing the customer as 'sir' in an officious semi-aggressive manner.

The few people who do use it in a genuine polite manner tend to come across as pretty archaic imo (or American).

How should people working in customer-facing roles address their customers then?

I would prefer that they don't call me anything. I find it presumptuous, rude even, when they start calling me by my name when they don't know me. Maybe it's me.

So they can't call you by name, they can't call you sir..  in fact they can't call you anything?

Blimey! That's a tough gig.

Do you tell them not to call you anything, just so that they're aware?

[nirvana]

People that call other players 'sir'. 'Nice hand sir', 'its on you sir'. Especially when from younger players. I kinda find it patronising and fake.

+1 on this, but I'd add in anyone who calls you 'sir' - waiters, shop assistants, police, etc, etc. Patronising and fake is exactly how I would describe it.

Do you ever call anyone sir?

Is there ever a time when it's OK for someone to call you sir, or do you think the word should be abolished?

Unfortunately yes - I salute them too. Although a story on this...

I was working with the Yanks, most of which were Officers. One got irate one day and asked why I did not salute him. I told him I don't have to, so I wouldn't. It gripped his sh*t. 'But I'm an officer' to which I replied 'I don't care - I'm still not saluting you'

He went on that his soldiers always made an effort to salute ours and that he thought it only right we should salute them. To which I pointed out that I don't even salute British officers. This really confused him and he went away for a while.

He came back asking why I was so special, not to salute our officers. He could have sworn he'd seen me do so a few days before. At that point I pointed out that our Officers hold the Queens commission and so, when saluting them, we're actually saluting the Queen - not the officer.

I told him that, as far as I was aware, Yank officers do not hold the Queens commission and so I would never salute him - but perhaps if they ever renounced their independence then maybe just one day I might 

Sir, were you a Petty Officer ?

[MintTrav]

People that call other players 'sir'. 'Nice hand sir', 'its on you sir'. Especially when from younger players. I kinda find it patronising and fake.

+1 on this, but I'd add in anyone who calls you 'sir' - waiters, shop assistants, police, etc, etc. Patronising and fake is exactly how I would describe it.

Do you ever call anyone sir?

Is there ever a time when it's OK for someone to call you sir, or do you think the word should be abolished?

Well, it's difficult to abolish a word that people are still using, but I can't think of a non-military/quasi-military context in which it is appropriate.

I don't think that people working in customer-facing roles are subordinate to their customers - they are doing their job, just as the customer does theirs when they are at work, so why should they have to adopt a subordinate position and call them sir? [Though I'm not I keen on the current fashion of waiters addressing customers, even a couple, as 'guys' either].

The other context in which it often seems to be used is when there is a difference of opinion between an organisation and a customer. The employee/manager often adopts an officious tone and starts addressing the customer as 'sir' in an officious semi-aggressive manner.

The few people who do use it in a genuine polite manner tend to come across as pretty archaic imo (or American).

How should people working in customer-facing roles address their customers then?

I would prefer that they don't call me anything. I find it presumptuous, rude even, when they start calling me by my name when they don't know me. Maybe it's me.

So they can't call you by name, they can't call you sir..  in fact they can't call you anything?

Blimey! That's a tough gig.

Do you tell them not to call you anything, just so that they're aware?

No.

Do you call people 'Sir'?

[RED-DOG]

People that call other players 'sir'. 'Nice hand sir', 'its on you sir'. Especially when from younger players. I kinda find it patronising and fake.

+1 on this, but I'd add in anyone who calls you 'sir' - waiters, shop assistants, police, etc, etc. Patronising and fake is exactly how I would describe it.

Do you ever call anyone sir?

Is there ever a time when it's OK for someone to call you sir, or do you think the word should be abolished?

Well, it's difficult to abolish a word that people are still using, but I can't think of a non-military/quasi-military context in which it is appropriate.

I don't think that people working in customer-facing roles are subordinate to their customers - they are doing their job, just as the customer does theirs when they are at work, so why should they have to adopt a subordinate position and call them sir? [Though I'm not I keen on the current fashion of waiters addressing customers, even a couple, as 'guys' either].

The other context in which it often seems to be used is when there is a difference of opinion between an organisation and a customer. The employee/manager often adopts an officious tone and starts addressing the customer as 'sir' in an officious semi-aggressive manner.

The few people who do use it in a genuine polite manner tend to come across as pretty archaic imo (or American).

How should people working in customer-facing roles address their customers then?

I would prefer that they don't call me anything. I find it presumptuous, rude even, when they start calling me by my name when they don't know me. Maybe it's me.

So they can't call you by name, they can't call you sir..  in fact they can't call you anything?

Blimey! That's a tough gig.

Do you tell them not to call you anything, just so that they're aware?

No.

Do you call people 'Sir'?

Yes, sometimes, of course I do, unless I know their name, and then I will call them Mr Jones or whatever, unless I'm on familiar terms and then I will use their first name.


So you don't tell people not to call you anything, so what happens? Do you go through life being secretly annoyed by them?

[MintTrav]

People that call other players 'sir'. 'Nice hand sir', 'its on you sir'. Especially when from younger players. I kinda find it patronising and fake.

+1 on this, but I'd add in anyone who calls you 'sir' - waiters, shop assistants, police, etc, etc. Patronising and fake is exactly how I would describe it.

Do you ever call anyone sir?

Is there ever a time when it's OK for someone to call you sir, or do you think the word should be abolished?

Well, it's difficult to abolish a word that people are still using, but I can't think of a non-military/quasi-military context in which it is appropriate.

I don't think that people working in customer-facing roles are subordinate to their customers - they are doing their job, just as the customer does theirs when they are at work, so why should they have to adopt a subordinate position and call them sir? [Though I'm not I keen on the current fashion of waiters addressing customers, even a couple, as 'guys' either].

The other context in which it often seems to be used is when there is a difference of opinion between an organisation and a customer. The employee/manager often adopts an officious tone and starts addressing the customer as 'sir' in an officious semi-aggressive manner.

The few people who do use it in a genuine polite manner tend to come across as pretty archaic imo (or American).

How should people working in customer-facing roles address their customers then?

I would prefer that they don't call me anything. I find it presumptuous, rude even, when they start calling me by my name when they don't know me. Maybe it's me.

So they can't call you by name, they can't call you sir..  in fact they can't call you anything?

Blimey! That's a tough gig.

Do you tell them not to call you anything, just so that they're aware?

No.

Do you call people 'Sir'?

Yes, sometimes, of course I do, unless I know their name, and then I will call them Mr Jones or whatever, unless I'm on familiar terms and then I will use their first name.


So you don't tell people not to call you anything, so what happens? Do you go through life being secretly annoyed by them?

'Annoyed' is overstating it. And 'secretly' is a bit pejorative too - I wouldn't bother to say anything because it is rude to point out what you perceive as shortcomings in others, I'm probably not going to see them again and it is a very minor thing anyway.

So when you speak with someone who you are not on familiar terms with, you will drop in 'Mr Jones' or 'Sir' here and there in the conversation? Do you think they ever find that annoying?

[RED-DOG]

People that call other players 'sir'. 'Nice hand sir', 'its on you sir'. Especially when from younger players. I kinda find it patronising and fake.

+1 on this, but I'd add in anyone who calls you 'sir' - waiters, shop assistants, police, etc, etc. Patronising and fake is exactly how I would describe it.

Do you ever call anyone sir?

Is there ever a time when it's OK for someone to call you sir, or do you think the word should be abolished?

Well, it's difficult to abolish a word that people are still using, but I can't think of a non-military/quasi-military context in which it is appropriate.

I don't think that people working in customer-facing roles are subordinate to their customers - they are doing their job, just as the customer does theirs when they are at work, so why should they have to adopt a subordinate position and call them sir? [Though I'm not I keen on the current fashion of waiters addressing customers, even a couple, as 'guys' either].

The other context in which it often seems to be used is when there is a difference of opinion between an organisation and a customer. The employee/manager often adopts an officious tone and starts addressing the customer as 'sir' in an officious semi-aggressive manner.

The few people who do use it in a genuine polite manner tend to come across as pretty archaic imo (or American).

How should people working in customer-facing roles address their customers then?

I would prefer that they don't call me anything. I find it presumptuous, rude even, when they start calling me by my name when they don't know me. Maybe it's me.

So they can't call you by name, they can't call you sir..  in fact they can't call you anything?

Blimey! That's a tough gig.

Do you tell them not to call you anything, just so that they're aware?

No.

Do you call people 'Sir'?

Yes, sometimes, of course I do, unless I know their name, and then I will call them Mr Jones or whatever, unless I'm on familiar terms and then I will use their first name.


So you don't tell people not to call you anything, so what happens? Do you go through life being secretly annoyed by them?

'Annoyed' is overstating it. And 'secretly' is a bit pejorative too - I wouldn't bother to say anything because it is rude to point out what you perceive as shortcomings in others, I'm probably not going to see them again and it is a very minor thing anyway.

So when you speak with someone who you are not on familiar terms with, you will drop in 'Mr Jones' or 'Sir' here and there in the conversation? Do you think they ever find that annoying?

No. I can honestly say that I've never though for a moment that calling someone I'm not familiar with 'Sir' or 'Mr Jones' would annoy them. After all, what else would I call them?

I understand jjandellis's point of view now. He's talking about someone he's sharing a table with calling him Sir at the end of every sentence, but your stance of 'I don't want anyone in a customer-facing situation to call me anything' frankly just boggles my mind.

I would be totally amazed, and, I have to admit, somewhat saddened if it turns out that your aversion to being addressed in any way by the people who serve you is shared by anything but a tiny minority of the population.

[Dubai]

 People that say nice hand annoy me. What on earth is nice about a poker hand?
People that say good game annoy me. What on earth is good about a poker game?

People that knock the table when someone wins a hand? What is that all about?

[Claw75]

Typing a long post on your phone which takes up your whole break time, only for it to get lost in the ether somewhere. Bet this pointless one doesn't!

[prettygreen]

People that say nice hand annoy me. What on earth is nice about a poker hand?
People that say good game annoy me. What on earth is good about a poker game?

People that knock the table when someone wins a hand? What is that all about?

pretty sure i have seen you tap the table when the overs come in on corners

[smashedagain]

People that say nice hand annoy me. What on earth is nice about a poker hand?
People that say good game annoy me. What on earth is good about a poker game?

People that knock the table when someone wins a hand? What is that all about?

pretty sure i have seen you tap the table when the overs come in on corners

And gg when he won in Dublin?

[jakally]

People that knock the table when someone wins a hand? What is that all about?

Tapping the table, when someone wins a non-showdown pot, is often the best way to get them to show you their cards.
It's almost as if they feel compelled to return the gesture.