why do folks who serve me (in the shop)  call me sir, when I'm clearly not a knight of the relm?
917832
I agree with you! I used to get so annoyed when I was at school and a teacher would want me to call them Sir. Because, unless they have been knighted by the Queen - I will be calling them Mr!\n\nIt also annoys me when people call women Madam - sorry, but to me a Madam is a person that runs a brothel!
374035
don't get hung up on it, it is just a term someone uses to make a sentence more personal if he doesn't know you..it is very common to call a guy you don't know..Mate, Buddy, Bud,Chief, Amigo,...just like calling a woman, honey, love, baby or whatever..I'm sure the person didn't mean any offence by it
571609
No, it just means you are not a f*g, sir.
763683
You know what, I don't know why some women get mad at that, I figure that when someone calls me ma'am, they were raised properly with respect for other people.  So don't let their insecurities get you down :) Next time just apologize and call her Miss :)
637448
The term of respect "Sir" is used when speaking to officers and civilian officials. Each sentence or statement should be either preceded or terminated with the word "Sir", but should not be used both before and after the statement. When speaking with a female officer, the term "Ma'am" instead of "Sir" is used.   \nhttp://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/9283/page4.html\n\nWhen speaking to a group of men you use the collective "gentlemen".  With women you use the collective "ladies".\n\nAll military personnel are addressed properly by their grade or title. Airman First Class Jones is correctly addressed as "Airman Jones." Master Sergeant Smith may be called "Master Sergeant Smith" or "Sergeant Smith," but should never be addressed "Hey, Sarge." Chief Master Sergeant Clifford will be called "Chief Clifford," never "Sergeant Clifford."\n\nOfficers senior to you may be addressed by their rank and last name, or as "Sir" or "Ma'am." To officers junior to you, use their rank or rank and last name. Rank has no sex and one of the most glaring blunders is to assume a ranking officer is a "he." A lieutenant is addressed officially as "Lieutenant." A Lieutenant Colonel is addressed as "Colonel." \nhttp://level2.cap.gov/Prof_Dev_Modules/cap_lesson_10/lesson10_html/lesson10.htm
373253
I think it is very impolite to add extra's when the dessert has already been served.\nThat's like putting ketchup on your steak.\nAnd that's coming from a man.\nEven if he's called Dr. Bob.
319674
Superior...to whom?  To yourself you may be a legend in your own mind but to actually believe you are superior...I can only imagine who you compared yourself to...the vagrants that plague society?  Superior one...there is a spell check seeing as your grammer is about as admirable as your attitude towards others.
143183
I often just giggle and ask, "What's in it for me?" and if they can't give me an acceptable answer, then I tell them, "sorry, I really cannot do that..." I do not do a lot of favours for people. I will do them for a few people now ad then, but rarely. I use to be the one who did favours for everyoe. Got tired of being taken advantage of, so now I just say, no can do, sorry.
1182451
no - that happens every time a bell rings.   Didn't you notice it last time? It's as clear as WHOOPS there we go again.  Hey ho, it seems I'm called pub_bore, I'm male and I have short hair in this universe.  Wonder what I was befDING! oops byeeee!
673177
its gonna help to spell shop correctly in the first instance or none of you customers are going to have any faith in you. What about 'computer sales and service'
909576
It can't hurt to refer to them as mr. or mrs. Almost no one gets offended by being addressed more formally (truly offended, not the fake my-mother-is-mrs.-jones offended), but many do get offended by being addressed in a way inconsistant with their opinion of respect.\n\nI typically go by either what they say (as in, if the superior himself refers to himself as "Jim" then that's probably what he wants to go by) or what others call him (and your peers - not people higher up than you - call him by his first name, I'd go ahead and do it).\n\nIn emails, I usually try to keep work emails pretty formal and devoid of personal comments.  If I don't KNOW I should use first names, I almost always address them "Mr" or "Ms" (which is the most acceptable abbreviation for women, since it includes married, respectably unmarried, divorced, or widowed).  Of course, when it's a coworker I'm friends with and we goof around in the office, I use a first name.
473953
Why? Just so you can call me old fashioned? Just so you can make fun of me behind my back? You're trying to see what kind of accent I have aren't you?\n\n\n\n\ncynical
1017419
this happens to me on many official letters i clearly state Mrs  and i get Ms it is so annoying it shows total lack of respect that they dont care how you want to be addressed.\n\nit is a  case of political correctness\n\nyou cant tell if a man is married or not by his title\na man is Mr whetheror not he is married\nyou can tell if a woman is married or not by the title Miss or Mrs\nsome women object to this so came up with Ms\nunfortunatly the rest of are stuck with it.
527133
Shop-lifting is a civil wrong. This is very petty offence. You should not be bothered about it because you were just cautioned and not even penalised or reported anywhere.
838755
Sorry I don't bow to any authority figure I am my own "MAN"!!!!
1158540
I say hello to strangers when I make contact also, just a friendly Hello too, nothing to extravagant.  Usually I get a rude grin (usually made by a woman thinking she's better than everyone), rolling eyes or a look like "What the heck are you saying Hi to me for?" People have lost all manners. And also, I was in the store the other day pushing a cart, said "Excuse Me" to this lady and she just looked at me! It was like she didn't speak English or something, I don't know but people are rude nowadays.
45235
This is indeed an awkward situation. I also never know what to do because sometimes it would be an insult because they don't want to be treated the same as the rest of the staff because they own the place, and so because of that I usually don't!