Re: Totally OT: etiquette in text messages

On 2009-08-02 23:59:31 +0100, Judith in France <judith.lea99@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> said:

On Aug 2, 11:32 pm, Sacha <sa...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On 2009-08-02 19:56:00 +0100, "Spider" <Spi...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> said:





"Sally Thompson" <s...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:0001HW.C69B6D460225B437F0182648@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Just asking here because I "know" you all and wonder if you would feel
the
same as I do.  I have an eye test tomorrow.  I gave my mobile numb
er as
the
contact, and was absolutely staggered to receive a text confirmation t
oday
to
that number, which started "Hi Sally".  I feel really miffed about t
his.
I
have never been to this opticians before and have never met anyone exc
ept
the
receptionist when I booked.

Would you all feel miffed or am I over-reacting?  I just don't feel
it is
very business-like (and it makes me almost want to cancel the test!)

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
Posted through uk.rec.gardening

I agree with you entirely.  I think it's preposterously rude and impe
rtinent
to use first names so freely.  Some people I know quite well still ca
ll me
Mrs. Spider :~), and it's not because we're stiff and frosty with each
other.  Even in a modern and free society, it is only polite and resp
ectful
to wait until you're asked to use someone's first name.  Unfortunatel
y, this
poor etiquette is started early on in schools.  My best friend works
in a
school and in the nursery years the children are allowed to call her Li
nda.
When they reach primary school level, they have to call her Mrs. Smith!
!  I
find it very disheartening that this basic level of respect is side-lin
ed at
the very time it should be hammered home.  By the time these youngste
rs are
working, they will be totally confused about manners and incapable of b
eing
business-like.

Our grand daughter is in the confusing position where she calls her
teacher Mrs and her head master Mr but is allowed to call the school
secretary by her Christian name and ditto the School assistants.  
You're right, it's far, far too confusing and sends conflicting
messages to the children.



Since this is a gardening group, you may be interested to hear that, af
ter
many years of visiting my local garden centre, the proprietor and I are
now
on first name terms.  Shows how much business I put their way! :~))
   We
still manage to be respectful, though.

Spider

;-))  I've just got our local butcher's wife to call me Sacha but
*cannot* get her husband to accustom himself to it.  He says "Mrs
Hubbard".  I say "Please call me Sacha".  He says "Thank you Mrs
Hubbard"!   ;-))
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

Now just you stop being so familiar LOL I have asked the young farmer
here to call me Judith for years, no... I am still Madame.

Judith

The French are very punctilious about such things. I was asked to call my French sil's parents by their Christian names and stupidly thought that was an invitation to tu-toi them. My Italian mil (yes, League of Nations sort of family) gently told me I should still address them as "vous", which I found very confusing. I was with friends in France who are English but had lived in their French village for many years. One evening we went for a drink with their French friends with whom they played golf at least twice a week and saw socially on other occasions. My friends suggested that they move from just Christian names to tu-toi. There was a pause while husband and wife looked at each other and were obviously a bit shocked by this. Reluctantly - it seemed to me - they agreed but I know my friends made a bit of a faux pas. ;-) I'm just thankful we've got past the leaving of calling cards stage!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

.

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