What do you call your customers?

Lynne Level 1

September 11, 2016, 2:51 am

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What do you call your customers?

This is a topic that has come up in other topics before but I wanted to bring it up as a topic of its own. I think that this is something that not just sellers need to be aware of, but everyone in life... whether it be a business relationship or any other. It is just about respect.

Something that drives me crazy is when sellers (or anyone else really) calls me something inappropriate and/ or gets my name wrong.

Here's the thing, if you spell my name incorrectly then I think you just can't be bothered. Usually my name is right there for you to see, in an email or here as my profile name and when you contact me on social media my name is there... so if you email me back or contact me and call me Lynn, Lyn, Lin, Line or even Lindsay it sends a very clear message to me and it is not a very good one.

Then there are people that call me Sir... ok I get that this is probably a language barrier thing but if this is a problem you have then use Sir/ Madam or something else if you are confused.

Now here come the really bad ones. Here are some real examples of ways people have spoken to me:

My dear
Sweetheart
Ok Love
Sweetie

I don't want to rant here, but I don't think calling me Sweetie is very respectful :-o

This is not something aimed at SeoClerks at all, but this is a regular thing that happens on social networks, in emails and in phone calls too!

What experiences have you personally had with what people call you?

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TommyCarey

TommyCarey

If anyone ever called me sweetie, sweetheart or dear I probably wouldn't be working with them for long lol. I don't think those are great ways to carry on a business oriented conversation since it sounds like the person on the other end is just talking down to me or thinks I'm a child lol.

When I'm talking to my clients or customers I'll always refer to them as the name they have listed or the one they use themselves in an email. Calling them by their name isn't intrusive or belittling since they hear it all the time and you're not actually talking down to them lol

8 years ago

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seoexpertsindia

seoexpertsindia

I agree with you but i think sometimes people from different cultures behave differently and in trying to be more friendly for more orders they end up with thinks like sweetie, love especially the ones that are still getting to know people from another continent. I don't think they mean to be disrespectful, some learn from hollywood movies , how people meet and greet each other.

If someone learnt greeting other people from "pulp fiction" or learnt from "Frank and Ernest" , i will be worried

8 years ago

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EliteWriter

EliteWriter

I know what you mean. I am the kind of person that places importance on respect and to be respectful you cannot call anyone sweet or love, especially since this is a purely professional kind of interaction you are having here, and you do not even know the person. You need to be polite and this also includes using the right way to address someone who is selling you a service, or a buyer. Cultures have a big role here, but I really cannot stand certain terms.

8 years ago

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Cristian

Cristian

I hate when they call me "buddy" - bud is fine with me but "buddy" always rustled my jimmies. I mean I'm not your buddy, friend!
Some other name used: friend, guy, mate, dude and sir.

Everything goes with me, I don't really care, except the buddy part, it just sounds like the way you should talk with a kid or something. But whatever some people use it and I don't tell them I'm offended or something.

As far as how am I calling my clients? Well, I never call them "sir". Usually call them by they're username or real name if I know them enough, or "mate".

8 years ago

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Lynne

Lynne

LOL yes I think this is the problem with calling people things other than their proper name or Madam/ Sir. Every person has something that gets them in a tizz and there is just no way to know what it is. You might be offending people left, right and center without knowing it! And buddy is a good example.

8 years ago

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overcast

overcast

I call them clients. As that's way better way to address them. And that way they can also accept that as a professional way. I have most of the time used to call them customers. But I realize it is more of retail way of addressing them. So in software and IT world people call them clients. And that's another way to be more formal in communication with them.

8 years ago

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Barida

Barida

If they have businesses with a name, then I can call them with their business names, but most of the time, I identify them as my clients to make things look official and nice in their eyes.

7 years ago

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