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I don't think it's that big of a deal, but if the underlying reason for him calling you Sir was to butter you up and sell you something, then I think you have a legitimate complaint. I can't stand walking into a GW and having the staffers sell you the new unit of minis. It's hard to find a polite way to tell them to blow it out their ass

When I sold televisions to people I said sir. People tend to think you're trying to buddy up to them if you go in too casually in my opinion.

I now call my friends sir ironically because it amuses me.

brado wrote:I don't think it's that big of a deal, but if the underlying reason for him calling you Sir was to butter you up and sell you something, then I think you have a legitimate complaint. I can't stand walking into a GW and having the staffers sell you the new unit of minis. It's hard to find a polite way to tell them to blow it out their ass

Absolutely, everyone knows SALES Staff are hired to stand in the corner facing the wall, and absolutely nowhere on the contract does it state about helping the customer find the product they are looking for! Honestly. Sometimes I wonder how they expect to go bust if the staff insist on trying to be helpful!

Tcoch. Don't GW know anything

First visit, or first time, or at least until they get to know you, sure, sir is OK.

Course, when I told the local GW staffer that my name is Don and I really do prefer to be called that (this was to an employee who has known me for years but was calling me isr), I was told he was required to call me sir. That, IMO, is taking it a bit too far.

Get used to it. The older you get the more you'll get to be called sir. Don't worry, they'll call you "that old fart" behind your back.

Frazzled wrote:Get used to it. The older you get the more you'll get to be called sir.

Heh... the first time some teenager walked up and said 'Hey, mister, do you have the time' sort of threw me for six...

whatwhat wrote:Disrespectfull? I'd quite like it if they said Sir at the end of every sentence, in a childish cockney accent preferably.

"Please, sir, can you buy some more?"

Heh, I remember the first time I went back onto a college campus since graduation. My wife and I were driving around looking for a place to turn around (way too many 1 way streets around here) and we were thinking "This must be highschool open house or something, these kids don't look old enough to drive..."

Turns out it was just Tuesday, and we were just 26 year old hermits.

Did he say "sir" but spell it c-u-r? Otherwise I'd guess he was just a local schlub doing his best.

heres how you can tell if its disrespect or respect.

If he said "sir is there something i can help you with" this would be disrespectful

now what he said was "Hello sir. how can i help you."
thats respectful

read the 2 above witch sounds worst?

let me say it easier, if he says sir before any other word ie...hello or hi or something along those lines its Disrespectful and pushy unless he has served his country then it could be a habbit. just my 2 cents

malfred wrote:Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name...

Dammit, now that song's stuck in my head...

As for "Sir" in a retail situation, salespersons are being taught more and more that customers are "guests" in their store. As a way of showing respect, sir or ma'am are the most common titles when addressing someone. Even though I can see why you responded the way you did, I wish more people would do it. Half the time I don't even receive a greeting (thanks, Circuit City!).

What always confused me was when to call a woman "Miss," or "Ma'am." For some reason they can get really bent out of shape over that.

I can see both sides of the argument here. First off, the first time someone called me sir (early 20s) it threw me for a loop (I'm already at the sir stage?!), but since then I have come to expect it. If, however, I were to go down to my local game store (my home away from home) and one of the staff called me sir, my first response would be to take offence. I spend so much time there and have gotten to know everyone there very well, so even if it was a new guy I would be taken aback. I would quickly catch myself and realize "Hey he's new and doesn't know me yet." But still, being called sir in my equivalent of "Cheers" would still leave me abit bothered.

Ok there seems to have been a bit of a misunderstanding here, I'm not moaning or whinging about being called Sir.

Actually, you kinda are. You started a topic about it on several forums even. If you can't just shrug it off and let it go then it must really be bothering you, hence the discussion.

LuciusAR wrote:A simple "Hello There" or Hi, hows it going?" is fine.

I dont beleive GW staff are beneath me, I consider them fellow hobbists. Ones who unfortunatly earn minumum wage. Like I said Im an ex-staffer and one of the biggest annoyances were the hobbyists with superiority complexes.

A freindly greeting will get a freindly response. Grovel to me and I'll back off and back off quickly.

Perhaps its just me but I do generaly respond better to a 'buddy-buddy' aproach.

I was referring to the fact that you're an EX-staffer, and making a little Socialist joke.
I'm sure any GW retail staff who works the hours I do would make more money than me anyway.

I always used to want to work at a GW store, but never lived in a city as a kid. Sort of glad I never did though... I ended up spending the years in question a little better. I know that of the various schools I've ever gone to, some expected teachers to be called 'Sir' rather than their names. However, being of an Australian disposition, it's disturbingly natural to blurt out 'G'day Mate!' in any situation. It never got me into trouble.

I think the question '...How can I help you?' as an opener is a little more presumptuous in a GW store, but it may have just been a bad habit on the employee's behalf. Much like most people's habits of ignoring intrusive salespeople with a shuffling mumble. I imagine most forms of retail training drill that to into you, but I've never experienced it myself. Cut it down to, 'Can I help you?' and it's neutral again. It's even a platform for conversation... I mean, people the world over say, 'How are you?' as a greeting and don't answer it in reply. It's weird, but just one of the ways communication has mutated.

Some people aren't confident enough for the buddy-buddy approach, and can only manage to display confidence through a facade of professionalism. The best way to catch that is when they apply the wrong professional stance. The thing about professionalism, though, is that it only really needs to be applied to surly or unconfident customers in the first place.

I'm guessing a lot of this is cross atlantic cultural differences. Here in the states it's very common for sales staff to call customers sir or ma'am. It was one of the first things I was taught in retail, and while it was a bit jarring to here it as I aged, I got used to it in a hurry. It's also far more common in the south, where I was visibly shocked to find the 70 year old Chick Fil A greeter holding the door for me and calling me sir. It wierded me out a bit.

I think in the UK the actual class issues are far more prevalent, and so everybody tries harder to pretend they are aren't there. In a store in the US, every salesman treats every customer with respect, regardless of each persons class because everybody's coin is good, and people like to feel waited on. I think the UK, where there is an honest to god nobility, it might be a lot more odd to, as we put it, "treat the customer like a king."

Nothing pisses me off more then being called 'Sir'

Mainly because I'm female -.-

Cyporiean wrote:Nothing pisses me off more then being called 'Sir'

Mainly because I'm female -.-

...you know if that happens a lot I'd be kinda worried.

I know Sir or Mr. Kline is respectful, but I hate hate HATE it when people call me that. It just makes me feel old :( I don't wanna be a Sir or Mister till I'm like 60

I'm amazed that this post is still going on.

Yeah, I think its an American thing.

An American once asked me for directions, and after every sentence he said 'Yes sir'.
Kinda weirded me out. In Ireland, no one wants to be called sir lest people think you were trying to put yourself above everyone else. But I guess that in America it doesn't have implication.

But then in Ireland we are a very first-name based culture, even in business meetings, etc everyone is on a first name basis.

It could have been worse they could have just pointed
and laughed!
Take into account he was new to the job so he's still
finding his feet.If you ask him nicely he'll probably
call you whatever you want next time!

damn straight it pisses me off

I didn't spend 5 years at evil medical school to be called "sir" (or Mr, I ain't no surgeon)

If someone calls you "Sir" does not equate a disparity in power or status. If you think that anyone who calls you "Sir" actually thinks you are in any way "better" than them, you are simply deluding yourself. It is a formal show of respect, a way of talking to someone whom you do not have a casual relationship with.

The first time I was called "Sir" was at Harrod's, whilst purchasing a quantity of fudge. For the price I was paying, it felt apt...

Or, as Homer J. Simpson so fondly said, "For once I'd like to be addressed as Sir, without adding 'you're making a scene.'"

nikeforever22 wrote:For once I'd like to be addressed as Sir, without adding 'you're making a scene.'

Winner, thread over.

meh, In a store I prefer not to be addressed at all, unless I know the person already or if I ask a sales question or I get a casual greeting
like: "Hello, let me know if you need anything."
other than that, I'd rather not have anyone bother me while I shop.

especially if it's a GW staffer,
I HATE the way their trained, with a fiery passion.
and the GW voice.... RAGE!
last time I was in a GW store (*shall be unnamed*) I 'saw' the sales associate's GW-voice and 'raised' him a few decibels until he got the hint and broke character
(I even gave him the old "Which army do you play." interrogation.)
...

anyway, the only time I call someone "sir" is sarcastically, disrespectfully or if they have a gun (which they didn't take so well at the time).
but, I'm not really traditionally socialized anyhow... so I'll stay away from Texas

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:MAdam is the appropriate greeting over here.

Over here, a 'Madam' gets you a happy ending...


Ghidorah

BoxANT wrote:If someone calls you "Sir" does not equate a disparity in power or status. If you think that anyone who calls you "Sir" actually thinks you are in any way "better" than them, you are simply deluding yourself. It is a formal show of respect, a way of talking to someone whom you do not have a casual relationship with.

I think you're missing the point and a lot of history.

No one calls anyone else Sir and we all get along just fine.
Though that is diminishing a little with all the rest of the americanisation going on (or should i say americanization).

I am from the Southern USA too - but I am also old, and being called sir really annoys the heck out of me! Dirty filthy little whippersnappers....

It doesn't happen quite so much if Iwear a baseball cap....

Thanatos_elNyx wrote:

BoxANT wrote:If someone calls you "Sir" does not equate a disparity in power or status. If you think that anyone who calls you "Sir" actually thinks you are in any way "better" than them, you are simply deluding yourself. It is a formal show of respect, a way of talking to someone whom you do not have a casual relationship with.

No one calls anyone else Sir and we all get along just fine.

Until someone is so bothered by being treated in a familiar manner the first time they walk into a store they go whinging across multiple boards about it. :S