is it rude to.... ( 2)

22.05.08, 20:23
I have noticed that when phoning Bank, Call centre advisers quite
often like to repeat 'I understand Mrs Smith....', 'We will do it
for you Mrs Smith......', 'What more can we do for you Mrs Smith'....

I find it rater annoying and patronising. Is it English politeness
or modern manner to repeat someone's surname so many times?

    • jonathan.oakley Re: is it rude to.... ( 2) 22.05.08, 21:09
      Yes...banks can be rather patronising. I would imagine the call
      centre staff have been well grilled with these sort of
      responses...the best way to immediately get someone on your side is
      to agree with them and speak calmly and pleasently to them. Is this
      the Englishness of the English? I really don't think so..more like
      the bankishness of the banks...
      • 10iwonka10 Re: is it rude to.... ( 2) 24.05.08, 21:25
        Good. At least I am not so odd that I don't like it.

        I agree it is better to be polite than shouting but I am tempted to
        say next time " Could you please stop repeating my name so many
        times, I haven't forgotten it I still remember it"
        • jonathan.oakley Re: is it rude to.... ( 2) 24.05.08, 21:45
          Ha! Yes, I've often been tempted to have a tele-con with
          them 'outside the box' ...but another part of me says that they are
          responsible for managing other peoples' money so perhaps we should
          expect these regulated responses as a mark of their serious duties..!
        • aiczka Re: is it rude to.... ( 2) 02.06.08, 16:42
          I think this is a question of Polish-English languages differences. In Polish,
          when we speak politely and officially, we address other persons as "pan/pani"
          (Sir/Madame) without adding the surname all the time. And indeed in Polish it
          would sound a bit patronising if we kept saying "Pani Kowalska, musi pani
          podpisać tu i tu" etc. - this problem has been discussed at the Savoir-vivre
          forum some time ago ^_^. However I do not think it sounds bad in English.
          In Polish, "pan" can be used as "Sir" (without the surname) or as "Mister" (with
          surname added) (same goes to "pani"). Perhaps in English "Sir/Madame" sounds
          anachronic or, I do not know, servile?
          Perhaps the client-contact people are instructed to make the client feel treated
          individually, bla, bla, bla.

          In Poland the problem is a bit different and a bit worse. We have at least
          three degrees of intimacy in speech:
          1. "pan/pani",
          2. "pan/pani" + the name (more intimate),
          3. the name.
          Stepping from 1. to 2. or 3. should be proposed (and there are rather strict
          rules by whom) and accepted by the other party. Maybe it sounds old-fashioned,
          but this is a custom. Unfortunately client-contact persons in banks etc.
          sometimes forget it (or are instructed this way) and this is (justly, I would
          say) interpreted as taking liberties or patronising.
          • 10iwonka10 Re: is it rude to.... ( 2) 08.06.08, 20:19
            >>>Perhaps in English "Sir/Madame" sounds anachronic or, I do not
            know, servile?>>>

            I don't know I think that it depends on place and situation. For
            instance when you do shopping at tesco they sometimes call
            customers as Sir/Madam. Just form of politeness.


            • aiczka Re: is it rude to.... ( 2) 09.06.08, 17:03
              Yes, it also happens in restaurants, hotels etc. - perhaps the "client advisors"
              do not like the language of waiters ^_^ I have no idea, it is just a thought. ^_^
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