What do you want ‘ professionals’ to call you?

When I moved home and got a new doctor she called me by my first name so I responded with hers. She told me she preferred to be called doctor and I replied that I preferred to be given the prefix of Mrs and my surname, unless I said otherwise. She got the hint!

www.moorlandpottery.co.uk/moorland-pottery-ranges/stokie-ware-mugs/ay-up-duck-tea-pot

Usual form of greeting here, duck is ok not duckie though that can be a bit patronising, usually accompanied by a tilt of the head and addressed to under fives who’ve just fallen over.?

Mind you, my first language was Pitmatic - Geordie's a bit posh for me.

Well, I'm a Geordie, gillybob, even if I'm an expat one now (Yorkshire ), and I still use pet occasionally. Looks like the press up there recognise it as well. I've never seen an episode of Vera in my life.

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/12-nicknames-only-geordies-give-16161028

I think it is best to be asked ‘would you rather I call you Mrs Smith or Katie ?’ then you can make the decision. If I get a sales phone call when I am called by my first name I always say ‘Do I know you?. Invariably the answer is ‘no’ so I then say ‘well, you must call me Mrs ....’

Anyone who thinks we Geordies still call each other "pet" must be watching too much Vera.

When I was recently in hospital I was asked how I would like to be addressed by the staff and said I would be happy with just my first name. A note of this was duly put on a board above my bed. I thought this was a good idea.

As an aside, I would like to say that when someone calls me darling or sweetheart I actually like it as it makes me feel young at heart again!

I like to be asked and hope that I always remembered to ask my patients when I was working.
There was actually a section on their admission notes headed ‘ likes to be called.’

Bab is a Birmingham term isn’t it, I haven’t heard that for ages! They use Duck up here, or usually ‘me duck’. There’s a lady in a shop near here who calls people ‘sweet’ which I think sounds most peculiar!

I don't care as long as it's not Madam. That is not a career I have had.?

Cock is very popular round my way!

If you see what I mean as in ‘orite cock/bab.

When I trained as a nurse in 1982 we were told to ask the patient what they preferred. Then you do that.

Don’t mind my first name or Mrs. Grandyma. Definitely NOT:
Love
Lovey
Lovely
Dear
Darling
Sweetie
Sweetheart
Poppet
Or any patronising term of endearment!!
Another pet hate is when I introduce myself by my first name and the other person immediately abbreviates it ?

Anything except babe

I like when people are informal. Especially with medical appointments. Makes me feel they are friendly, will listen and don't look down their nose at me. There is something a little frightening about very formal people that makes me feel like I'm that 5 year old child at school again.

At my sons' kindi the teachers were addressed as Mrs/Mr/Miss then their first name. As were dinner ladies/caretakers. I thought that was a rather good compromise as it gave a little reassurance and friendliness to the children but still a little respect by using the address beforehand. Once they went up to prep they had to use the address followed by the surname. And god forbid anyone used the first name of the Principal she was very starched

I would infinitely prefer to be addressed as Mrs + surname by everyone who doesn't know me, but there is no hope of that happening as long as I live in Denmark, where everyone uses first names and the informal pronoun and has done so since about 1970.

In English I have no objection to "Madam" it is and was a term of respect, which is why the lady running a brothel is called a madam. She was a cut above her girls.

I do object to "dear" "duck" "hen" etc. from total strangers.

I don't mind being called by my first name if it's the doctor, dentist or someone similar but I hate being called dear or Madam. I loved Charleygirl5's comment about the manager in Waitrose. Made me laugh. I wish I'd been there. I too like janeainsworth went shopping in a store and as the cashier passed me my card back he said thank you for shopping with us Mrs Dixon which I thought was lovely. He actually took the time to look at my name and use it.

Local butcher calls everyone darrrling. Hate it, so don’t shop there any more. I don’t mind the abbreviated form of my first name but definitely not the full version.

I expect to be called Mrs until I tell them not to

I prefer Mrs until I tell them to use my first name but Lovie, Dearie, Sweetie, etc make me want to scream at them and list my qualifications and the jobs and responsibilities I’ve had!

I really don’t mind what I am called. However, I was quite disconcerted on three separate occasions last week to be addressed as ‘Bab’!

I have a friend who is a nursery teacher and the children call her Miss Claire. A happy compromise.

Dona Daisy is lovely, Daisyboots, but not the equivalent in English. Mrs Maggie would just sound plain daft, imho. Good luck with your test results and treatment.

I'm happy to be addressed by my first name - after I've been asked first. I think just launching in with the first name without checking first is too familiar. I'm also happy with love, darling, pet, madam, even guy at a push! Anything really except dear, which sounds so condescending and gets my hackles up.

Its personal choice but I believe then out of courtesy on becoming an adult we should be asked our preference. I would not dream of calling my doctor, dentist, bank manager etc other than by Mr/ Mrs /Miss or any other title they had so expect the same .

I have just spent two weeks in hospital in Portugal and may finally find out what is wrong with me and the treatment planned next Monday 6th. Only been going on since the first CAT scan on the 2nd January. But at the hospital the doctors were introduced as Dr Amalia, Dr Miguel and Dr Diana. The nurses introduced themselves as Joana, Carolina etc as did the auxiliaries. I was universally called Dona Daisy which how they politely call older women.
I am now 75 and I nor any of my friends would particularly prefer to be called Mrs in most situations. I think that went out with some of my mother's generation.

The really elderly are so often ignored or overlooked that I'm grateful to be called anything. I love being called by my first name by all and sundry. It makes me feel that the girl I was does still exist.