I generally don't mind when someone uses my first name, since odds are they'd pronounce my last name wrong anyway.

I particularly feel this with regard to first names. I hate it when people I don't know use my first name.

Yeah, I feel kind of uncomfortable if someone I'm not familiar with addresses me by name in a familiar manner.

Someone told me once that the supermarket clerks reading your name off the card is a lazy way to check for identity theft. (If you respond to the name on the card, you probably didn't steal it.)

But if they're not going to pronounce the name correctly, it doesn't seem like a terribly effective method.

Yeah, I feel kind of uncomfortable if someone I'm not familiar with addresses me by name in a familiar manner.

So if it's someone you just met, what should they call you when addressing you?

So if it's someone you just met, what should they call you when addressing you?

Somewhere, Miss Manners has felt a pang.

Traditionally, they should call you ma'am/sir if it's a passing interaction, otherwise they'd have been introduced to you and be calling you Mrs./Miss/Ms./Mr./Sir/Lady etc. Whomever.

My work situation has enforced my laziness re: names, because I've never really had a job where I had to work directly with other people, it's been isolated computer production with intermittent feedback meetings, or support things where I'm talking to people on a phone and I've got their name in front of me on the screen. And it's taken me years to get comfortable saying "OK, SoandSo, how can I help you today?" and "Thanks for calling, SoandSo."

Traditionally, they should call you ma'am/sir if it's a passing interaction, otherwise they'd have been introduced to you and be calling you Mrs./Miss/Ms./Mr./Sir/Lady etc. Whomever.

Really? Socially?

So, it seems I have a job interview tomorrow morning at 11. They called me this afternoon. I am more nervous than I thought I would be. I suppose mostly because I really want to work there but I don't want to work 40 hours a week in their office. Im trying to decide if I should bring a writing sample. They didn't ask for one but I think Im a good writer. But I would have to redacted all client info which would take a while. I'm nervous.

A passing interaction would be in a business-like situation. In a social situation, someone would have introduced you, otherwise someone is being very gauche for addressing you without a proper introduction.

Keep in mine that my social manners information is highly influenced by late 19th-early 20th century etiquette manuals. For modern interactions, I'm as lost as everyone else.

They're not asking for my last name for social disambiguation purposes. Either for convention, or for web searching. Neither of which I care about. The most searching I'll do on someone I meet is imdb and that's if they bring up their screen history.

So if it's someone you just met, what should they call you when addressing you?

Depends on the situation. In a social situation, first names are fine. Anything else, I use Mr./Ms.