06:27
@DLosc I was gonna say the same!
Sometimes at like an organized community event where volunteers are eg ushering at the door, I'll break that rule and use their names because it adds to that air of familiarity. But that seems different cuz sometimes you feel like you're "supposed" to know them, and you can tell with some volunteers that they want to meet and greet people, and are likely very aware of the name-tag they made and donned for that particular position.
It became quickly apparent to me that it must be weird to have people call you by your first name, especially when they likely forget they're wearing name tags. So I just greet name-tagged people with a smile and generic greeting like anyone else.
(That kinda overlaps with handwritten name tags at parties, where you'll be obvious about looking at their name tag before greeting them, and will introduce yourself in the same breath. Like "Makes a show of noticing/gesturing to their name-tag while standing in line for appetizers I'm Avi, you must be Mary. It's great to finally meet you!")
So service workers I feel like are different cuz it's part of their uniform, they don't choose it, they forget it's there, it's not an authentically familiar environment, and it's one-sided because you don't have a name-tag (and you're not about to introduce yourself to the checker).
On the other hand, it's a place I frequent (eg coffee shop), I'll make a point on the second or third time, once the person recognizes me and we kinda smile back and forth of introducing myself and asking them their name. And then I definitely use it, though I have to get them to remind me once or twice in the future, usually.
Then again, I'm really tall, so people start to recognize me pretty fast. If I was someone else I might wait until the fourth or fifth time, I'm not sure how that works for y'all.
@noodleman CALIFORNIA FTW
I got irrationally patriotic there for my state. Honestly, when I went abroad (to the UK) I just started introducing myself as from California, instead of from the US.
sorry @lyxal for the wall of text and your bleeding eyes