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Old 05-31-2013, 06:20 PM
 
24 posts, read 74,225 times
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Is it acceptable to call people who are much older than you by their first name?

I'm 25, they are at least 45, and I do not know them very well...but I noticed a few others call them by their first name...
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Old 05-31-2013, 06:24 PM
 
Location: SF Bay Area
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In Asia, probably not. In most Western countries, yes.
What is their relationship to you?
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Old 05-31-2013, 06:24 PM
 
Location: 112 Ocean Avenue
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Anything you call them is probably going to be better than what their spouse calls them at home, so don't worry about it.
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Old 05-31-2013, 08:18 PM
 
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I'm as much as 25 years older than some of my direct reports and I have them call me by my first name. other than maybe law offices, people are much less formal about that sort of thing.
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Old 05-31-2013, 08:27 PM
 
Location: Ft. Myers
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Some older people do take offense at it, I don't. I much prefer being called Don than Mr.________. But I am pretty laid back. I do notice at work when I ask a customer for their name to fill out an order some will say Mr. Jones, instead of Bill, so that clues me that they want to be referred to that way.

It might be a good idea to say "My name is Tom, do you mind if I call you Bill ?" That way you have relaxed the relationship and shown respect.

Don
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Old 05-31-2013, 09:00 PM
 
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In terms of coworkers I have no issue with this. My boss is at least 20 years older than me and I call him by his name. It'd be weird to me to call him Mr...
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Old 05-31-2013, 11:42 PM
 
10,103 posts, read 19,306,930 times
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Go with the flow! If everyone is on a first name basis, then its ok.

One summer I worked in a hospital dietary dept. The dietitians went by their last name, we lowly peons were called by our first name. What a complete joke--trying to create a sort of class war! When the head administration of the hospital went on a first-name basis!
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Old 05-31-2013, 11:43 PM
 
Location: NE USA
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If I called my 80 year old coworker anything remotely close to Mr. he'd probably take more offense to that.
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Old 05-31-2013, 11:55 PM
 
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I work with coworkers/supervisors who are 20, 30, 40 years older than me. I call them all except two, buy their first names. The two I call by their last names are supervisors. Not sure why I call them Mr. _____/Mrs. _____. I have several coworkers from different Asian countries. One coworker from the Philippines told me in her culture it rude to call an older woman by her first name, so they call all women who are older than them Mama. I had asked why she was calling older woman mama and if she was related to these people. This is creepy to me to be calling a women who is not your mother mama, but I also understand there are cultural differences.
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Old 05-31-2013, 11:58 PM
 
35,095 posts, read 50,980,354 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YodaChoda7891 View Post
Is it acceptable to call people who are much older than you by their first name?

I'm 25, they are at least 45, and I do not know them very well...but I noticed a few others call them by their first name...

I am 52 and I NEVER assume it is okay to use someone's first name who I have just met or have only met a few times who are older than me. I address them as Mrs. or Miss or Sir until I am told specifically by them that I can use their first name.
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