Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Economics > Business
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 06-20-2017, 01:10 AM
 
3,770 posts, read 6,709,107 times
Reputation: 3019

Advertisements

This is kind of funny and a little awkward. I got a quote inquiry from a woman who was asking for a quote for a product for her fiance. This is for a 4 figure product and I am in CA, so no need to be worried I will shun foriegners. Anyway, she filled out a quote form with an very American first name. So I replied addressing her with that name. She replied back with her email showing her full Indian name. I really don't care who my customers are. It's not like I screen them. But it's weird. She doesn't end the email with her name in the reply, just "Best" and bank after that. She forwarded my first reply to her fiance and I see that his name is foreign sounding, Indian, but is similar to a Middle Easter dictator. I really don't care about that. So I wonder, should I reply to him in a email just in his name "Assad". Or should I address her fake American name or her real foreign sounding name. So I just address the email to him.

I'm thinking if I have to address her agian, do I keep up with the American name for her or go with the Indian name? And the American name and Indian name doen't sound at all alike, so it's not somthing that could seem like a logical nickname.

Also I googled both of them and they are over achievers educationally and in their perfessions in high tech and finacial industires.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 06-20-2017, 06:43 AM
 
Location: NC
9,344 posts, read 13,932,112 times
Reputation: 20836
What a difference a name makes, eh? A couple decades ago foreign born from Asia would often take an American/English nickname for the move to the US. It was simpler for americans to pronounce and to remember, and it started the interaction off on a good note. It seemed to say, "I am willing to make our introduction go smoothly because I respect that my name sounds awkward to you". It was just a nickname, like Mike, or Jeff, or Sue. Most of those people used both names, one for official documents and the other for casual talk and memos. Sounds like your person.

Simply use which ever name you want, or both, unless there is an official document, like a lease or contract involved. It is not odd, simply something you have not run into before.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-20-2017, 06:48 AM
 
Location: Wonderland
67,666 posts, read 60,260,650 times
Reputation: 101006
I would go with the name she filled out the quote form with. If it really bothers you, you could just ask - "By the way, how do you prefer to be addressed - Cindy or Saanvi?"
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-20-2017, 07:00 PM
 
2,156 posts, read 3,317,548 times
Reputation: 2837
There are many reasons why foreigners have nicknames and it has nothing to do with you. Some people adopt a name familiar with their new adopted country as they try to assimilate into that culture. Others do it because they find the name catchy. Some do it because people never pronounce their original name correctly. There are many reasons but it's not you. You'll have to ask the potential client what is their official names on record.

Chances are you will assign the paperwork like this:

Lalit "Angela" Singh or Angela Lalit Singh....but as for emailing or communicating, you go be the name she gives you, chances its the American name. Well, this is how I do it when I end up with customers with nicknames.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-22-2017, 12:40 AM
 
4,668 posts, read 3,865,937 times
Reputation: 3437
Many foreigners who come to the US adopt English or other western names. This is not uncommon at all. Some of those Indian names are like mashing your hands down on the keyboard. I have a restaurant next to an Indian Grocery and they occasionally have western names, but it's not as common as East Asians using western names.

In China, most youth are given English names in school, not as a legal name or anything, but many of them remember it and use it when interacting with foreigners.

Anyway, I would just address the fiancées name since he is the one you are forwarding to anyway.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-22-2017, 03:18 AM
 
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
7,665 posts, read 5,381,769 times
Reputation: 16102
It's very common for foreigners to adopt an English/American nickname, but their last name remains the same as on their passports.

On the other hand, I have several Jewish friends (born in New York, each), businessmen both, who Anglicized their last names officially, who both told me they felt it would make it easier for them to be successful.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-22-2017, 11:44 AM
 
23,527 posts, read 69,942,587 times
Reputation: 48910
Quote:
Originally Posted by FelixTheCat View Post
This is kind of funny and a little awkward. I got a quote inquiry from a woman who was asking for a quote for a product for her fiance. This is for a 4 figure product and I am in CA, so no need to be worried I will shun foriegners. Anyway, she filled out a quote form with an very American first name. So I replied addressing her with that name. She replied back with her email showing her full Indian name. I really don't care who my customers are. It's not like I screen them. But it's weird. She doesn't end the email with her name in the reply, just "Best" and bank after that. She forwarded my first reply to her fiance and I see that his name is foreign sounding, Indian, but is similar to a Middle Easter dictator. I really don't care about that. So I wonder, should I reply to him in a email just in his name "Assad". Or should I address her fake American name or her real foreign sounding name. So I just address the email to him.

I'm thinking if I have to address her agian, do I keep up with the American name for her or go with the Indian name? And the American name and Indian name doen't sound at all alike, so it's not somthing that could seem like a logical nickname.

Also I googled both of them and they are over achievers educationally and in their perfessions in high tech and finacial industires.
Something doesn't quite pass the sniff test. In your shoes, I would send a snail mail letter to the business addresses in their online profiles, and see if it came back as "unknown addressee" or was legit. If you can't peg a customer to an actual physical address and verify them, there is a good chance you are dealing with a scammer.

Also, be aware that the bargaining and business tactics of those in India and the middle east can be brutal. You MUST dot your "i"s and cross your '"t"s or risk coming out on the short end of the stick. OTOH, once you have shown competence and set boundaries they can be fantastic to work with. Just think of the first transaction as a hazing, where you are being tested.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-22-2017, 01:19 PM
 
3,167 posts, read 3,979,229 times
Reputation: 8796
Quote:
Originally Posted by FelixTheCat View Post
This is kind of funny and a little awkward. I got a quote inquiry from a woman who was asking for a quote for a product for her fiance. This is for a 4 figure product and I am in CA, so no need to be worried I will shun foriegners. Anyway, she filled out a quote form with an very American first name. So I replied addressing her with that name. She replied back with her email showing her full Indian name. I really don't care who my customers are. It's not like I screen them. But it's weird. She doesn't end the email with her name in the reply, just "Best" and bank after that. She forwarded my first reply to her fiance and I see that his name is foreign sounding, Indian, but is similar to a Middle Easter dictator. I really don't care about that. So I wonder, should I reply to him in a email just in his name "Assad". Or should I address her fake American name or her real foreign sounding name. So I just address the email to him.

I'm thinking if I have to address her agian, do I keep up with the American name for her or go with the Indian name? And the American name and Indian name doen't sound at all alike, so it's not somthing that could seem like a logical nickname.

Also I googled both of them and they are over achievers educationally and in their perfessions in high tech and finacial industires.
An American nickname is extremely common for people with long, foreign names that might be hard to pronounce. It's usually used interchangeably with the real name - it is an attempt not to burden Americans or have to deal with always spelling or repeating your name. It's weird that you see something insidious in a nickname. And it's not at all unusual that the nickname doesn't match the real name. Just use whichever name you want in the email. She probably doesn't care.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-22-2017, 07:19 PM
 
13,061 posts, read 20,727,403 times
Reputation: 21239
I'm still trying to understand why in god's name a business would give one rat's rear about the name and make it an issue!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-23-2017, 04:13 PM
 
11,230 posts, read 9,166,920 times
Reputation: 32246
I live in an expensive town. There are a couple of less-expensive towns nearby. For a few things where it's possible, I tell a business I live in the less-expensive town. I have definitely seen a "surcharge" for the same service when you live in a town perceived as high-end.

Unfortunately, things like yard mowing, you can't lie about where you live to get a better price.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Economics > Business

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top