Say my name

"Er, excuse me, pssss, errrm, hey you, sorry what’s your name"?
These are some things people say to me to get my attention. I don’t mind if it’s someone I don’t know or just recently met in the work place, but when it’s someone I have worked with day in day out for more than one month, someone I see a lot in church or even someone in my neighbourhood that I have been acquainted with for years, I really find it rude.

It really doesn’t take much to ask a person’s name and within time remember it. Even if the name is long or hard to pronounce, you can shorten it, I do and they don’t mind! Example Onyejekwe, can be shortened to Onye!

If a person doesn’t make the effort to remember the name of their own work colleague, neighbour or fellow church member, it's because they don’t really care. Some people only really care about themselves and it shows by not bothering to interact with those around them and being interested in something so basic as to know a person’s name.
Of course, we won’t remember EVERYONE in the workplace’s name but those we work with and report to and those who we see and talk to regularly in church are the ones we should address by name. It’s polite.

What helps me to remember peoples name is repeating their name as they introduce themselves? Example,“Hi Elizabeth, it’s a pleasure to meet you”.

Another thing that helps me is using their name a few times during a conversation. Example, “So Elizabeth, how long have you worked for the company for?” or “what did you think about the meeting today Elizabeth”?

It may take time but as you make the effort to remember people’s name (and faces), they will remember yours.

Categories: manners, Name, polite