Is it possible that it's as much where/how one was raised and with what expectations as anything else?
debgeisler appears to perceive "May I help you?" as being polite when she's up to her a** in alligators -- works for me -- but not, apparently, for all. calimac would rather here (and it appears would more likely say) "Hi, Kevin, glad you made it, here's your reg packet, see you later", but that's breaking the pattern that gets some folks through the hecticness of a big con.
It sounds like folks just coming from a different place and hearing each other's communications differently.
Which doesn't solve the problem, but might give us a handle on where to start the conversation.
If some folks need a coping mechanism to get thru the chaos of a big con and others need the personal touch to feel like it was worth taking their time to work it, is it possible for the coping mechanism to sound less like my bank teller?
I gotta admit, while I wouldn't be personally injured if it happened, I'd be confused/amused if I walked up to a line that Kevin Standlee was sitting at and he said "May I help you?" I would probably expect something more like "Hey Twi" with whatever the standard patter for that station was attached.
And I can see where if you hear the same thing from the con running staff that you hear from your bank teller (regardless of the reason why) you'd assume you were a customer, not a member.
So if we're looking for a standard to fall back on for those who either need coping mechanism for getting thru the chaos or simply for those who were brought up more formally than many of us on the West Coast (yes, an overgeneralization), perhaps a phrase that could be perceived as More Friendly could be adopted?
Nope, don't know what it is, just an idea. I tend to refer to everyone by their badge name (if i can read it) or call them sir/ma'am if I can't - I thrive on chaos, so that's not my particular issue. But it seems to make sense to find a phrase that can be used as a "stock" phrase for those that are more comfortable doing that that doesn't hit hte buttons of those looking for a little more personal touch than "May I help you?"
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-04-21 05:45 pm (UTC)It sounds like folks just coming from a different place and hearing each other's communications differently.
Which doesn't solve the problem, but might give us a handle on where to start the conversation.
If some folks need a coping mechanism to get thru the chaos of a big con and others need the personal touch to feel like it was worth taking their time to work it, is it possible for the coping mechanism to sound less like my bank teller?
I gotta admit, while I wouldn't be personally injured if it happened, I'd be confused/amused if I walked up to a line that Kevin Standlee was sitting at and he said "May I help you?" I would probably expect something more like "Hey Twi" with whatever the standard patter for that station was attached.
And I can see where if you hear the same thing from the con running staff that you hear from your bank teller (regardless of the reason why) you'd assume you were a customer, not a member.
So if we're looking for a standard to fall back on for those who either need coping mechanism for getting thru the chaos or simply for those who were brought up more formally than many of us on the West Coast (yes, an overgeneralization), perhaps a phrase that could be perceived as More Friendly could be adopted?
Nope, don't know what it is, just an idea. I tend to refer to everyone by their badge name (if i can read it) or call them sir/ma'am if I can't - I thrive on chaos, so that's not my particular issue. But it seems to make sense to find a phrase that can be used as a "stock" phrase for those that are more comfortable doing that that doesn't hit hte buttons of those looking for a little more personal touch than "May I help you?"