Not everyone likes being called names, even if they are friendly.

So, what would you do if you had a habit of addressing customers in a friendly way, but one person suddenly took offense to it and called you out? Would you just take it with a grain of salt? Or would you keep replaying the situation over in your head?

In the following story, one woman finds herself in this scenario and starts second-guessing herself. Here’s her story.

AITA for how I address customers?

So recently, I got a job in fast food (won’t say where for privacy), and most people who know me know I have the habit of calling people dear or darlin’ if I don’t know their name.

A lot of customers like the nicer greeting than just ‘hi, what can I get you?’

It is purely the friendly and chipper Southerner sounding dear and darlin’, no hint of flirting in my voice, period. I picked it up from my great-grandmother, who did the same.

It was a different story when the woman got to the window.

I got a woman through my drive-thru line the other day, and I took her order ahead of her.

She could hear me, and knew that I addressed them as both ‘dear’ and ‘darlin’ throughout. I take her husband’s and her order she said nothing.

But when she gets to my window to pay (understaffing sucks royally), she says in a rather harsh tone, “You really shouldn’t call people dear, some people are married.”

Now, she can’t stop thinking about it.

Like, just out of the blue, and she had been hearing me call everyone this. I bit my tounge at the time and said a flat tone ok.

I wasn’t trying to be rude about this, but this habit and the ring I wear on my class necklace are the only things I have left of my Great-grandmother, whom I loved dearly and who was my world growing up.

I had already been having a rather rough day that particular day, so this might just be me holding onto the straw that had broken the camel’s back, but am I wrong for calling customers dear and darlin’?

AITA?

Eek! It’s easy to see both sides of this, but some people really don’t like this.

Let’s see what the readers over at Reddit have to say about it.

Interesting point.

This manager doesn’t allow that kind of talk.

This woman doesn’t like being called terms of endearment.

For this reader, it’s very unprofessional.

That customer will be the first of many if she continues doing this. Simply put, people don’t like it.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.