Are British people aloof or cool to familiarity? Search engine Ask Jeeves – yes, the one that uses a stuffy butler as its brand symbol - recently conducted a survey of 1,000 people in the U.K. to determine how Brits like to be addressed in business and personal communication. If you believe the stereotype of aloof Brits, you’ll like the results of this survey.
More than 60 percent of those asked by Mr. Jeeves said they could not tolerate cold callers beginning a conversation with “Hi, (first name).” Just a little too familiar for their liking. And, 12 percent didn’t like the folks at Starbucks writing their first names on cups. As for contact with complete strangers, half said they would prefer to be addressed more formally as “Mr.”, “Miss” or “Mrs.” Jeeves. Thirty percent were completely fed up with strangers pretending to be old friends by starting conversations informally with “hi” or “how’s it going.”
Not surprisingly, older people were most in favor of using more formal titles (Mr., but not Lord Nelson, I presume). Over in Wales, the Welsh were the most traditional in their views, but up north in Scotland, Scots were most accepting of all of more personal, contemporary communication. Only 21 percent were annoyed with overly familiar strangers.
To cap it off, 16 percent even objected to Facebook’s “how’s it going?” message in its update status box.
Ask Jeeves said of the survey: “There is nothing wrong with friendliness, but it just doesn’t wash when it comes from someone you have never met or even spoken to.” Well said, Mr. Jeeves.
If you’re headed to the United Kingdom, you may want to tamp down our American proclivity to make everyone our best friend at first meeting or communication. Or you can move to Scotland.