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Referring to potential customers as 'guys'. |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The South
Posts: 5,620
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Referring to potential customers as 'guys'.
Arrrgh. This really bugged me last night and to be honest, it bugs me in general.
Surely 'guys' is a term you should only use with people in your own peer group? Mark seemed to think It was okay to address the supermarket buyers as 'guys' during his presentation; okay I know he was nervous but I thought it was waaaay too familiar and could cost him a deal somewhere along the line. Equally I also hate it when I'm in a restaurant and the waiting staff refer to me and my table like this, no matter how young, hip and cool they're trying to come across. Mark is like a pale, sombre version of Peter Andre in a suit.
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#2 |
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 5,258
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Doesn't bother me, generally.
As to it's use - I think it's either because the person naturally uses the word (as I sometimes do - I grew up watching American telly and reading American 20th century books and listening to American music so my vocabulary is affected by that) or It's a concerted attempt to come across as informal and appear on the same level (which has failed if the other person has noticed). A lot depends on setting. If I was serving in a pub then it seems like a good thing to say. If I'm standing in front of a government commission then I'll probably drop it from use. The line is somewhere in between but I'm not sure where. "Guys" off a waiter wouldn't even register with me but I wouldn't use the word myself in a business setting where the expectation is to be more formal. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: European Union
Posts: 1,640
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I could not agree more. Addressing potential business (or restaurant) customers as "you guys" is not acceptable in this country. It might be de riguer in the USA, but it is beyond the pale here.
Especially if you have been told by your project manager not to butt in with stupid remarks... |
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#4 |
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Brockley
Posts: 2,778
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Quote:
Arrrgh. This really bugged me last night and to be honest, it bugs me in general.
Surely 'guys' is a term you should only use with people in your own peer group? Mark seemed to think It was okay to address the supermarket buyers as 'guys' during his presentation; okay I know he was nervous but I thought it was waaaay too familiar and could cost him a deal somewhere along the line. Equally I also hate it when I'm in a restaurant and the waiting staff refer to me and my table like this, no matter how young, hip and cool they're trying to come across. Mark is like a pale, sombre version of Peter Andre in a suit. ![]() I suspect it is fine in the areas they've previously worked in and they haven't learnt how to adjust their style to suit the audience they're pitching to. I've had to deal with both Asda and Tesco in my career and that is not how to behave in a first meeting. |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,228
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I tell you what annoys me, and that's people needlessly starting a sentence with SO. Sugar asked Bianca a couple of things last night and she started with the word 'so'. It seems to be increasingly common but I have no idea why.
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#6 |
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 10,503
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I have to agree, OP. Every time one of them said it I cringed
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#7 |
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 633
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'Guys' is something that is generally used to refer to a group of people of either gender.
I's informal and I wouldn't use it in a business context, but it's just a word that has evolved beyond referring to a few men. |
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#8 |
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,773
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Quote:
I tell you what annoys me, and that's people needlessly starting a sentence with SO. Sugar asked Bianca a couple of things last night and she started with the word 'so'. It seems to be increasingly common but I have no idea why.
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#9 |
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,228
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Hello tuppencehapenny you fellow pedant! I even googled the phenomenon and found this article from 3 years ago:
http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/...s-so-annoying/ |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 4,893
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The aspect I did not like of his pitch was 'setting the scene' for the luxury pudding market to the buyers at the largest supermarket in the UK. I think they may be aware of the market Mark....
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#11 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Over there
Posts: 14,833
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It's very cringey when Dan does it. It's like he trying too hard to show that he's relaxed and friendly.
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#12 |
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,228
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Yes and the fact they said (twice) "one customer said trifle doesn't get any better than that" (or something like that). Errr, I'd let the buyers be the judge of that. It was so patronising. Plus Mark also said twenty pounds at one point when he surely meant twenty million pounds.
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#13 |
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Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 199
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I refer to groups as 'guys' a lot. I'm worried about how I've come across now!
Having said that, I'm not in business pitching a product, but I didn't see any harm in it and certainly wouldn't have found it offensive. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 5,704
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Quote:
Yes and the fact they said (twice) "one customer said trifle doesn't get any better than that" (or something like that). Errr, I'd let the buyers be the judge of that. It was so patronising. Plus Mark also said twenty pounds at one point when he surely meant twenty million pounds.
I'm not sure I agree that they shouldn't have mentioned the consumer feedback, but I do think the way in which they did it was a little gauche. |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 921
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Just another americanism we have that is infiltrating our everyday language, gets up my nose tbh.
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#16 |
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,228
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Quote:
Just another americanism we have that is infiltrating our everyday language, gets up my nose tbh.
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#17 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,516
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Quote:
Yep - you hear waiters and waitresses say it all the time. Makes you cringe especially when said to those on more senior years.
It's almost as bad as people who insist on addressing you as "mate". I can't stand it. |
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#18 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,516
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Quote:
I refer to groups as 'guys' a lot. I'm worried about how I've come across now!
Having said that, I'm not in business pitching a product, but I didn't see any harm in it and certainly wouldn't have found it offensive. If I was listening to someone who was pitching a business proposal to me and he said, "Hey guys" it would put me off him straight away. It's not just extremely casual and informal but quite familiar and personal. It's the kind of terminology that one might use when walking into a bar and addressing their group of friends. It's as bad as walking into a board room and saying "Eh up Mate!" |
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#19 |
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: London
Posts: 16,527
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If I am a buyer for Waitrose and some scruffy little herbert bowls in and starts calling us guys I am lobbing that trifle at his head
![]() they don't refer to Lordy Sugar as "Geezer" do they, have some respect? ![]()
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#20 |
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 7,587
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I feel like maybe it's one of those things that in British English is very informal, but in Australian English is used in multiple contexts, which would explain why Mark used it. That's just a guess as I don't know that much about Australia, but I know there are certain phrases which we use loosely in informal contexts, but to them can be used as generally as 'How are you?' The opinion of someone who knows more about the Aussies would be useful though.
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#21 |
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 20,498
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Quote:
I feel like maybe it's one of those things that in British English is very informal, but in Australian English is used in multiple contexts, which would explain why Mark used it. That's just a guess as I don't know that much about Australia, but I know there are certain phrases which we use loosely in informal contexts, but to them can be used as generally as 'How are you?' The opinion of someone who knows more about the Aussies would be useful though.
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 7,587
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Quote:
I think he has been working here long enough to know that there is a difference here. If not - someone really should tell him that it is inappropriate - I do so hope he tries it out on the interviewers - I'm sure they'll just love it.
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The South
Posts: 5,620
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Quote:
He can't really try it out on the interviewers, as it would make no sense. They only have interviews with one person at a time. You can't use 'guys' when talking to one person.
** I hope so, anyway. |
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