Is there any value in a name these days -- to be known by your name? When you’re born your mother and/or father gives you a name and from that time on you’re known by that name. Only rarely does someone reject the name and change it by deed poll to something different -- it’s special.
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My daughter told me recently that her friend Elysia works at a local movie theatre and it’s common practice for management to require her and other employees to wear incorrect name badges. They just need to wear one, any badge -- for appearances. It’s good that they don’t take it to heart and she just chooses one of the badges she finds funniest -- she has three to choose from, incidentally.
My daughter told me recently that her friend Elysia works at a local movie theatre and it’s common practice for management to require her and other employees to wear incorrect name badges. They just need to wear one, any badge -- for appearances. It’s good that they don’t take it to heart and she just chooses one of the badges she finds funniest -- she has three to choose from, incidentally.
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Only the other day I was at a gas station paying for fuel and I noticed the cashier wearing “Ilona” as a name badge. I’d seen her before this and she’d normally worn “Sherry.” Curious about name badges from my earlier conversation with my daughter, I asked her if she’d lost her name badge. She mentioned that her name was in fact Naomi! It seems incorrect name badges are quite common.
Only the other day I was at a gas station paying for fuel and I noticed the cashier wearing “Ilona” as a name badge. I’d seen her before this and she’d normally worn “Sherry.” Curious about name badges from my earlier conversation with my daughter, I asked her if she’d lost her name badge. She mentioned that her name was in fact Naomi! It seems incorrect name badges are quite common.
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What does this say? Perhaps it’s an illustration for a slightly lost world that’s sold on image and appearance over truth. What’s the value in a casual or part-time employee? Not much it seems – at least not enough to get them their own name badge. And what does this say for the poor consumer who might think they’re dealing with Ilona or Sherry when in fact it’s Naomi who’s the real person. Does Naomi care? Probably not.
What does this say? Perhaps it’s an illustration for a slightly lost world that’s sold on image and appearance over truth. What’s the value in a casual or part-time employee? Not much it seems – at least not enough to get them their own name badge. And what does this say for the poor consumer who might think they’re dealing with Ilona or Sherry when in fact it’s Naomi who’s the real person. Does Naomi care? Probably not.
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We live in a cheap world where you really have to look hard for value at times. People are treated more as commodities these days.
We live in a cheap world where you really have to look hard for value at times. People are treated more as commodities these days.
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Copyright © 2008, Steven John Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Copyright © 2008, Steven John Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Afterthought:
I checked my rationale again. I went into this same gas station again and asked the mature-of-years lady behind the counter if her name was really "Heidi," to which she replied, "Of course, and I come from Switzerland," which she incidentally barked in a strong Australian accent!
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