Americans talking on the phone
 

I work taking inbound calls from Americans and have to verify a lot of information. I noticed that many of them have the habit of saying "Yes ma'am" to me when I give them correct information. How common is this among Americans? It is regional? Do people in other countries say this a lot too?

I am just curious. In my last job, I was only helping Canadian clients and they do not say "Yes ma'am" to me. It is very interesting how people use different phrases and have different accents. Sometimes it is difficult for me to listen to people because of their accents and I keep asking again. :sad:

I cant speak for anyone else, but Yes/No ma'am/sir are a part of my everyday vocubulary...has been all my life

It isn't part of my normal daily vocabulary any longer since I no longer run or work in call centers.

But I am quite respectful and formal when I speak to people at the office, using mister or miss when addressing people.

I've been known to through an occasional sir or ma'am into conversation. It sort of depends on my mood. When I'm at work and on your side of the phone, I always answer questions with sir or ma'am.

"Yes(or no), Ma'am" I seem to say more than "Yes, Sir", but both infrequently...mostly when verifying information or addressing customers at work.

The only person I call Ma'am is my dominatrix.

On the phone I am very polite with the please and thank yous but not so much with the ma'ams and sirs.

Ukrainian and no, I only say that in a sarcastic/humorous way. Never in a conversation. Yes and No suffice just fine.

I absolutely say yes ma'am. I say yes sir also.

Yes/no sir more then ma'am. I've run into a few females who feel old when you call them ma'am like my mom. She wont get offended or anything, just makes her feel mad. She often says "My mother is misses x/ma'am, not me".

the specific way it's said is fairly regional... in certain areas, you're much more likely to get someone saying ma'am all the time... though I think it's a pretty widespread thing by now.

I've found that Southerners are raised to use a respectful "Yes, Ma'am/ No, Ma'am" while Northerners tend to view it as sarcastic and tend to use a simple yes or no. It's simply cultural.

I don't do it on the phone, but when I'm talking to the Marine Traffic Center on the VHF radio and it's a female operator, I will say Ma'am, but then I'll also say Sir when it's a man. Funnily enough, it's also custom out here to call the officer of the watch on another ship "Captain", even if it's the middle of the night and you are 99.99% sure that it's just another mate. How's that for polite?

I'm from Northern California. We didn't fight the separatists, but we're pretty damn yankee so far as culture. I was brought up and continue to use the titles of sir and ma'am as a sign of respect. I think there may be a misconception when it comes to the differences between the 'north' and the 'south'. I've seen it more than a few times. Southern men are considered to have better manners, which I find to be horribly odd because the last time I was in Florida I was flipped off more times than I've ever been flipped off in LA. Morality, ethics, and manners can come from anywhere. They are not more prevalent in the north or south. Or the east or west, for that matter.

I always say ma'am and sir. Just been raised that way.

I think it just depends on how you were raised. I say ma'am and sir when addressing people who I think need to be addressed that way. My work is client-service based, so it kinda comes with the territory as well.

Beware, however, of calling a younger woman ma'am. I've had quite a few thought I was implying they were "mature". ;)

ma'am and sir always sound false to me... like putting on airs. When people use it on me it gets my back up. I feel like I am being "handled".

well if it makes you feel better, we southern girls are taught its a sign of respect....I've never ever used it to "handle" someone

Oh to be sure Shani... as others have pointed out it's a cultural thing.

Like Charlatan, I don't like it when I am being addressed as sir. Especially by people younger than or the same age as me at Best Buy.

I am quite Southern and I was never taught to say yes, ma'am nor yes, sir and I never say either unless it is colloquially....in a joking or lighthearted way. Never seriously. Yet, I am also very respectful.

When I lived in Louisiana, the children and teenagers would always put "Miss" in front of my name when they addressed me. As in, "how you doin', Miss J."

Yes, and I'm an American. But, being in the military, such things have been pounded into my head. I've always tried to be respectful, but I think since the time I went through basic training, I've been far more inclined to use ma'am and sir.

Based on your answers, this is more for southern part of America? Is this correct? I will try to take more notice about what state my clients are in when they say "Yes ma'am" to me.

Also, is there such thing as a "black" accent? (Sorry if it is offensive. I don't know how to describe the accent more properly.) Sometimes, I hear people with accents that are like rappers. I don't watch too much television so it is hard for me to know, but white rappers like Eminem do not have this "black" accent. Is that accent also regional so people with different skin colours living in the same area have that accent? Or is it exclusively for just particular skin colours?

I am actually thinking of putting a map in my office and putting coloured pins on it to mark what people in a certain location have what accent. I wish I did the same at my old job, but it was only one province and those Canadians spoke similarly.

I'm from an immigrant family in Seattle, which probably makes me pretty non-mainstream. :D And those two words aren't really in my vocabulary, unless I'm making a joke or something. I guess to me, those words remind me of 1) the military, and/or 2) an older generation (e.g. old movies), and it really just doesn't fit my personality to say those words. I say "please" and "thank you" very often, but never follow them with any formal address of gender.

That's ebonics and it's purely a product of upbringing. Mostly associated with blacks, but has gained popularity, sadly, among other races as well. I know a couple of black guys who speak "normally" without this accent. No offense to anyone, but as an immigrant this type of accent and dialect just doesn't sit well with me.

It is very common in the shouthern states. Common among military personnel as well. As for the yankees? Some of us were raised that way, some of us say it more when we think we may be in trouble, some of us say it to be rude.

It just depends I guess.

I say ma'am and sir. I even say it to my parents, and not sarcastically. I think it mostly came about as a result of working in retail.

(American) - I find I say it most when on the phone with customer service types (Are you at xyz address? Yes, ma'am!), or in "action" situations. We've talked about something, and person X asks me to do something, so I say "Yes, ma'am!". It's a lighthearted thing, but not mocking at all.

But oddly... I would feel funny if anyone else called me 'miss' or 'ma'am'.

Hm.

Subconsiously, I associate "Ma'am" with little old ladies, so I would only refer to a woman that way if she insisted.

But then I'm Canadian, eh.

Although I, myself, was born and raised in the State of Pennsylvania, my mother was a former Floridian. As such, I was taught "Yes/No Sir/Ma'am from a very early age. Kind of a regional crossover.

This reminds me of another post, or something, when someone made the assertion that people who use manners are phony people.

I disagree with both counts.

While living in Michigan I used only an occasional yes sir/maam

Since moving to mountain regions of North Carolina, it's a show of respect and while at work I will address my clients in this manner. If they do not like it, they let me know and I have no problem not saying it.

I don't get fussy if someone calls me maam, miss or whatever. Why fuss if they are just trying to be respectful.