a tip for retail

Ellie and I took Audrey for a walk when I got home from work. It was a beautiful day in the mid 70s and sunny, a rarity for Buffalo, even in the summer. We walked through Elmwood Village, where I, naturally, had to stop at Spot Coffee.

While Ellie waited outside with the dog, I went in and got a cappuccino, a Thursday afternoon reward (yes, I can justify anything). The hipster punk-scum that worked there asked what he could get for me. But no, he didn’t phrase it in such a nice way. He said, “Ma’am, what can I get for you?” Oooooh, he called me ma’am (which now justifies my calling him hipster punk-scum).

When complaining to a friend about being called ma’am, I was told, “why don’t you blog about it”, in a rather belittling way. However facetious this phrase was meant, I am taking the suggestion seriously. This is an opportunity to set something straight.

The term, Ma’am, should never be used to refer to a woman who is either A. younger than thirty, B. unmarried, or C. wearing an adorable sundress.

For those of you working in retail, pay attention. You are always safe when you use Miss. Nobody will ever be offended when they are referred to as Miss, even if they are approaching an age that is embarrassing to reveal. If you do feel the necessity of throwing around Ma’am, save it for a woman who has a toddler on her hip or a baby in a stroller.

To break it down:

Stroller/hip child- Ma’am
Girl in sundress- Miss

That is the end of my rant. Spot Coffee, I will forgive you if you fire that child.