Do folks mess up your name?
What's in a name? I think the thing that is most frustrating in communicating with someone is when you mess up their name. Folks don't mind too much of you mess up the town they live in or the name of their car, the school they went to, but their name is personal and I think folks feel like you are messing with them when you mispronounce or misspell their name. Now my given name is Joanne. Not very unusual, but I guess the way I pronounce it over the phone with my accent made it sound like something else. I would often have to say it three times and then get, "Oh hello Jillian!" UGH! And don't get me...