So I have a very male dominated sales job. My company alone employs about 50 salespeople and I'm the senior of 3 female sales reps (with about 8 years on the job). Its a dealership style business, our main manufacturers' North American HQ is in the Carolinas as well as many of my customers.
I've been in business long enough to know that sweetie is inappropriate but also that not everyone who uses that term means it in a deragatory way. But it does seem that 99% of the time a colleague or customer calls me that they're from the South. I know we have a lot of Southern ladies on here so I was just wondering what your experience with the word is. Is it a cultural thing, an age thing, or on par with "Bless your heart?"
Re: Work related: the South and Sweetie
ETA: I can definitely see how it would be weird for people from other parts of the country. It's a super familiar way to address people, but it kinda goes with the general sense of hospitality in the South.
Oh no she didn't. What did you say back?
I am guilty of using Sweetie or Hun in the past. Especially when I waited tables.
Having been raised in the south and now living in New York, I will say I literally never get called sweetie (or honey, or <insert pet name here> by strangers) and certainly not in a business setting. However, when I still lived in North Florida (for 25 years) and ESPECIALLY when I waited tables at a diner frequented by elderly people- it happened basically every day. It was particularly bad when I did marketing for a general contractor, which was a very male-dominated field.
And FWIW, it bothered me (because I don't like pet names) but I don't think people use it in a negative manner. I just think it is really common and accepted.