While you’re out there fighting for my business, it might help to remember one of my pet peeves. Complete strangers who call me James instead of Mr McIntosh.

This shallow familiarity that some businesses foist on me in the name of customer service really annoys me.

No, I am not talking about telemarketers. The fools who write those smarmy scripts with my first name scatter throughout are not worthy of my contempt.

I’m talking about real people who should know better.

Hey, I’m not a snob. It’s just that I like a bit of distance between us until I know you better. And until I know you better, I won’t know whether I like your customer service enough for us to become familiar.

Until then, could we please have a modicum of manners and a shot at professionalism? After all, your job is to make me feel important, not commonplace.

You might even charm me into spending.

Welcome to my side of the nonsense divide.