Article posted Wednesday, January 4, 2012 10:43am

Dear Mary Pat,

I recently had an uncomfortable interaction with someone I’ve met multiple times over the past few years (making them at least an acquaintance) – they called me by the wrong name. They called me a good friend’s name. When it first happened, I just thought it was a fluke, so I didn’t correct them. Then, it happened about three more times. Now I’m a bit embarrassed that I let it get to this point, and I don’t know if I should correct them. Do I just keep responding to the wrong name?

A Nametag Would Be Nice Here,

Sturgeon Bay, WI

Dear A Nametag Would Be Nice Here,

It’s always awkward when someone doesn’t get your name right, and maybe it stings the ego a bit if we’re honest. People call me the incorrect name all the time, so I am used to responding to Mary Pat, Mary Jean, Mary Kate, Mary Kay, Mary Louise, Mary Francis, and ‘Manners Lady.’ It is better to correct someone right away, to avoid the situation you are now in. Even though it seems weird now, it is only going to become more so the more you run into this acquaintance. You can either say, “I really should have told you this before, but my name is actually Jane.” This person is going to feel silly, so be as gracious as possible and assure him/her that it’s no big deal. Or, have one of your friends call you by your correct name in front of your acquaintance and hope that he/she is paying attention. He/she might quietly file that information away and use your right name the next time or he/she might apologize for getting it wrong so many times. Either way, your problem should be solved.

Good luck,

Mary Pat