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Old 22nd Dec 2009, 15:55
  #46 (permalink)  
ReadyToGo
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Northumberland
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A year or so ago, I was travelling through Dubai with my elderly grandmother. On checking our invitations to the Qatar Airways lounge, the young girl replied with "Thank You Mr. Richard" which I thought was fine.

Then she checked my grandmothers, (whose name was Irene) and replied "Thankyou Mrs Earring". My Grandmother didn't quite catch what she had said, so she tried again "Thankyou Mrs Eye-ring".

At this point, we both laughed a little (not at her directly of course!), and the girl apologised, and seemed so disappointed that she had got it wrong. I told her there was no need, and commented that she pronounced my grandmothers English name better than I could pronounce her Arabic one.

Later on, the same girl came over and asked very politely what was the correct pronunciation, "So she would remember for when we came to Dubai again". We told her.

Sure enough, when we transited through again, three weeks later the same girl was working in the lounge, and greeted us with the warmest smile I have ever seen from an airport employee. Before she even looked at the invitation, she greeted us with...

"Hello again Mr Richard, Hello Mrs err... Smith"

As others have said, its not the name they use, its the thought that goes behind it.
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