I tend to automatically want to call officials and clerks "Sir" because I am usually their junior, but instead they are calling me "Sir". When is it appropriate to call someone "Sir" or "Madam" in a UK context?
Learn English – Usage of Sir in the UK
british-englishpolitenessword-usage
Related Solutions
Never use "I'm John Smith" when you introduce yourself; instead, use "My name is John Smith."
I would agree with this much: in general, using "my name is" is probably preferable to "I am", because there is more to who we are than our name.
That said, I think never use is a bit overly strong, although I wouldn't be surprised to learn a non-native-speaking English teacher was offering that advice. Language teachers can sometimes be a bit stuffy, and woefully unaware of oft-used, informal conventions.
Most native speakers aren't going to bat an eye if you say, "Hello, I'm David." It's normal, idiomatic conversational speech.
Moreover, there are times where "Hello, I'm David," might be the most natural way to say your name.
Suppose you are one of four people are seated in a circle in a classroom. Your name is John Smith. The teacher asks you all to introduce yourselves to one another, and the person to your left begins:
"Hi, I'm David Carson."
and then it continues clockwise around the circle:
"Mike Jones" [uttered with a quick wave]
"Hello." [smiles and nods] "Linda Everett."
Now it's your turn. Follow the advice of your English teacher, and you'll mechanically say,
"My name is John Smith."
Truth is, "I'm John Smith" would have been just fine. Most likely, no one is going to think David Carson is an idiot who does not know the right way to introduce himself.
As I write this answer, I'm imagining myself in different settings, giving my name for the first time.
I think tone can be as important as word choice. Give your name as if you're God's gift to the world, and it can sound either mechanical or pretentious.
Context is also important. "I am..." sounds natural if you are giving your name plus some additional information:
I am David Carson, the marketing director for Acme Corporation.
which is a nicely condensed form of:
My name is David Carson, and I am the marketing director for Acme Corporation.
Lastly, conspicuously absent from your question is the difference between "I am David Carson," and "I'm David Carson." The contracted version can sound more approachable and friendly, while the longer version can sound more stiff and pretentious. That said, mannerisms such as warm smiles, friendly nods, affable handshakes, and welcoming intonations also play a big role in how your introduction will be perceived.
If you're too worried about the words you use, that might have an adverse affect. Just relax and tell us who you are.
It depends on the society you live in. As I recall, one of my clients from the US insisted that I should call him by name and not Sir. In India, almost everyone who's superior/elder to you is sir! If you don't call them sir, it's a problem!
The best thing is let that person suggest/advise you (which happens in most of the cases as it happened in my case -they themselves tell us) and you carry that on.
To be on safer side, I'd start calling him 'sir', and if he's okay, I'll carry that on. Because in the other way round, it may sound 'impolite' to those who want others to call them 'sir!'.
My answer talks about general practices in India. However, I firmly believe that in a teacher-student relationship, sir suits the best. Students call teachers 'sir, teacher, master' etc. but I haven't yet come across any student calling his teacher by name. And it is the same in case of a relationship of a salesperson/clerk to a customer.
In offices, it depends on the person being called.
Best Answer
As Lambie said, you can address them without any title, and it will not seem rude or out of place. If you believe you're younger than them and wish to call them "sir" or "ma'am" out of respect for their age, that's also perfectly fine and polite. If you choose not to do so, that's also just as fine. Bear in mind that respect isn't just through words, but also through tone - so you can speak to them without using "sir" and still come across as perfectly polite and respectful.
Do bear in mind that they call you "sir" for a different reason - that is to respect the fact that you're the recipient of the service they're providing (i.e. in a customer-facing role they're instructed to address the customer with respect, irrespective of the age of the customer).
So, each of you are calling one another "sir" for different reasons which can co-exist and can still be used. Of course, the conversation might get awkward with many "sirs" flying around, so you could limit the "sir" to the initial greeting and final thanks, if you wish.
Don't sweat it, no one is going to be offended by politeness. We could all do with more politeness in this world :-)