I ve got another one that bugs me - large department stores calling all of their employees associates. That term was once reserved for professionals, not store clerks. Anyone with sense knows that associates make more than minimum wage and don t wear smiley face buttons on their aprons. A good dose of reality would help a bunch of folks. Another term that really gets on my nerves is the word customer being used to describe taxpayers and citizens when they deal with the government.
Customers have choices.
I know - the Mafia. But I m serious. When an individual deals with the government that person is NOT a customer. We are taxpayers or citizens. Whenever I hear someone in the government refer to me as a customer I get the same feeling when I hear personal injury lawyers advertise they re motivated by benevolence.