Personally, I'd prefer to be called by my last name. Giving me my proper title (in my case, "Mrs.") plus my last name is a sign of respect, while adding a personal touch.

Of course, in my case, it makes me cringe when someone unfamiliar pronounces my name because it's almost always wrong (stupid German name!).

So I'm sending this notice to all retailers, bank tellers, etc.:

If you're going to attempt to say someone's last name TAKE THE TIME to make sure you're not adding any letters to their last name or just butchering it. It's also not pleasant to be standing there while you say, "Thank you Mrs.....Sch-.....Schr.....um......Sch-...well, Thank you."

Awww-kward!

As for first names? I'd prefer it over no personalization at all, I do like when they attempt to be friendly enough notice my name and use it.

But just to a party pooper I do have a complaint about this too: I have one of those first names that is formal, and everyday I go by a very different, shortened version: Katie. If someone shouts "Katherine" across the room, I don't turn my head. So it almost feels as if they're calling me by the wrong name, so I give an awkward smile and turn away.

I think the best solution is for everyone to just call me, "Your Highness".
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Actually, Miss or Ma'am works for me. However, I have noticed that my banks tend to call me Ms. (lastnamehere), and that's fine too.

In customer service (at retail shops, banks, grocers, etc), I think Sir or Ma'am is adequate.

If it's someone I deal with daily, then I have no problem being on a first name basis. But I'm not really offended by anyone that chooses to use my first name.

If, however, someone chooses to use my last name preceded by Miss, Mrs or Ms, I have no problem with that, either.

If someone shows an effort at providing me good, courteous service, they can call me whatever makes them comfortable, including the wrong name.
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This is going to sound snotty.
I want people to address me as sir until notified otherwise. I will at the point I feel comfortable with a person, while they are meeting the requirements of the customer service agenda they are working under, tell them the name I would like to be called. Most people in the service world skip this step and as soon as they know my name they use it. I have corrected some that have been flagrant with this intrusion of personal space.

I truly do not enjoy strangers of any sort using my first or last name at all. In retail circumstances such as a store I frequent or my bank this friendliness becomes unavoidable because of their inherent desire to pursue customer service to the proper ends. Which is commendable, I enjoy excellent customers service and I worked behind a bar for more than 10 years having to develop close relationships with people new and old. While I was doing this for work I would try to introduce myself first to politely cajole a friendly return of the name the person would like to be called

A person was a patron of the establishment I was working at until they told me the name they wanted me to use at that point they became a proper guest and our friendship had begun.

: p
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I always prefer to be addressed by my first name thats because its like that
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I am a-okay with being addressed by anything as long as it is nice and, in a way, respectful. "Yo, lady. Thanks for doin' business!" won't really fly with me. 

I think it is always nice for a person to address a customer in some way - either first name, last name, sir, ma'am - to coincide with good customer service. However, I do not expect it and do not feel it is necessary.
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In a bank I would prefer to not be called by name at all. Mam or sir is just fine. I would rather not announce to others in the bank that Mrs/Mr so and so is depositing money etc.
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I'm with Mr, Mrs or Miss Buddawiggi on this one. He or she has expressed my attitude exactly. It is my pet hate when some young 20 year old kid dares to call me by my first name as if he or she knows me. The same goes for any officials or public servants etc., (including cops!) I want to be addressed as "Sir" or "Mr" ________ until I decide that I shall give the other person the familiarity of using my first name. It is the height of rudeness for people nowadays to assume that they know me well enough to address me informally right from the beginning. It is a modern day trend which has been spawned by all the PC crap that's destroying society at the moment. Of course the youngsters of 'Gen. Y' think it's fine because they have been taught that people don't mind, but they are wrong, and so are those who taught them that rubbish! We do mind, and we get to a point after a while where we can't take it any more and finally start correcting people, which then makes them uncomfortable, but that's too bad.
In my daily work I wear an official uniform, and whenever I am talking to a member of the public I always use "Sir", "Madam", "Ma'am", or 'Mr", "Mrs", "Miss" (________). I keep hoping that others will pick up the hint and reciprocate, but they don't, which really peeves me off.
Obviously Mr, Mrs or Miss Buddawiggi and I are from the old school, where a person's title always preceded their surname, and only when they invited us to use their first name would we dare to do so. It is a mark of respect to those who are older than you are, and therefore know more about life than you do. Throughout my boarding school days my masters were always "Sir", and in the Army we would never address a senior officer as anything other than "Sir". That is the correct way of doing things, but then when we were brought up letters were addressed correctly too!
Source(s):
www.ourcivilisation.com/pc.htm
www.theroot.com/blogs/come-correct/tad-too-familiar

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I prefer my first name in most cases. The only time I would be fine with my last name: at the bank and other similar businesses.
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I like to be reffered to by my first name...then again I'm 20....I'm also for awesome customer service and even building that tiny relationship with first names and how are yous helps out alot.
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