Tutorials and Product Advice - Influencing Identity

Name Tags: Not Just A Label

October 10th is recognized as World Mental Health Day. So what does this mean for name tags? And what does that have to do with a label?

It’s easy to start labeling people. How many times during a day do we label someone without conscious thought? It can be a simple label like teacher, boss or cashier. But we have to be careful when using these labels. While they describe something someone is doing, they do not always make up someone’s true character.

So, what does this have to do with name tags? Well, when someone puts on a name tag, they are representing something so much more! They are representing the company or cause for which they are working. They are also representing themselves. And what a great battle that can be sometimes.

“If everybody wears name tags, no more fighting, no more intolerance and no more disrespect,” said Scott Ginsberg in his blog.

When donning a name tag, it becomes an act of acknowledging people for who, rather than what, they really are. Calling people by their given name helps to make them feel truly special.

“A few years ago I gave a speech to a group of individuals with disabilities. I was terrified. I thought the message would go completely over their heads. And I assumed that their intelligence level would keep them from understanding me. I was wrong. They loved it. Best audience I’ve ever had. Afterward, a young man from the front row ran up to me with a huge smile on his face. And although his mental condition made it very difficult for him to speak, he placed his hand on my chest and said: ‘It’s not the name tag; it’s the heart behind it.’ Just because someone is broken doesn’t mean they can’t teach you,” Ginsberg related on his blog.

So, why do we label people?

Maybe it is because sometimes there are positive attributes that are associated with these labels. And maybe it’s because we simply do not know someone. By wearing a name tag, we become more familiar with those around us.

And, when we start using others names, we are also allowing that labeling barrier to be let down. So, let’s all put on our name tags and remember who we truly are!

Name Tags for Emergency Personnel

Name tags are helping with transparency and providing security!

Recently name tags made the news! Did you see the report about police officers and emergency personnel using personal identification to make others feel at ease? What a great way to give us all a sense of security. Officers are accomplishing this by simply wearing a name tag.

Excerpts from The Boston Globe:

“The public should know our names,” Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans said during an interview on WGBH’s Boston Public Radio this past week.

“Body cameras and name tags are a way to show transparency and accountability in these challenging times,” Evans said.

“An officer is not just a number, but a person. (And knowing an officer’s name) “makes that individual more human. It humanizes a situation,” said J. Larry Mayes, one of three members of the Civilian Oversight Ombudsman Panel, which reviews Internal Affairs investigations.

“(Commissioner Evans) began this process earlier this year as a way to increase transparency and trust,” Lieutenant Detective Michael McCarthy, police spokesman, said in a statement.

McCarthy said that command staff and superior officers have already begun wearing tags with their last names.

Patrol officers in other major police departments, including New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles, have worn name tags for decades. Massachusetts state troopers also wear name tags. (Boston Globe)

While not everyone enjoys wearing a name tag while at work, most organizations and companies find them necessary for communication and security reasons. However, whether or not to use a name tag in these situations is not necessarily an easy answer.

In many situations, certain levels of personal identification are needed. Using identification provides a service to consumers. It may also provide a sense of security. Overall, name tags are proving useful once again. A great thing about using name tags is that wherever they are worn, they can create a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Using Last Names on Name Tags

While “John Doe” or “Jane Smith” are a bit more professional, it may not always be appropriate and safe using last names on name tags. Not everyone enjoys wearing a name tag while at work, but most organizations and companies find them necessary for communication and branding. Most restaurants require serving staff to wear personal identification. Name tags and badges are also often seen in retail settings. They are even worn in office buildings.

And, not just cashiers and waitresses wear these identifiers. Managers, security and CEOs also wear name tags on a regular, if not a daily, basis. Name tags are a great way to quickly identify someone if you need help with something. And, as such, they are often a required part of a work uniform.

Having a person’s full name on a name tag can be quite helpful to a consumer, however it may also be dangerous to the employee who is wearing the name tag. These name tags have been recently scrutinized for their validity. Safety issues have also come up in many conversations.

Question: Why would having both your first and last name on a name tag be dangerous to an employee?

There have recently been several studies and panels evaluating the usage of first and last names on name tags. They have concluded that a person’s safety and privacy might be endangered outside of the workplace should a consumer attempt to locate or make contact with an employee. However, this misuse of someone’s name has been proven highly unlikely by the same studies as above.

Question: Why would someone need to have both their first and last name on a name tag? Does it depend on the type of work you are doing (i.e. customer service vs lawyer)?

Again, “John Doe” or “Jane Smith” are a bit more professional than “John” or “Jane.” However, some companies and business types require that employees use last names on name tags. Typically wait staff at a restaurant is only identified with a first name. The same goes for someone in a retail situation.

In an office setting last names would be appropriate to use as a more professional way of identifying someone in their current position. By using someone’s last name on their name tag, it provides the prestige that can accompany a specific title in a company. It also helps current and future clientele identify the person with which they need help from.

Question: What happens in situations where security may be a factor, such as detention facilities, schools or hospitals?

Typically in security situations, name tags are used to determine if someone should be where they are. In places like schools these name tags are often used as a means to enter the building. They are also used to help students know who teachers and school workers are. This, in turn, helps them feel more secure.

The argument can be made that first names are not necessary when referring to Mrs. Smith as a teacher. However, the same argument can be made in hospitals that “Jane Smith” might be providing too much personal information to a patient. “Jane” would suffice in this instance.

Whether or not to use someone’s last name on a name tag is not necessarily an easy answer. However, in many circumstances, certain levels of personal identification are needed. They provide a service to consumers, and they also provide security in many situations. Make sure your reasons for using last names on name tags fit not only your needs, but your security situation.

SOLUTION: Design name tags specifically for your profession!

Choose Your Name Tag!

Name Tags: Pros and Cons

All personalized identification comes with pros and cons.

Seeing them listed can help you to see why you should be wearing a name tag every day!

PROS and CONS: Case #1

Con, From: A Case Against Name Tags
They’re not very chic. They encourage tacky behavior. And there are better ways to introduce and connect people.

Pro, From: Do the Name Tags at Your Event Suck?
Tools like business cards and name tags are the hardest working elements of high-performance collaboration in meetings, events, and social occasions, and we barely give them a thought when we design them.

Pro, From: Name Tag, Inc.
Name tags and name badges provide necessary corporate and company branding. This branding is important for all marketing needs. It distinguishes you from your competition and helps others to more readily recognize your quality. By using logos on name tags, you can create a focus to help drive your business.

PROS and CONS: Case #2

Con, From: A Case Against Name Tags
If you want get people interacting (at large events), I think you should take a more interesting, active approach. Traditional name tags aren’t just tacky. They’re lazy.

Pro, From: Name Tag, Inc.
While adhesive name badges can be considered tacky, there are less traditional ways of handling large groups. Choose from a variety of other reusable name badge options. Speedy Badges and Mighty Badges are both great for using in large meetings or conventions. Each insert can be printed so names are all the same size. And they can even be printed with colors and logos to make them stand out.

PROS and CONS: Case #3

Con, From: Ditch Those Employee Nametags Now, These Customer Service Experts Say
And then there’s the elephant in the room, so obvious I wasn’t sure I’d even mention it. Employees hate name badges. And the more creative and quirky the employee, the more likely they are to hate them. As the newest generation of employees are millennials, a very, very creative and quirky generation, and it’s best not to start an adversarial relationship with your employee at the word “go,” this is another factor to consider.

Pro, From: Name Tag, Inc.
With a “creative and quirky” generation coming into the work force, name tags can be fun! Make them bright and interactive. Who says a name tag has to be boring? Add logos and graphics. Choose from an abundance of colors. There are metal name tags and plastic name badges. Whatever your choice, personalize it to meet your employee needs.

Overall, name tags are something that should stand out.

Make them memorable with your company branding, customization and personalization!

The Power Within Name Tags

Every person considers their name to be an important part of their identity. Name Tags are a tool allowing the creation of a culture of respect and recognition during conversations and interpersonal interactions.

Have you noticed that name tags are everywhere? Employees wear them in department stores, restaurants and many other business environments. Attendees wear them at conventions, conferences and other meetings.

Typically the power within name tags is acknowledged as a professional and friendly way to support communication and associate someone with a company or organization. Many companies use name tags to help customers identify their employees and as a tool that promotes their brand identity. This employee communication helps to improve customer care.

And everyone wears them for the same reason: to identify themselves to others around them.

One of the most powerful things about name tags is that they provide outstanding balance and uniformity. For an organization to succeed, all employees need to feel that they are part of a larger community that values their services. Personal identification, such as name tags, allows everyone to feel their individuality and be part of a larger group.

Name tags are part of many people’s daily lives. The power within name tags is actually quite simple. By providing personal identification, each person can feel their individuality and yet be part of a larger group.

Another great thing about the power of name tags is that they create a warm, inviting atmosphere wherever they are worn. Name tags can help people feel welcome when they don’t know anyone in a group or attend an event.

Name tags also provide confidence to conference or meeting attendees. Introductions feel less intimidating when people can call each other by their given names, and this encourages the networking that is so important at these events.

The reality is that name tags don’t have to be expensive or fancy to be powerful. When used appropriately, name tags help to build community. The power within name tags is real. So, put one on today!

We offer an almost endless variety of name tags to meet any need.