‘It feels like such an invasion of privacy’: Dollar Tree worker calls out name tags for giving customers his information
A viral TikTok video created by a Dollar Tree worker has sparked debate about the use of name tags in the workplace. In the clip, user Oliver (@olivermbork) rants about how customers say his name and urges them to not read his name tag.
The clip has accumulated over 472,000 views and 113,800 likes as of Tuesday afternoon. In the video, Oliver shares that he prefers customers to not say his name especially while shopping at his local Dollar Tree.
He wrote in the caption, “Forced social interactions be melting my brain."
“My name is displayed right here and it may be a nice thing to do. ‘Oh thank you, Oliver,’" he says, mimicking a customer. "I hate when people know my name, please don’t read it. You already can see me and that is more than I want."
Many viewers in the comments related to his preference for his personal details to remain unknown to customers.
“It feels like such an invasion of privacy omg like I didn’t consent to you knowing who I am,” commented one viewer.
“This is so true. It kinda freaks me out because I forget they can see my name and I'm like 'How do you know me' HAHA,” replied another.
For many businesses, having a name tag creates a better relationship between a staff member and customers. Prudential Uniforms lists the benefits of staff name tags as, “communication, branding, professionalism, customer service, and loyalty.”
Name tags as a form of identification have a reported connection to "dog tags" used in the military to help identify troops in World War II.
"According to the Army Historical Foundation, the term "dog tag" was first coined by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. In 1936, Hearst wanted to undermine support for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. He had heard the newly formed Social Security Administration was considering giving out nameplates for personal identification. According to the SSA, Hearst referred to them as "dog tags" similar to those used in the military,” states a 2020 post from the U.S. Department of Defense.
@olivermbork forced social interactions be melting my brain #fyp ♬ original sound - Oliver Bork
Hearst's negative association with this identification has continued among some modern-day service workers, like Oliver, who would prefer customers to not have access to identifying information. Some commenters on Oliver's video even said name tags have jeopardized their safety.
‘When I worked at Walmart, I had a customer leave the store, look me up on Facebook just by my first name, and he started messaging me... scary,” shared one viewer.
“Me refusing to wear my name tag at work for these exact reasons,” voiced another.
The Daily Dot reached out to Olive via TikTok and Dollar Tree via email.
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