United Kingdom: First Name or Title? - Part 2

From ExecutivePlanet.com

Further guidelines

Feminist concerns can add to the confusion. It is usually best to address a woman whose marital status is uncertain as ‘Ms’. By extension, you should also perhaps avoid the suffix ‘-man’, which logically should result in such ugly expressions as ‘Ms Chair’ (in practice, though, this usually translates as ‘Madam Chair’). In general, the older generation remain happy, and may even prefer, to use ‘Mrs’ or ‘Miss’ whereas ‘Ms’ is current amongst those born post-1960.

Some professions - government, the military, the Church, academia - are still devoted to titles denoting rank or academic achievement and these should be respected but this is the realm of the Establishment and rarely impinges on British business protocol.

There is a persistent tradition amongst very close (male) friends, who have usually attended the same (public, i.e. private) school or (ancient) university, of using only their surnames. This practice is not to be emulated. In the absence of any professional title you should always use at least the courtesy titles ‘Mr’, ‘Mrs’, etc. when using someone's surname.

‘Sir’ and ‘Madam’ are used by shop assistants, waiters, receptionists, etc. to address customers.

Knights, however, tend to like being called ‘Sir’ largely because a knighthood usually recognises real achievement rather than political patronage. Incongruous as this may seem, it is therefore not uncommon to come across knights in the business world. When John Smith is knighted, he is known as 'Sir John' but his wife is 'Lady Smith.' The female equivalent of a knight is a ‘dame’ and the correct mode of address in this instance is ‘Dame’, followed by her first name only. To add to the confusion, the daughter of a duke, marquess or earl is a 'Lady' and also addressed by her first name only.

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