A British man who recently visited the US has left several users baffled after sharing a video, revealing how shopkeepers are addressed in the UK.
A British man has left many Americans surprised by the contrast in how shopkeepers are addressed.
Josh, who shares his experiences on TikTok under the username @imjoshfromengland2, revealed a specific word that Americans struggled to grasp during his time abroad in a viral video on this platform, leaving several baffled.
Explaining further on TikTok, he recounted his experience of living in America, where the use of "sir" and "ma'am" was customary in everyday interactions.
In his viral video, Josh explained: "One of the biggest cultural differences that I found between the UK and America is that in America, everyone would say 'sir' or 'ma'am' all the time."
However, Josh pointed out that such formalities are rarely observed in the UK, with terms like "mate" being more commonly used.
In a video clip making his point, Josh walks into a local corner store and casually chats with the owner. Throughout the entire interaction, he repeatedly called the shopkeeper "mate," saying phrases like: "Hello mate, how are you? Thank you, mate. Thank you mate card, please. Cheers mate have a good one, bye."
He added: "That's how Brits do it... That is a genuine thing we do in the UK. We do say mate all the time like I'll call my grandad my mate like everyone is your mate, it's crazy."
Below the post, several users expressed their thoughts about a notable difference between shopping customs in the UK and the States.
Despite his frequent use of "mate," which might be considered above average, he mentioned that Americans were still shocked by the brief exchange.
One person said: I definitely wouldn't lose my mind if someone called me mate, especially if they had an English or Aussie accent. But I've actually traveled to places besides the buffet restaurant in Gatlinburg.
A second wrote: I've worked in retail for years and while working at the London Eye I did notice customers from the USA tend to refer to you as Sir, Ma'am even if they're significantly older than you.
While a third commented: As an Aussie, if someone called me ma’am I’d be like ‘Excuse me?! What did I do to make you angry?’
Someone else said: I can honestly say I have never called anyone "mate" so saying that's what "all" us Brits say is also wrong.
