Upside Down Nametags

[Brenda Bond]

What does it mean when a prospective new PNM is going to a house during Rush with their name tag upside down. I saw several girls doing this today while going through rush at the University of Alabama. What does this mean?

[aopirose]

Either they honestly didn't realize it or they were using the tags as a way for people to remember them. I was at a conference last week and a guy had his on upside down too. He said that it was a way to get people to remember him. Unique but silly.

[aephi alum]

Maybe it means she can't remember her own name.......

[Tinia2]

Originally Posted by aopirose

Either they honestly didn't realize it or they were using the tags as a way for people to remember them. I was at a conference last week and a guy had his on upside down too. He said that it was a way to get people to remember him. Unique but silly.

from what i was taught about name tags if you really want someone to see and recall who you are, you put it on the right side of your chest rather than your left side.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by Tinia2

from what i was taught about name tags if you really want someone to see and recall who you are, you put it on the right side of your chest rather than your left side.

i dont 100% buy this. there are different protocols on where nametags/pins should go.

in corporate, the right side was the way to go, since you shake hands with your right hand. chest extends to arm through to the hand. dont know how accurate that is or if its effective.

or, the right side is preferred because most corporations/orgs have their logos put on the left side and a nametag on the left balances things out.

and then most, if not all, greeks put their pins/crests/shields on the left over the heart, so i prefer to put my nametag either above the pin or on the right. just depends on how i feel.

[Tinia2]

Originally Posted by tld221

i dont 100% buy this. there are different protocols on where nametags/pins should go.

in corporate, the right side was the way to go, since you shake hands with your right hand. chest extends to arm through to the hand. don't know how accurate that is or if its effective.

or, the right side is preferred because most corporations/orgs have their logos put on the left side and a nametag on the left balances things out.

and then most, if not all, greeks put their pins/crests/shields on the left over the heart, so i prefer to put my nametag either above the pin or on the right. just depends on how i feel.

i understand what your take on this is. i was taught right side twice; once at a leadership school program and once at a corporate event.

and i even sort of ran a test on it. for some reason i was in a rather hi-end hotel twice within a week or two. and the first time i spoke to customer service manager on some rather minor matter. at the end i suggested that she move her name tag and gave her the reason. next time i was in hotel, she stopped me in order to thank me for my suggestion. she told me that more people were calling her by name and remembering her. and that she passed the information up to her superiors.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by Tinia2

i understand what your take on this is. i was taught right side twice; once at a leadership school program and once at a corporate event.

and i even sort of ran a test on it. for some reason i was in a rather hi-end hotel twice within a week or two. and the first time i spoke to customer service manager on some rather minor matter. at the end i suggested that she move her name tag and gave her the reason. next time i was in hotel, she stopped me in order to thank me for my suggestion. she told me that more people were calling her by name and remember her. and that she passed the information up to her superiors.

wow thats awesome. so the right side is tried and true.

[Tinia2]

Originally Posted by tld221

wow thats awesome. so the right side is tried and true.

i was given some study numbers on it when i learned it. do not have notes on it any more but if someone wanted to look, i would not be too surprised if they were some where on-line.
added edit: not perfect but down, dirty and fast search:
http://www.sideroad.com/Name_Tag/nam...practices.html
http://www.marketing-ideas.org/name-...88052&T=731900

) On which side of your chest should you wear a nametag?
There isn't a single book on networking, meeting planning or interpersonal communication that doesn't say name tags should go on the right. "They" say you should wear your nametag on the right hand side so it is visible in the direct line with your handshake. For the most part, I agree. And so do most people. This is one of the few nametag protocols most people are familiar with.
On the other hand, the horizontal placement of your nametag should be dependent on the capacity in which you are wearing it. For example, if you work in a hotel, in retail, at a trade show or any other mobile environment where there are aisles, rows and hallways, consider the possibility of wearing your nametag on the left side of your chest so it is most visible to oncoming traffic. (If you live in a country where you walk on the right side of the path)
Now, this is a debatable issue. But the bottom line about horizontal placement is this: it doesn't matter which side of your chest the nametag lays, as long as it's above your breastbone and readable from 10 feel away.

[Brenda Bond]

Originally Posted by aopirose

Either they honestly didn't realize it or they were using the tags as a way for people to remember them. I was at a conference last week and a guy had his on upside down too. He said that it was a way to get people to remember him. Unique but silly.

Well that is good to know---I was wondering if it meant that they weren't interested in a particular house (which doesn't make any sense) or that they were testing a particular house to see if those rushing her recognized her from her pictures---which also would be stupid and stuck up. The idea that she is trying to be remembered makes sense--but still is quite risky. I would think that everyone would want their names to be clear and visible. But the upside down trick is clever---hope it works for her.