We might soon be waving goodbye to ‘hello’ as Brits ditch formal greetings for more relaxed approaches to greeting each other. The study, commissioned by Westfield London, found that nearly 9 out of 10 Brits have found themselves starting to move away from phrases like “good afternoon”, “good morning” and “pleasure to meet you” in recent years.
More colloquial terms like “Hey” and “Alright?”, topped the nation’s greetings of choice according to the 2,000 UK respondents. According to the research, it also appears that the handshake is out, as the top three physical greetings that Brits are using instead of the standard handshake are; the nod (36%), the hug (31%) and the fist bump (28%), with men twice as likely to use a fist bump versus women.
The findings also revealed that when shopping, over three-quarters of Brits would feel awkward if a store sales advisor greeted them informally, such as giving them a fist bump or saying, “What’s up?”.
Westfield London employed Tik Tok star Troy Hawke as its newest member of staff and first-ever dedicated professional greeter. Best known for his extravagant greeting style and suave attire, which has made him a viral success, Troy has been tasked to formally welcome visitors. Surprising unsuspecting visitors around the centre, Troy’s greetings included “You’ve got a no-nonsense stride, but I bet you’re fun at parties” and “I’m sorry but I’ve got a sartorial goddess here needing help” and even bellowing across the forecourt to wish someone “a more blessed day.”
Katie Wyle, General Manager at Westfield London, said: “A personalised greeting can change how we feel about a person, place and ourselves. Following our research, we are delighted to welcome Troy Hawke as our first ever professional greeter to complement our dedicated Guest Services team and enhance the warm, traditional welcome we like to provide to all visitors to our centre.”
