Hello! Hello!

Hello.

For some it's a friendly gesture. A way of breaking the ice. To start off a conversation. A way to answer the telephone.

But the wrong tone could turn out to do more harm than good.

I had experienced many times which i consider 'Hello' to be rude. I dunno. It's just how i feel. And perhaps many others do. In particular, security personnel. I dun tink it should be used at all because not everybody knows the appropriate or correct way of saying it.

Perhaps some security personnel do want to show of their authority and by saying the word 'Hello' makes people tink they are being friendly so that they would not be complained.

I dun agree.

Intonation is very important. Using it or applying it wrongly could result in undesirable effects.

In fact i have personally experienced a tourist reprimanding a security personnel who said 'Hello' to him as being rude. I do agree with the tourist. The way the security personnel is saying it is downright bossy, rude and threatening!

As a result of that complain, his supervisor called everybody in his team not to use the word 'Hello'. A very good call from his supervisor i must say.

I would suggest using Excuse me Sir/Miss. Notice that i only mentioned Sir and Miss and not Mister, Missus or Madam because those latter words too could inflict some kind of rebuttal.

SO, for those who have been using 'Hello' to inform, warn or instruct, it's time to increase on your vocabulary with a few more words.