I've noticed that a lot of clerks and servers (young or old) around here work in "hon" or "sweetie" somewhere in conversations to both me or my wife: "Thanks, sweetie. You have a nice day!" or, "The doctor will be in shortly, hon." I don't mind it and have, as an inside joke to myself, starting calling them "dear" in return.
Otherwise, I prefer my first name to be used instead of "sir" and kind of don't like being addressed as "Mr. Something" at all. Maybe because the only people who "Mr." me are telemarketers.
But then, I was raised in the very casual-verging-on-hippy Chico, CA, where everyone called people by their first names (or just "hey, man") and there was nary a ma'am or sir to be heard. It comes off as insincere or pompous to me, although I know it's not meant that way.
Someone called my older sister ma'am once when she was in her early twenties and she nearly decked the guy. I still remember that!
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