At my first Job interview in Sydney in 1980 I addressed the gentleman interviewing me, who happened to be the State Manager of the Company as "SIR"
Guess what he told me.. No No No. We don't call anyone Sir here in Australia. It is very very British and also very Indian. My name is Peter Gracie. So you can say Mr. Gacie or just call me Peter after we get to know each other...
It was after I joined that I figured out that Peter himself was an Englishman settled in Australia.
Ten years later when I established my own Company Environmental Noise Control Pty Ltd I made it a rule that none of the employees called me Sir. There were a handful of Indian employees amongst the 35 odd who would insist on calling me Sir as It was disrespectful to call me Ram. So I told all staff "Don't call me Sir" . If you don't want to call me Ram that is fine just follow our Italian Buddies and call me "Rambo" as my Italian Business Partner was called "Rocky"
Rambo and Rocky took ENCO to No.1 business in the Noise Control Industry in a matter of years winning many major contracts. The Jewel in the Crown was being the Preferred supplier for a 3 Billion dollar Tomago Aluminium Smelter in new Castle and for the nine Naval Anzac Frigates, for which we were commissioned to build the acoustic enclosures for the main Propulsion engines...
Now, What is really WRONG with calling some one "SIR ?" or "SIRJI ?"
