Should you be on a first-name basis with your server?

“Thank you, Jonathan…”

The use of my first name always catches me off guard when a server or cashier hands back my credit card with the receipt. I invariably go through a mental checklist: Do I know this person? Have i been unintentionally snubbing him or her? If I know my server, when and where did we meet? If I still can’t place the person, I assume we’re strangers and have only been acquaintances since I’ve been inside the restaurant.

It could be in the inflection of the server’s voice or my mood, but at times I find it infuriating — like someone is taking a liberty. But whether this is disrespectful or just a sign of friendliness is what is open to interpretation.