Mate.

What do you think of the way the word's used?

I used to hate it when people who didn't know me would refer to me as mate, either in person, over the phone or email etc.

Where I'm working now though, the use of the word is endemic in the workplace culture, and it's not used in a being overly familiar way. It actually comes across as being sincere, once people have got to know each other, it's part of the way we work. Everyone from the exec, senior managers down to call centre staff use it and it goes some way to creating a pleasant place to work.

Weirdly I don't use it outside of work, and I still hate sales people, cold callers, even family members using it to talk to me.

 

Depends where you are and how it's said. When I lived in Southampton it was very common and sounded perfectly normal: just a salutation with a roughly similar function to a pronoun. Just down the coast in Worthing it's hit and miss whether it sounds right or wrong. I've been called "mate" and it sounds fine whereas I've used it without thinking and been told in no uncertain terms that they're not my "mate". 

I don't use it much and tend to only use it when I'm particularly familiar with someone. Find it a bit odd when I'm not so familiar and people use mate left right and centre.

Usually don't like it when people use overly familiar terms in general. I deal with sales people daily in my job and get it more than I'd like (nj). Got a particular customer service guy who calls me Pal, Chief, Boss, Mate, Bro. Gets right under my skin.

I guess I probably should just chill out a bit.

I know what you mean, I think it works in peer groups, so give a feeling of solidarity among colleagues, but for 3rd parties, sales people etc, it's used as a way to ingratiate themselves on you.