I usually just straight ask their names, followed by a - "I'm bad at remembering both names and faces", which is true. Gotten quite a bit of laughter off that.

I dont think thats a bad idea at all. and I know how you feel, i always feel bad if I don't know someones name. and he could have spelled it Robb :)

A good way to find out someones name that horribly backfired. you could have been like " i know someone who spells it with two 'B's and i wasnt exactly sure if you did." there, problem solved.

you could have said you didnt know if it was robert or robin?

O have that same problem! I can never remember peoples names! And i don't like being rude, so what i do is i just wait for someone else to say their name. And you never know, it could be spelled R-A-B :D

i would have said, "well ya i know its rob but how do you spell it in full??? robert or robin?"

OP you should have just tried to play it smooth and said something like "Ah, so you just spell it with one B then?".

i've done that before haha, just be like oh okay because i know a few people who spell it with an extra B, or whatever..hah LOLLLLLLLLERSKATEZZZZZ

I have done the same thing plenty of times, and I just say, "no, I meant how do you spell your last name?"

I agree with 48