Pressure? Of course airports are under pressure. It has always been so. I remember working in T3 at Heathrow years ago (Pam Am were still flying). During any sort of disruption - weather being the obvious one - the terminal would be heaving with delayed passengers. Customer Service agents had to stand on the baggage belts just to get away from the check-in desks.
My point is that customer service was pretty poor then and that was without low cost carriers (well, apart from Arthur Frommer and Laker that is). The only thing that has really changed is customer expectations, and airlines are victims of their own success in this respect.
Whilst I tolerate this myself as I benefit from cheaper fares, why do these low-cost carriers treat me in such a patronising way? I don't need to be told to hold the handrail when leaving the aircraft nor to be careful descending the steps. If they really cared, they wouldn't then cram me and everyone on the flight into one bus (cost savings again) and fling me intimately around with my fellow passengers like a tumble drier on the journey to the terminal!!
Bealine - if this kind of stress isn't why you joined, then why wait until Easter to leave? Your situation is exactly the challenge of front-line customer service - to turn situations around for the benefit of everyone. I never did understand the kind of logic you talk about. Why are you there at all if it is not to clear the way for your customers? The airlines do not owe you a living! You are selling your skills to them and whilst they still need your skills (and you perform well), you will have a job and a responsibility to the airline and your customers. How staff feel about it (I'm not talking about physical abuse here) is largely irrelevant!
Last edited by Dylsexlic; 4th Mar 2005 at 13:48.