Unpleasant Pax comments!
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Dublin
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Rej you make a very valid point. However I fly all over the world I must admit, the further west you go the worst it gets....Im talking about americans here! They tend to be the worst (in my experience), Brits are generally easier to deal with. Travel East towards Pakistan, India, Asia and the passengers are wonderful and polite in return. Even further east, if a passenger is not happy they will still remain polite, they wont fly with the airline again but they wont be rude to the crew!!!
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: England
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I can understand why some pax arrive on the plane slightly miffed though...
We had to make a transatlantic flight with 4 week old twins once. At check-in on the outbound leg we were told we could use air miles to upgrade our return flight to business class. When we came to make the return this was denied so we paid quite a large sum to upgrade to business class (I recall it was more than our car was worth at the time). What really annoyed us was that on bording the plane we found business class was almost empty.
Oh and don't get me started on cots.
We had to make a transatlantic flight with 4 week old twins once. At check-in on the outbound leg we were told we could use air miles to upgrade our return flight to business class. When we came to make the return this was denied so we paid quite a large sum to upgrade to business class (I recall it was more than our car was worth at the time). What really annoyed us was that on bording the plane we found business class was almost empty.
Oh and don't get me started on cots.
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Sydney
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I remember I was on board a flight to BEY, it was one of my last ones as I was leaving to go 'the worlds favourite'. Anyway, the aircraft was late departing and of course, apologised profusely and assured the pax that we would do our very best to make up time/make the flight as enjoyable as possible. With that, he told me that he hoped the airline would go bust. I didn't dignify that comment with a response, it was downright rude and uncalled for!
I recently worked for a call centre for an airline and one can imagine the abuse an employee would receive from irate pax
I recently worked for a call centre for an airline and one can imagine the abuse an employee would receive from irate pax
Join Date: Jul 2005
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UK Paddy, that sounds like a beautiful dream you were having. Alas, i operate into those regions and have never experienced the "wonderful and polite" passengers to which you refer.
As for call centre employee abuse, that's probably true but I've no dout it is more than offset by the sheer grief and rage those staff and the very system inspire in customers who are left to navigate the options and endless, enforced holds and other forms of deprivation of satisfaction.
Ho hum, nothing will change......
As for call centre employee abuse, that's probably true but I've no dout it is more than offset by the sheer grief and rage those staff and the very system inspire in customers who are left to navigate the options and endless, enforced holds and other forms of deprivation of satisfaction.
Ho hum, nothing will change......
Join Date: Sep 2003
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cwatters,
I don't mean any offence by this, but just my opinion. As much as i don't have anything against children, i don't think children under a certain age should be allowed to travel in the business class cabin. Most passengers pay A LOT of money to travel business class and shouldn't have to listen to children screaming and crying and running up and down the aisles etc (with some parents seeing no problem with letting their children do this). I'm aware that the parents of these children probably pay A LOT of money aswell, but i think until children are old enough to be able to know what's right and wrong then they shouldn't be in the j/class cabin.
Oz
I don't mean any offence by this, but just my opinion. As much as i don't have anything against children, i don't think children under a certain age should be allowed to travel in the business class cabin. Most passengers pay A LOT of money to travel business class and shouldn't have to listen to children screaming and crying and running up and down the aisles etc (with some parents seeing no problem with letting their children do this). I'm aware that the parents of these children probably pay A LOT of money aswell, but i think until children are old enough to be able to know what's right and wrong then they shouldn't be in the j/class cabin.
Oz
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Deburcs, It was when I was flying for Qatar so I assure you it was no dream, simply a long nightmare.....let me clarify, they were rude to any crewmember who came from the east, nice as pie to me!!!! And in the airline I fly with now, well they are not half as bad as westerners!!!!!
Join Date: Nov 2003
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call centre abuse
After years of flying, it certainly did help working in a call centre, why? Well because irate pax warm to you when you actually know what you're doing about when it comes to issues relating to 'in the air'. Some of them think you're stupid and have never been on a plane before, then you tell them of your experience relating to their problem and they are then your friends. As for navigating around telephone options and 'holding online' - you deal with it on a case by case basis and use humour (where arppropriate) and add some personality. I can assure you, it works.
Of course, there are just some people you can't please no matter how hard you try but similiar principles apply when you fly as crew aswell.
Of course, there are just some people you can't please no matter how hard you try but similiar principles apply when you fly as crew aswell.
Join Date: Nov 2005
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on a flight from Milan to Cancun, shortly before landing, a pax asked one of the flight attendants for more orange juice.
When my colleague replied that it was not possible anymore due to our final approach, he told her: you awfull bit**
Her reply was: bit**? yes..may be... Awfull? I don't think so.
This actually happened a year ago!
When my colleague replied that it was not possible anymore due to our final approach, he told her: you awfull bit**
Her reply was: bit**? yes..may be... Awfull? I don't think so.
This actually happened a year ago!
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Yes, Manfred - l quite agree that our approach may sometimes be a factor to the attitude of a customer .... but I think here we are discussing the numerous times when we have to bear the brunt of outrage when all we have done is be civil, and have probably been asked by the customer to perform a task that is quite impossible at that exact time.!!!!
Sadly, a minority of customers think that their airline ticket has actually bought them the whole airline.
I have witnessed customers going ballistic because a colleague could not "magic up" a freshly brewed cup of tea from the rubbish cart they were manouevering down the aisle, have an armful of trays and are physically unable to take the empty glass being thrust at them in the aisle, or are expected to get a 15kg wheelie bag that has been "smuggled" on board and the overhead lockers are already full of them !!!!!!
I am not condoning that smart or sarchastic retorts should be administered in every case - but l would hazard a guess that most of us, whatever job we do, have said the wrong thing at the wrong time.
As an aside, my favourite quote (which sadly, I never witnessed) was made to a gentleman who, when told that his handbaggage was far too big for the locker and should be checked-in to the hold, suggested that the female flight attendant "shove it up her a**e". Calmly, and politely, she knelt down beside the pax, and replied "I'd love to sir, but I already have one up there from the inbound flight"
Sadly, a minority of customers think that their airline ticket has actually bought them the whole airline.
I have witnessed customers going ballistic because a colleague could not "magic up" a freshly brewed cup of tea from the rubbish cart they were manouevering down the aisle, have an armful of trays and are physically unable to take the empty glass being thrust at them in the aisle, or are expected to get a 15kg wheelie bag that has been "smuggled" on board and the overhead lockers are already full of them !!!!!!
I am not condoning that smart or sarchastic retorts should be administered in every case - but l would hazard a guess that most of us, whatever job we do, have said the wrong thing at the wrong time.
As an aside, my favourite quote (which sadly, I never witnessed) was made to a gentleman who, when told that his handbaggage was far too big for the locker and should be checked-in to the hold, suggested that the female flight attendant "shove it up her a**e". Calmly, and politely, she knelt down beside the pax, and replied "I'd love to sir, but I already have one up there from the inbound flight"
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I have been reading all the posts with interest ..... having been both pax and CC I can appreciate both sides of the proverbial coin.
There are unfotunately bad apples in both groups. Some pax who are rude and obnoxious and equally some CC who are ignorant and impatient.
I do agree with some of the quotes dealing with verbal abuse though and stand by the notion that regardless of the pax's reasons there can be NO justification for personal abuse of any kind. That said sometimes (and I am speaking from experience of observing these things first hand) some CC have been asking for it by goading pax and not taking the time to simply listen and find out the problems/compalaints before assuming the worst and just categorizing the pax as difficult/obnoxious/rude etc etc.
Sometimes all it takes is for someone to stop and listen .... most pax just want to get things off their chest and then calm down and come to an amicable resolution.
My feeling (and its only a personal opinion) is no matter what anyone says I simply kill them with kindness. The more they rant and rave the more I compliment them and inform them I will do my best to resolve their complaints. IMHO this approach has never failed because as I said before once people have ranted and raved and seen that I am not going to "rise to their taunts" they soon calm down and appreciate my efforts. Of course should the confrontation become physical then boundaries have been overstepped and I have no hesitation in ensuring that the fullest force of the law is brought to bear.
As someone much wiser than me once said : "There would be no war if man refused to fight!"
There are unfotunately bad apples in both groups. Some pax who are rude and obnoxious and equally some CC who are ignorant and impatient.
I do agree with some of the quotes dealing with verbal abuse though and stand by the notion that regardless of the pax's reasons there can be NO justification for personal abuse of any kind. That said sometimes (and I am speaking from experience of observing these things first hand) some CC have been asking for it by goading pax and not taking the time to simply listen and find out the problems/compalaints before assuming the worst and just categorizing the pax as difficult/obnoxious/rude etc etc.
Sometimes all it takes is for someone to stop and listen .... most pax just want to get things off their chest and then calm down and come to an amicable resolution.
My feeling (and its only a personal opinion) is no matter what anyone says I simply kill them with kindness. The more they rant and rave the more I compliment them and inform them I will do my best to resolve their complaints. IMHO this approach has never failed because as I said before once people have ranted and raved and seen that I am not going to "rise to their taunts" they soon calm down and appreciate my efforts. Of course should the confrontation become physical then boundaries have been overstepped and I have no hesitation in ensuring that the fullest force of the law is brought to bear.
As someone much wiser than me once said : "There would be no war if man refused to fight!"
