Barking numbers?
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Europe
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Barking numbers?
Boarding a wide-body jet takes time, and it's often stressful for the passengers. So when standing at the door, I make a big effort to be pleasant and welcoming to people. I try and get my happiest FA to stand there with me. We ask each passenger for their boarding card. All in an effort to tell people which aisle to take, check that they're on the correct flight, help the elderly and the disabled with their hand luggage, and accompany the terminally confused to their seats.
Having a word and a smile for 400+ pax is tiring but worth the effort in my mind. People visibly relax and it makes for a nicer atmosphere on board for everybody.
Last week I noticed a new trend though.
And immediately thought of this forum and how you guys might help to stem that ill tide.
Businessmen boarding, looking stressed or bored, answering my 'welcome aboard Sir' with a barked "43B" or whatever their seat number is.
This rather put me off my stride the first couple of times, but as it kept on, I started barking random numbers back at them.
Seemed to snap them out of their trance and produce a smile.
So a wee request to you frequent travelers: if you meet a rude/bored/obnoxious FA, by all means bark. But if somebody is at the door welcoming you and asking for your boarding card, please don't bark at the poor sod!
Having a word and a smile for 400+ pax is tiring but worth the effort in my mind. People visibly relax and it makes for a nicer atmosphere on board for everybody.
Last week I noticed a new trend though.
And immediately thought of this forum and how you guys might help to stem that ill tide.
Businessmen boarding, looking stressed or bored, answering my 'welcome aboard Sir' with a barked "43B" or whatever their seat number is.
This rather put me off my stride the first couple of times, but as it kept on, I started barking random numbers back at them.
Seemed to snap them out of their trance and produce a smile.
So a wee request to you frequent travelers: if you meet a rude/bored/obnoxious FA, by all means bark. But if somebody is at the door welcoming you and asking for your boarding card, please don't bark at the poor sod!
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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Hopefully, Judd, you are preaching to the converted in here.
Unfortunately, (and there is no need to tell you this, you'll get:
* homesick businessman who's resenting having been sent and just wants to get home
* person who's just come through new! friendly! security
* someone's who's had an horrific connecting flight and has done the 1,000 metre sprint in Olympic qualifying time to get to the gate
* business traveller whose company is too cheap to pay for J travel
Been there, got the T-shirt. Thanks to sound thrashings as a child, I'd like to think I'm too well brought up to resort to being rude, especially to a stranger with whom I'll be in contact for the next thirteen hours.
From what I can gather from your anecdote, I can only presume they want to retreat into their shells, more in need of a hug - which might be overdoing it
. Perhaps if you posed it wanting to know their names during the flight? A tall order with 400 passengers, but an interesting memory exercise for a selected few.
Anyone can understand your frustration with people barking - and it's dam' rude. If we apply Occam's Razor, it's because they are rude people - and should be treated accordingly, notwithstanding the categories outlined above who would certainly not behave that way normally.
What I would really like the airlines to do is to follow truth in advertising and have announcements such as: "Welcome aboard! We're all trapped in this tin can for thirteen hours - you won't like it, but we didn't force you to do it, so shut up, we'll try to make it as painless as possible. Let's get it done, and then you can go."
BOFH
No longer in marketing
Unfortunately, (and there is no need to tell you this, you'll get:
* homesick businessman who's resenting having been sent and just wants to get home
* person who's just come through new! friendly! security
* someone's who's had an horrific connecting flight and has done the 1,000 metre sprint in Olympic qualifying time to get to the gate
* business traveller whose company is too cheap to pay for J travel
Been there, got the T-shirt. Thanks to sound thrashings as a child, I'd like to think I'm too well brought up to resort to being rude, especially to a stranger with whom I'll be in contact for the next thirteen hours.
From what I can gather from your anecdote, I can only presume they want to retreat into their shells, more in need of a hug - which might be overdoing it
. Perhaps if you posed it wanting to know their names during the flight? A tall order with 400 passengers, but an interesting memory exercise for a selected few.Anyone can understand your frustration with people barking - and it's dam' rude. If we apply Occam's Razor, it's because they are rude people - and should be treated accordingly, notwithstanding the categories outlined above who would certainly not behave that way normally.
What I would really like the airlines to do is to follow truth in advertising and have announcements such as: "Welcome aboard! We're all trapped in this tin can for thirteen hours - you won't like it, but we didn't force you to do it, so shut up, we'll try to make it as painless as possible. Let's get it done, and then you can go."
BOFH
No longer in marketing
My usual response to 'Welcome aboard, how are you?' is (smiling meanwhile)
'All the better for seeing you!'
Be nice to CC and they'll usually be nice to you.........
There's one America West ground agent at San Diego who always has a problem checking me in with my international multi airline through tickets. But by being nice to her, it ends up with her asking the CC to look after me especially because I didn't complain! And they normally do, too.
'All the better for seeing you!'
Be nice to CC and they'll usually be nice to you.........
There's one America West ground agent at San Diego who always has a problem checking me in with my international multi airline through tickets. But by being nice to her, it ends up with her asking the CC to look after me especially because I didn't complain! And they normally do, too.
