Christopher Elliott just wrote a post about how we seem to be celebrating bad behavior by travelers, using the examples of Stephen Slater and Charlie Sheen.
Now, with Sheen, I think it’s just the standard enjoyment people get from watching a train wreck, in the same way as we pay more attention to Lindsay Lohan’s escapades than maybe those of our own congressperson.
But Slater is a different matter. And I think his and other stories just play into vicarious revenge fantasies.
As a travel agent and a frequent traveler, I know absolutely that it’s better to be polite and friendly with airport workers, reservationists and hotel staff; no matter what happens.
But when you’re tired from a long day already, and someone tells you something that is just flat out wrong (for example, telling me my travel agent did something, when I AM the travel agent), or the airline changes the gate three times, or insists you don’t have a reservation when you have a confirmation number; it’s easy to internally indulge your inner child.
Ditto, when you work on the customer service side of the travel business and you get some entitled passenger or guest who wants either a miracle or something for nothing, and they treat you like pond scum.
These stories about behavior reminds me of when I was a child, and had a nasty dentist who didn’t believe in Novocaine for children. One day he was in a bad mood because a previous patient bit him. Even at the age of 10 I knew that was very wrong, but I was glad someone did it.
This acceptance of unacceptable behavior doesn’t include the people who are completely unreasonable and harangue customer service agents for issues beyond their control. Perhaps an airport is shut for weather, all the exit rows are taken, or that they are 97th on the upgrade list even though they fly “all the time.”
However, it is reasonable for travelers to be frustrated when a plane change has resulted in their seats being given away, or bad information results in a missed connection or when the promised nonsmoking room with two beds turns into a smoking king.
Most of the time, whichever side you are on, suck it up. Act like a grownup and vent later with or without alcohol being involved.
Almost everyone has a travel memory (or memories) where they know they were in the right, and it didn’t matter. Or, where they were treated like something you wipe off your shoe.
It seems likely that’s basically what is going on. From travelers facing cutbacks in service to industry employees dealing with cutbacks, we’re mad as hell and don’t want to take it anymore. So we want to see someone else stand up and scream it.
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
This is an easy one Janice. Anyone who has every worked with “John Q Public” for any length of time can relate to the utter frustration.
I’m actually surprised that we don’t have more customer service personal jumping over the desk to choke the life out of some one. Sure it’s reasonable for a passenger to be frustrated from a delay due to a disabled aircraft but does the passenger really think that calling me a “black $%#ch” is going to get her on a flight quicker?
I also believe that the general public feel that since they purchased a ticket it gives them “carte blanche” to treat those they encounter as their personal slave.
Civility is needed both ways and I’ve seen waaaaay more passengers behaving badly than travel industy personnel.
OMG, Janice! I also had a dentist from hell as a child! Ditto on the “no Novocaine” thing. I was terrified of dentists for years and avoided them assiduously until I was finally referred to a great dentist who was both honest and caring. When I originally told him the name of my childhood dentist, he just nodded. But during my last appointment before he retired, he told me that he had kept silent out of professional courtesy, but now that he was retiring, “Dr. K. was a monster who shouldn’t have been allowed to work on death-row inmates.”
I’m sure everyone who works in close contact with lots of public has had a good sized share of abuse whether customer service rep is a travel agent, an airline agent, an insurance agent/broker or .. well you get the picture. One insurance brokerage I know has to make sure that there is nothing movable on the counter else it would be thrown at the staff. A set of licence plates were held at an agent who ducked and the plates stuck in the wall! It’s modern society but if I knew the cure I would patent it and make lots of money. As it is I’m just prepared to duck; and if necessary call the police.