Re: [MBZ] Cause of Frisco crash: Poor piloting plus no glide path?, or Departure Gate Asshats
Time: Good Friday morning Location: NWA gate counter, Boston's Logan Airport Weather: Clear, unlimited ceiling Destination: MKE via DTW Weather in DTW: Fog and low clouds This is scenario - inbound equipment has been stuck on the ground at DTW trying to take off to reach BOS. Delays are reaching into the hours. I, along with two other employees, are booked on the flight and myself and one of the others have been able to upgrade to first class. People are getting ugly. They want to get home for the Easter weekend. Tempers are flaring - we have all seen this if you travel regularly. Business type guy (and we are all dressed in business attire as well, suits and ties) walks up to the counter to ask the gate agent what the latest is. When she tells him he has a blowout, leaving her nearly in tears. He storms away. Now's my chance. I walk up to her and apologize for the asshat who just reamed her out. I told her that most of us business travelers are pretty laid back people, and that idiots like this guy make the rest of us look bad, and we all really appreciate what she does and understand the situation is not her fault. She thanks me graciously and I go back and sit down. Len, one of my fellow workers who is a former New Yorker, ask, Dan why did you do that? She gets crap like that all day from idiots like him! This is the East Coast!! Yeah, well, Lenny, you just watch and see how things play out... So maybe an hour later the equipment gets in and they get it turned around. Mike, the other employee with us who didn't have a platinum FF card, is the one relegated to coach. Right before they call boarding, I go up to the gate agent I spoke to previously. Hey, I know the flight is probably really full, but do you think there is any way you could get my co-worker upgraded so he could sit with us? He doesn't travel much, and it would be a big thrill for him to get to travel in first class. Let me see what I can do. I have to finish the manifest and then I'll look. Thank you. You really do a great job, you know. So they call for boarding for first class. Lenny and I go up and wait. The gate agent comes out and asks me the last name of my co-worker. I point it out in the manifest and she call him up. Score! Here's the best part: We get on the plane and get settled with our drinks. The first group of coach passengers come on, and here is Mr. Asshat, walking towards the back of the plane, complaining loudly the whole way to the back of the cabin. Serves you right, I'm thinking to myself... Just before they close the doors, the gate agent comes in and leans over to whisper something to me... I gave your friend the mean guy's seat in first class. I told him he got bumped! I show my boys this behavior every time I can. If you empathize and show true appreciation to people for what they do, they will almost alway go out of their way to help or reward you. When my boys were little and I was a stay at home Dad, they used to tell their Mom how I knew everyone when we went shopping. What they meant was that I always made a point of using someone's name when I spoke to them and did my best to engage them when we spoke. When people think you have sincere interest and appreciation, it often (not always) pays off. We refer to it as using your influencing skills. Sent from my iPad On Jul 9, 2013, at 6:15 PM, Peter Frederick psf...@earthlink.net wrote: Treating people well always pays off. One a trip a couple years ago with my mother, who requires a wheelchair in airports, we went through Atlanta twice in a few days, and believe it or not the gate agent remembered us and the fact we were going to a wedding, asked how it went, etc. I suspect this is because I NEVER demand anything from gate agents, always ask, show up on time, travel with my mother instead of foisting her off on the airport staff, and always say thank you and please. She also moved us to bulkhead seats without being asked, and while I'm sure Delta does that for people with limited mobility as a matter of course, it was nice of her to do so. So far my worst experience has been grudging service (not when traveling with Mom) and even then I said thank you very much when I had to get a ticket changed due to a late flight. Mind you, I've never been late for boarding on an originating flight, don't whine and complain, and in general treat people like I would prefer to be treated. Peter ___ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com ___ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery
Re: [MBZ] Cause of Frisco crash: Poor piloting plus no glide path?, or Departure Gate Asshats
ATTABOY! Wilton - Original Message - From: Dan Penoff d...@penoff.com To: Mercedes Discussion List mercedes@okiebenz.com Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2013 8:13 PM Subject: Re: [MBZ] Cause of Frisco crash: Poor piloting plus no glide path?, or Departure Gate Asshats Time: Good Friday morning Location: NWA gate counter, Boston's Logan Airport Weather: Clear, unlimited ceiling Destination: MKE via DTW Weather in DTW: Fog and low clouds This is scenario - inbound equipment has been stuck on the ground at DTW trying to take off to reach BOS. Delays are reaching into the hours. I, along with two other employees, are booked on the flight and myself and one of the others have been able to upgrade to first class. People are getting ugly. They want to get home for the Easter weekend. Tempers are flaring - we have all seen this if you travel regularly. Business type guy (and we are all dressed in business attire as well, suits and ties) walks up to the counter to ask the gate agent what the latest is. When she tells him he has a blowout, leaving her nearly in tears. He storms away. Now's my chance. I walk up to her and apologize for the asshat who just reamed her out. I told her that most of us business travelers are pretty laid back people, and that idiots like this guy make the rest of us look bad, and we all really appreciate what she does and understand the situation is not her fault. She thanks me graciously and I go back and sit down. Len, one of my fellow workers who is a former New Yorker, ask, Dan why did you do that? She gets crap like that all day from idiots like him! This is the East Coast!! Yeah, well, Lenny, you just watch and see how things play out... So maybe an hour later the equipment gets in and they get it turned around. Mike, the other employee with us who didn't have a platinum FF card, is the one relegated to coach. Right before they call boarding, I go up to the gate agent I spoke to previously. Hey, I know the flight is probably really full, but do you think there is any way you could get my co-worker upgraded so he could sit with us? He doesn't travel much, and it would be a big thrill for him to get to travel in first class. Let me see what I can do. I have to finish the manifest and then I'll look. Thank you. You really do a great job, you know. So they call for boarding for first class. Lenny and I go up and wait. The gate agent comes out and asks me the last name of my co-worker. I point it out in the manifest and she call him up. Score! Here's the best part: We get on the plane and get settled with our drinks. The first group of coach passengers come on, and here is Mr. Asshat, walking towards the back of the plane, complaining loudly the whole way to the back of the cabin. Serves you right, I'm thinking to myself... Just before they close the doors, the gate agent comes in and leans over to whisper something to me... I gave your friend the mean guy's seat in first class. I told him he got bumped! I show my boys this behavior every time I can. If you empathize and show true appreciation to people for what they do, they will almost alway go out of their way to help or reward you. When my boys were little and I was a stay at home Dad, they used to tell their Mom how I knew everyone when we went shopping. What they meant was that I always made a point of using someone's name when I spoke to them and did my best to engage them when we spoke. When people think you have sincere interest and appreciation, it often (not always) pays off. We refer to it as using your influencing skills. Sent from my iPad On Jul 9, 2013, at 6:15 PM, Peter Frederick psf...@earthlink.net wrote: Treating people well always pays off. One a trip a couple years ago with my mother, who requires a wheelchair in airports, we went through Atlanta twice in a few days, and believe it or not the gate agent remembered us and the fact we were going to a wedding, asked how it went, etc. I suspect this is because I NEVER demand anything from gate agents, always ask, show up on time, travel with my mother instead of foisting her off on the airport staff, and always say thank you and please. She also moved us to bulkhead seats without being asked, and while I'm sure Delta does that for people with limited mobility as a matter of course, it was nice of her to do so. So far my worst experience has been grudging service (not when traveling with Mom) and even then I said thank you very much when I had to get a ticket changed due to a late flight. Mind you, I've never been late for boarding on an originating flight, don't whine and complain, and in general treat people like I would prefer to be treated. Peter ___ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go
