Comments

I'm in two minds about this. On the one hand, as a way of getting something you want from a difficult situation, it's a great way of going about it. However, it's not so good for the person 7th in line behind you, quite prepared to use the same tactic but unable to get anywhere near the desk for ages because someone else has monopolised her time and attention. (OK - in this situation the problem was resolved and hopefully check-in got moving, but what if it had been a helpdesk or some such?)

I think there's a difference between "courtesies of a small and trivial character" that add up to making the working day a happier event as opposed to how people react to a major problem at 4am. It should really be that the clerk was taking deep breaths, talking to you and stopping you from getting totally wazzed off. Full marks to her for sorting the problem but wouldn't the real story be how great if she'd taken the initiative and sorted it out unbidden by a customer?

Posted by MarkJF at October 20, 2006 11:30 AM

Seems to me the transaction was going to take a while either way. Better to be stuck behind a calm quite encounter then a tense loud one.

Posted by Bruce D at October 20, 2006 11:38 AM

I had a similar experience a month ago in Chicago - (there were several attendents serving clients and only a few people behind me). A little sincere empathy for the poor person behind the counter reaped remarkable results - and I've been telling everyone about how wonderfully American Airlines treated me ever since!

Posted by ann michael at October 20, 2006 1:34 PM

Tom...a truly admirable display odf self-control. I hope to do the same if ever I'm in the same situation...and I'll bet that the mood of that agent after your encounter made for a better experience for the people in line behind you. Being teated with respect is more likely to result in treating others with respect. I t's sometimes perhaps worth bearing in mind that the miserable, unsmiling customer service reps we come across are possibly in recovery from being bawled a out and dehumanised by a previous customer. It doesn't excuse poor, disinterested service but might put it in context.

Posted by tomjam at October 20, 2006 1:54 PM

Great restraint shown Tom, well done - a fine role model for us all and you obviously handled things better than the guy in this famous story I'm sure you have heard of:-)

A Virgin Airlines gate attendant is re booking a cancelled flight at Heathrow after a 767 had been withdrawn from service.

From the back of a long line of disgruntled passengers an angry passenger pushes his way to the front and slaps his ticket on the desk. This conversation then follows.

Passenger: - “I HAVE TO BE THIS FLIGHT AND IT HAS TO BE FIRST CLASS”

Attendant: - “I'm sorry sir, I'll be happy to help you but I've got to help these people first, and then I'm sure we'll be able to work something out.”

Passenger: - “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM??????????”

The flight attendant the picks up her public address micro phone and the whole airport hears:-

“WE HAVE A PASSANGER AT GATE 14 WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. IF ANYONE CAN HELP HIM FIND HIS IDENTITY PLEASE COME TO GATE 14.”

As the people behind him in the line dissolve into hysterical laughter the man glares at the attendant and shouts: - “WELL F*** YOU.”

The attendant replies: - “I'M SORRY SIR BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE FOR THAT, TOO.”

Posted by Trevor Gay at October 20, 2006 3:52 PM

I was updating my address book last night and came upon the contact information for Ann. I had booked her to be a featured speaker on a cruise sponsored by Salon.com several years back (a cruise that we had to eventually cancel and reschedule because of a hurricane). She was a delight to deal with. Gracious, convivial, zero ego. I wish that all smart, successful people also had her extra dimension of sensitivity and respect for everybody.

Posted by Patrick Hurley at October 20, 2006 3:56 PM

Trevor-hilarious story. Thanks for making me laugh. I'll be passing that one on at work tomorrow

Posted by tomjam at October 20, 2006 4:22 PM

Pleasure is all mine Tomjam :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at October 20, 2006 5:39 PM

Weapons on Mass Politeness... I like it!

I have always found that charm is a lot easier when the person assisting you is female.

It is a lot harder with males. This charm is also helps with Goverment departments. They are use to people ripping them apart day in day out, so to have someone offer humour, seems to inspire their co-operation.

Posted by Steve at October 20, 2006 10:15 PM

I read Trevor's story first in Something Like F ire, Peter Cook Remembered, a posthumous tribute to Peter Cook by his friends and edited by his wife Lin Cook. In it Victor Lownes, Playboy employee, describes escorting Cook to the Chicago Playboy Club,where the exchange attributed by Trevor to a Virgin gate attendant, actually took place in the foyer of the club. This was prior to Beyond the Fringe moving to Broadway, which means prior to the word virgin having anything to do with airlines. Cook has been described as a genius by John Cleese (no slouch in the comedy field), Cleese pointing out that while most comedy writers took three hours to write a 3-minute sketch, it took Peter Cook three minutes. overnight shipping viagra to canada

Posted by Ciaran McCabe at October 21, 2006 1:00 PM

Thanks for that Ciaran - I must admit it sounds like a Peter Cook classic! I'm sure others have pinched it and used the Virgin name over the years for whatever reasons. Peter Cook was a comedy genius and his comedy partnership with Dudley Moore was fabulous(Anyone else remember the Pete and Dud sketches?) The 'Derek and Clive' (alias Cook and Moore) tapes are hilarious too. Brit comedy still takes some beating :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at October 21, 2006 5:11 PM

Virgin Islands [created/belong] to the USA well before "virgin" was stolen by Trevor and his band of football hooligans - I for one am outraged! :>]

Posted by sean at October 21, 2006 5:48 PM

Sean - Don't blame me and my football hooligan mates. You need to take this matter up with Sir Richard Branson ...... Now there IS a truly GREAT British Gent :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at October 21, 2006 6:48 PM

Sean-If I'm correct, the Virgin Islands were named in honour of the Virgin Mary, who to my knowledge, wasn't from the USA.

Trevor and Ciaran-my favourite Pete and Dud lines come from the Art Gallery sketch

Dud: ...here have a sandwich. My feet are killing me!

Pete: What's that got to do with the sandwich?!

Dud: Nothing, Pete

Pete: Well you shouldn't say things like that together. It could confuse a stupid person

Posted by tomjam at October 22, 2006 8:00 AM

Brilliant Tomjam and typical Pete and Dud :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at October 22, 2006 12:43 PM

I cannot believe anyone is enthusiastic over this story...I learned almost 40 years ago you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar...really this is lame and not worthy of praise.

Posted by Bill at October 22, 2006 12:57 PM

Bill, my explicit point was that it is an old, old tale (always) worth repeating. It is indeed "old news," but elections and wars and big sales and marital split-ups hinge on such "commonplace" responses. The fact is, me included, that this "obvious idea" is still honored in the breach most of the time. Especially when it's most needed.

"Wisdom" is an arrogant word, so I won't use it. But concerning my work, I find it sooooo hard to resist "doing something new"--for the sake of newness--while the Truly Big Stuff (like the topic of this Post) is neglected because "it's been done before." I will continue to hunt for new Windmills worth tilting at, but also try not to forget yesterday's undone work in the process.

Steve, I'm going mostly to disagree with you on the male-female bit, which means condradicting my usual position. I think the "charm offensive" is very different with males, but totally doable; eg when the helper is waiting eternally for the phone to be answered, to engage in a detailed conversation of yesterday's Bears game ... or whatever. I do think women are more empathetic, for sure--but there are effective ways to deal with guys.

Posted by tom peters at October 23, 2006 3:16 AM

Cut me a little slack--of course I wouldn't have tied up a long line for eons ...

Posted by tom peters at October 23, 2006 2:45 PM

Re the male/female thing: I learned charm from my father, who could walk up to a grumpy, disgruntled clerk and, within a few minutes, have him/her smiling and eager to please. No secrets to it: empathy, respect, and a touch of humor.

Posted by Paula at October 24, 2006 5:56 PM