For all Employees Who Work with Rude Customers
An award should go to the Westjet gate attendant in Kelowna some 12 months
ago for being smart and funny, while making her point, when confronted with
a passenger who probably deserved to fly as cargo.
A crowded flight was cancelled after Westjet's 767s had been withdrawn
from service. A single attendant was re-booking a long line of inconvenienced
travellers.
Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the desk. He slapped his
ticket down on the counter and said, 'I HAVE to be on this flight and it HAS
to be FIRST CLASS'.
The attendant replied, 'I'm sorry, sir. I'll be happy to try to help you,
but I've got to help these people first, and I'm sure we'll be able to work
something out.' The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the
passengers behind him could hear, 'DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?'
Without hesitating, the attendant smiled and grabbed her public address
microphone: 'May I have your attention please; may I have your attention
please', she began - her voice heard clearly throughout the terminal. 'We
have a passenger here at Gate 14 WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can
help him find his identity, please come to Gate 14.'
With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man glared at
the attendant, gritted his teeth and said, 'F... You!'
Without flinching, she smiled and said, 'I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to get in line for that too.'
