Isn't it amazing how important good service, old fashioned courtesy and a cheerful disposition mean? That's one of the things I love about SouthWest. They always have a good attitude, a smile and a (so lame its funny) joke.

I've told you about how I feel about socially retarded behavior, this is an example of why. I know its old fashioned. It makes me feel like an old stick in the mud, a fuddy-duddy, to bring it up. But to me it makes such a huge difference. At this stage in my life I so appreciate my mother teaching me the rights and wrongs of polite, courteous behavior.

Generally, I avoid establishments where I get rude/bad service nowadays. I often actually walk out if I'm confronted with boorish behavior from an employee of a company that wants my money for a product or service. If there is a manager or supervisor nearby I'll tell him/her why on the way out too. I know, I'm an a**h*le, I should keep me mouth shut. I've actually convinced myself over time though that I'm doing them a favor. /shrug

Of course, you don't always have that option, like when you have airline tickets. :p

I'm witcha Calliope! I've lost count of the times that I've walked out of restaurants, retail establishments, etc, on account of poor service or attitude.

And it's a pointless gesture (aside from blood pressure control) if you don't let them know why.

In some cases, I was a slow learner, too. I went to two different Circuit City's a total of three times, each time walking in with the intent to buy a computer, cash on the barrelhead. And each time I couldn't get any assistance.

So, each time, once I realized I was suffering from deja' vu all over again, I set the timer on my watch going, and when someone finally did acknowledge my presence (and I was active, not just passively standing around), I said "Thank you for noticing me. Can we see a manager, please?" And each time I told the manager, "I've been here X minutes with no service, attempt at service, or actual avoidance. [Yes, I was dressed nicely and had bathed recently] Since I was planning on buying that computer or one like it - but refuse to reward crappy service and management that tolerates it, I'll be spending my money elsewhere."

That usually resulted in some form of 'offer'. But I'm a stubborn cuss, I won't reward that behavior (no 'u' dear, we're americans, remember?) that way.

Of course, I'm the kind of guy who picks up the cigarette butt you just dumped out of your car, makes sure it's out, and returns it to you.

Someday I'm gonna shot, but what the heck. Civilization stands or falls on the accumulated little things.

Spirit is a wannabe Southwest, we really like flying Spirit.

Continental is my evil airline. Damn employees taunted us at thanksgiving.

Had to circle the airport for 1 1/2 hours due to fog (now I know the weather is not their fault, but geez have some compasion), I hate flying, I mean really really hate flying so circling for 1 1/2 hours on top of 1 1/2 hours of flying with another 1 1/2 hours of flying to go yet I was a wee bit upset (understatement). We missed our connection by 5 minutes so had to reschedule and the person that was rescheduling was plain rude. After reschduling she said "I would give you meal tickets but we don't have any more left, I just gave the last one to the people in front of you".

Now why the hell even tell us that?

I told her I would never ever in my life fly continental again and would tell everyone I ever run into my story and tell them not to fly continental. Her response "well that's your choice"

Witch!

Ohhh, I'm with y'all with regard to good service and good manners and John, it's nice to hear I'm not the only one ignored. I was starting to take it personally. I hate shopping, hate it. I walked into a small empty boutique yesterday, walked around for 30 minutes and one person acknowledged me. She showed me the sale rack, which is NOT where I was looking. I was dressed nicely and had bathed recently too. Jerks.

I don't fly much, but Delta had become my loathesome airline. I prefer American. I've never had the opportunity to fly SouthWest.

As a former platinum level on Delta, I can attest that they have some of the worst gate agents in the business. Gate nazis was a common description -- even from other Delta employees. Some of the flight attendents were bad, but on the whole I had some very good ones. Mixed review, but on the whole Delta people do NOT understand customer service. It made me appreciate the ones that did even more, but ...

Dang, I miss the Delta I remember from my childhood and adolescence! Flying in a DC-6B to my Grandma's funeral in 196x was helped by the shared adventure-spirit (for lack of a better phrase) of all air travellers in those days. You were doing a dangerous, unnatural act, and you knew it, and dressed appropriately. (i.e., *UP*)

I remember sitting in the smoker of the Delta DC-6 (it was all one class in that plane at that time.) We were right behind the flight deck, just forrard of the heads. The door to the flight deck was generally left open at all times, and as a kid, I was invited to go there and look at the dials and blinkenlights. One of the pilots would occasionaly step back 7 feet or so to take a break and chat with us, and read a bit in a magazine. No big deal, a yell from the Captain would have had him back in his seat in 4 or 5 seconds, the door being open and all.

I wonder if that easygoing, freindly attitude on the part of the airline pilots may have had something to do with the fact that they were still *required* to carry what Charles Lindbergh and Ernest K. Gann called "The Mail Gun"?

Yep, up until, I think, 1967, Airline pilots in the USA whose airplanes had US Mail in them were REQUIRED to be armed!