As I mentioned earlier, it comes from the top down. I recently read an article where Larry Kellner, Continental's CEO, gives a monthly bonus to employees when delays and baggage problems are low (something to that effect). So, despite my complaint, kudos for that at least. And, kudos to you for doing a good job. I know you're frustrated, but don't let the turkeys get you down. At least at the end of the day, you know you have done your best. My guess is someone knows your capabilities and you will get rewarded for them...I hope.

It is a good thing if Larry Kellner is indeed basing rewards on quality outcomes. It is increasingly common to only measure short term financial performance. This results in perverse incentives, such as ChrisH describes. For example, cutting staff hours generates a bonus for the manager, even if complaints go through the roof. This is what happened to the banks. They paid bonuses for short term gains, but no attention was paid to the bizarre and highly risky nature of the the derivitives they were trading. Sooner or later this will get even more serious and this will result in a safety issue. Suddenly, we will wake up and smell the coffee, just as we have done with finance. Sadly, we are likely to have a bunch of dead people into the bargain.

Larry K is continuing the program which was initiated by Gordon Bethune. Continental also rewards employees with perfect attendance an annual bonus as well.

I still do care. My conscience is the kind, where I can't, not care, even if I want to not care anymore. It frustrates me, when I work hard, to do my job, and, it seems others do not. I have personally had quite a few customers complain to me, about elite bags not being first on the baggage belt. The only thing I can do is hand them a comment hard, or refer them to the 1-800 number, and have them log a complaint. Management is aware of this, but they haven't once held a meeting, or said anything about how bags are to be handled.

I have been really frustrated, latelly, because I have been cursed out, and chewed out, several times, just over the last couple of weeks, by customers, over OTHER PEOPLE not doing their jobs. Those people do not have to deal with the customer, face to face, but I do. I work at the ticket counter, and sometimes, at the gate.

Just the other day, I received a verbal lashing from a passenger, because the ramp supervisor decided to send the gate checked baggage to luggage claim, rather than send it to the jet bridge. There I wait, along with the passengers, for the gate checks to arrive, so I can hand them out. I then have to inform them that they all went to luggage claim. It wasn't my decision, nor was it me being lazy, it was the guys on the ramp ... but who hears about it?

A few weeks ago, 1 out of 4 bags for a passenger didn't arrive with him. He proceeded to use very fowl language, and chew me out, at the ticket counter. He wanted a refund of the $15 for that bag, which we normally don't refund. I just got so fed up, I refunded all of the $60, for all four bags to him. Part of what I mean, when I say I don't care anymore, is that I don't care about the airline's policies. If these lazy employees can get away with 30-something late shows, and not showing up to work, and the managers, including upper management for the airlines, don't care, then fine ... I'll start refunding stuff, and handing out vouchers.

As angry as I was when I arrived minus one bag, it was not the agent's fault at the claim area. I told her I was pretty well ticked off, but not at her. It would do no good to yell at her...it would be very rude to do so. I'm thinking some passengers have a bit of alcohol on the flight and get off a little soused. Then there are those who just love to yell at someone because their life is miserable. BUT...give me a rude agent and I will verbally tear into them with no remorse whatsoever. I suppose what you can do is to go behind the door and flip them off through the wall. LOL.

LOL, yea, that would be a good one. I'm sure there are some who won't even go behind the wall.

If there is one thing I wish, is that more passengers were like you. It is understanding that people will be frustrated, and sometimes they need to vent, but taking it out on someone else, just because they work for the company, isn't right. People will sometimes use the excuse, that, "they represent the company". That is true, but it doesn't mean that agents represent everybody at the company, their jobs, and every policy that the company has. Agents are employees, paid to do what the company tells them to, just as with any company. It makes sense, that people will be frustrated, but it doesn't make sense to take it out on the person at the bottom of the totum pole.