To KATIE and PATTIS:
KATIE: If Kiki behaved like some ticket counter, gate agents, or flight attendants, she might have taken her bad behavior to the next level—called the cops, lie, and say you were threatening her, then have you thrown out of the airport!
PATTIS: Every organization, the size of Continental, has a significant number of “Kikis.” However, there are a lot of organizations this size, with none of them being US-based airlines, who encourage staff to police each other’s behavior. United Air has this crazy idea that they can get more customers if they spend millions on buying new planes; installing sleeper seats, and the like—then staff the operation with people like Kiki! This is a textbook case of backwards-ass thinking! United, American, Delta, et al need to devote their resources to paying better salaries, so they’re not hiring people McDonald’s wouldn’t take. Money also needs to be spent on training. Pattis, you would be amazed how many people are willing to quietly tolerate rock-hard eggs, and other service shortcomings, if the people you are dealing with have the capacity to extend normal social courtesies. Until this happens, people like you, Pattis, must be empowered to “rat-on,” if you will, misfit staff like Kiki. The alternative is, as you (Pattis) suggested, decent staff will continue to be the “whipping boy” for people like Kiki. Until us customers start hearing from you, Pattis, on this subject, we will never know you are any different than Kiki. All of you, do, wear the same uniform.
On a broader scale, it is people like Kiki who are, partly, behind the passenger rights movement, and calls for re-regulation of domestic air travel—both of which I support. Ultimately, if the airlines can’t bring themselves to institute peer policing of bad behavior, the government will step-in and impose a solution of its own.
For a comedy contrast, between Pattis and Kiki, see the video attached to the following link.
http://www.britishairwaysandpamann.com/