Airline customer-service agents report abusive customers

Violence, verbal or physical against airline CSRs is inexcusable. But to use the word "customers" is hardly accurate. A life long, now retired corporate pilot used to polished decorum, I am horrified by airline decorum at the gate. The airline industry treats passengers not as customers but as a commodity pool from which to fill seats and dispatch, often too late to make scheduled appointments, and often overbooked which brings out the worst in the worst of seat filling commodity. Blame the worst of the public for the abuse. Blame airline industry business practices for bringing it on.

That’s the public for you! I always liked it when the gate CSR had taken enough crap from these self entitled idiots that she or he stood up and announced that if everyone doesn't sit down now and let her/him do their job then they are walking out and nobody’s going anywhere. Personally, I would like to see security cameras at the gate area with audio capability so when a situation arises to where the agent feels threatened, push the button to call the police and have the offender carted away. I suppose then the airlines would have to display a sign saying: if the agent presses this button, you go to jail! ;)

HAVING WORKED AT A MAJOR AIRLPORT FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE FOR A LOT OF YEARS,I CAN ASSURE YOU IN THE PAST AT LEAST,THE AIRLINES DID NOT GIVE ANY KIND OF TRAINING WITH REGARD TO THE TREATMENT OF PASSENGERS..YOU WERE HIRED WITH SUPPOSEDLY SOME INTELLIGENCE,SOME COLLEGE, AND A PERSONALITY THAT COULD HANDLE STRESS OR IRATE PEOPLE,AS PART OF YOUR JOB..JUST LIKE BEING REQUIRED TO BE ABLE TO LIFT AT LEAST 70 POUNDS DUE TO BAGGAGE WEIGHTS..I DEALT WITH A LOT OF "SCREAMING MEANIES"AT THE GATES,AND MOST OF THE TIME IF YOU JUST STAY BEHIND THE PODIUM AND LET THEM SCREAM FOR A WHILE TO GET OUT THE FRUSTRATION,AND JUST LISTEN OR JUST POINT BLANK SAY I CANT HELP YOU IF YOU ARE HOLLERING AT ME,IT WOULD WORK..I ENCOUNTERED THOSE WHO WERE STRESSED FOR VARIOUS REASONS,WHETHER THEY WERE ON AN OVERSOLD FLIGHT,OR A FAMILY ON VACATION, OR A BUSNESSMAN WHO DIDNT GET HIS AISLE SEAT..I DEALT WITH GROUPS OF TEENS,OR PEOPLE DRESSED IN THE "TEAM GEAR"DOING CHEERS IN THE GATE LOBBY..THE POINT I AM MAKING IS I THINK AIRLINE PERSONNEL HAVE CHANGED A LOT FROM THE WAY THEY USED TO HANDLE PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS..PASSENGERS HAVE ALSO BECOME MUCH MORE VOCAL AND DEMANDING THROUGH THE YEARS..NO ONE IN ANY POSITION,SHOULD BE SUBJECTED TO VIOLENCE OR EVEN VERBAL THREATS,AND IN THE CASE OF MY AIRLINE,WE WERE TOLD TO IMMEDIATELY CALL THE AIRPORT POLICE AND A SUPERVISOR IF THERE WERE THREATS OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE OR UNRULY PEOPLE TO THE POINT OF AN INABILITY TO HANDLE IT..IT IS A TWO WAY STREET.BUT YOU CAN HANDLE OR DEAL WITH IT IF YOU REMAIN CALM,USE COMMON SENSE,AND AS THE POLICE SAY,"CALL FOR BACKUP"!!