CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Understanding the Implications of a Faulty Employee/Customer Paradigm—Or, Pissing Off the Customer Is a Real Bad Idea
Not long ago, I was coming back to Columbus on America West Airlines after making a speech in Boston. It was late and everybody was grumpy and fed up. Another lousy day of trying to make a living. But I’m talking about the America West cabin crew, not the passengers. The passengers were positively cheery by comparison.
The flight was way behind schedule, of course, and the crew had missed a meal break. They were unhappy and openly venting about how insensitive the airline was to their needs. “Bad day?” I asked one flight attendants who was moving down the aisle, doing her best not to make eye contact that ...
