Lack of Self Control of Delta Air Lines Manager

I've had customer service issues too, and sometimes they make me
angry. And sometimes it's hard to keep the anger out of your voice.
I get that. But I always make it a point to calmly say to the
employee I'm dealing with, "I'm really very upset about this, but I
want you to know that I'm not angry with YOU specifically. So, what
can we do to make me not angry anymore?" They almost always respond
with sympathy and are far more willing to go above and beyond when
they hear that I have no intention of taking out my anger on them.
Also, just saying that often makes me smile a little at the silliness
of the statement, which helps me keep a grip too.

What you have to remember is that there is a human being on the other
end of the phone, and their perception of the situation you describe
is probably something like, "Good Lord, I just said hello and she got
combative with me." You were a completely new customer to that second
employee, and your attitude set the tone. As Red suggested, would you
like it if you answered your phone at work and someone immediately
started being "matter-of-fact" and frustrated with you? Of course
not!

Now, as a former customer service employee, and a darned good one, I
can say that no customer service employee EVER should say "can the
attitude" even to the rudest of customers. There are right ways and
wrong ways of defusing cranky customers, and that's clearly the wrong
way. Customer service is a thankless and draining job, but I believe
it should be done right just like any other job. When I worked in
customer service, I took pride in the fact that NO customer could get
to me, no matter how terrible they were - and that was the result of
training and experience, both of which I think this employee could
benefit from.

Nikki, can I please have your work phone number, so I can call you
tomorrow and argue with you and badger you long after I've received
the answer I didn't like?

No? Yeah, I figured.

If that is true, you may well have been exhibiting an attitude. Being
frustrated is understandable, but when someone is trying to help you
you have to essentially "can" or supress the urge to take it out on
that person. I didn't hear the conversation, but from what you are
saying it sounds like you may have been displaying an attitude.

I usually am of the attitude "let's do whatever it takes to get this
problem solved together." If I slipped and started venting, and
someone told me to "can it," I think it might shock me back to the
issue at hand.

What I am wondering is, did the manager follow through and change your
flight for you?

Airlines just do not consider themselves as a service industry any
longer. For the most part they have no customer service skills and
know that people need them more than they need the people.

But its also up to the customer to know the rules and regulations for
cancelling/changing a flight. If you do not know then you need to read
the information that is available online or with your tickets when you
print them off.

You had quite a bit of notice that hurricanes/tropical storms were on
their way. If you wanted to change your flight, you could have called
a week ago. As it stands, you waited until the last minute. You
snooze, you lose.

You were told no.

You wouldn't have had wait all that time and re-explain your situation
if you would have just accepted their policy in the first place.

You didn't.

I can't imagine a manager would tell you to can the attitude unless
you had one, after all you admit to being frustrated and matter of
fact in your tone.