Often1

Most call center businesses such as air carriers not only permit their employees to hang up on people who are abusive, but actually require it. WN's only failing here is in not auto-cancelling the ticket, issuing a refund, and suggesting that the passenger might be happier elsewhere in future.

That doesn't mean that the agent's assessment was correct, simply that the caller's obscene abuse was unacceptable and the employee did the right thing.

kennycrudup

DUDE! You just gave me the greatest idea- we should be able to! We could put this on one of the PPV networks, and line up like 5 guys per day for the week, and the first one to do the deed that day (and not get eaten) gets like $5M in tax-free cash on the spot!

(Michael Bay- you know you want this! Have Your People call Bear's and I's People us so we can discuss optioning and points!)

YOUR_FAVORITE_AUDITOR

Your reaction is understandable but many companies allow phone support to drop the call if the customer is using swear words.

Next time, try booking through a travel agent so the travel agent can handle re-booking?

DCP2016

Unfortunately Herb's vision for the airline is dead. It is now Wall Street Airlines, complete with cutbacks and robotic employees. The legacy WN attendants/gate agents/pilots who built the company & made it fun are all retiring.

Kevin AA

I was at a casino two days ago where a woman at the next table kept loudly and excitably yelling at each win (at blackjack). That is to be expected at craps, where the shooter wins four times in a row or whatever. But at blackjack? Pu-lease, the odds of you winning in just one hand are nearly 50/50. There's no need to get so excited over it.

We all agreed that she needed to "turn down the volume". I overheard another player "I hope she uses a swear word". Sadly that did not happen.

Get with the program... reasonable adults will not put up with swear words in public AT ALL, and don't even like it when you get craps-excited at blackjack.

jep8821

Really?????????????????? First... your first line is wrong... The caller wasn't abusive! Using the "f" word to describe the situation and NOT the REP is clearly NOT abusive. Again.. If they had directed it at the rep, then I agree with you.. but that's not what happened. Then to follow your second line.. makes no sense.. on what authority does the Rep have in auto cancelling the ticket? That is so beyond reasonable and is extreme. Any Rep doing that should be immediately FIRED. We have to get back to some common sense here... Should they have cussed.. NO.. Should the called have been terminated... I don't think so.. but if Southwest's policy to end the call no matter the use of the cuss word... fine. But it's also Southwest's job to provide customer's with the correct information which they failed to do which is what caused the customer to get upset in the FIRST place. To even remotely entertain the idea of cancelling this person's ticket over what was said in THIS case would be wrong.

Often1

You may believe what you want. But, what OP did was a direct violation of WN's COC and I doubt that WN would terminate or do anything other than fully support an employee who hangs up or cancels a ticket.

While the provision would typically be applied onboard or at the gate, the COC apply to the ticket and OP held a ticket. Nothing justifies the use of abusive and offensive language no matter whether it is directed at the employee or just said.

"Persons whose conduct is or has been known to be disorderly, abusive, offensive, threatening, intimidating, violent"

WillCAD

The time to which you refer was not what you think it was. There were indeed fairly strict social restrictions on the use of profanity, they were simply different that those we have today.

In those olden days (I will assume that you refer to the first half of the 20th century, say up until about the 1960s or so), it was socially unacceptable for women to swear at all. And with men, it was socially unacceptable to swear at all in the presence of women or children.

Also in those olden days, physical violence was considered a socially acceptable response to the violation of the anti-swear rules. For example, if someone used profanity in the presence of your wife or children - or any random woman or child - it was acceptable to punch his lights out, to protect the innocence of women and children. If the cops were called, all you had to do was tell them, "Officer, this man was using the foulest, most profane language in full earshot of innocent women and children. I had to protect them!" Cops would, usually, exercise discretion and not arrest the puncher for assault, but might arrest the curser for disturbing the peace, public indecency, or some other charge of moral turpitude.

Go back further, and the use of inappropriate language could result in worse physical violence, as it was socially acceptable to use deadly force to protect one's honor and that of one's women and children. Did you curse at my sister, varmint? BANG! Col. Colt don't like swearin', neither. Did you use a vulgar term in the presence of my sainted mother, sir? I demand satisfaction! SLAP! I shall meet thee on the field of honor on the morrow, good sir!

Let me draw a comparison: If a user tries using some foul language here on FT, the mods will tell them, "This is your warning, don't do it again or you'll be banned." If said hypothetical user then tells the mods that the anti-profanity rules on FT are childish, I have no doubt that M. Hypothetical would be banned (per the FT code of conduct). I personally see no difference between FTs profanity rules and a casino or other privately owned business having similar rules. In my opinion, such rules are neither childish nor wrong, they're simply the exercise of a business's right to provide an atmosphere which they deem appropriate and acceptable to their customers. I.E. a family restaurant which allows loud profanity will attract few families, and a biker bar which prohibits swearing will attract few bikers.

jep8821

I am just going to leave it like this.. We both disagree and probably won't sway each other's opinion on it.

Often1

There is nothing to disagree about. I was simply citing you to a provision of the OP's contract with WN.

If you disagree that it says what it says, then I guess we disagree.

jeffandnicole

Well, let's say the phone agent didn't hang up. The agent also doesn't have to give the best of service either. "Oh, you want to go from Point A to Point B? Well, unfortunately all we have is a 5:45am departing from Point A to Point C, where after a 6 hour layover we can get you to Point D. There's a 35 minute layover there, but you land in Terminal A and take off in Terminal RR, which requires you to go landside and come back thru security. We'll have you home before midnight."

So, sometimes, maybe the agent disconnecting the call is better than the alternative!

pinniped

Dumb question: when a Southwest flight is canceled, can't you just rebook yourself in the app? Or must you make a phone call and wait on hold so long you might as well have just walked to your destination?

I know WN IRROPS support has long been pretty bad, but I thought they had at least progressed to the point where a phone call was not necessary, unless you want to do something unusual like change cities.

howahya

Unfortunately, dropping an F bomb gives an unhelpful customer service agent all the excuse they need to be even more unhelpful. Hanging up on someone is far more "abusive" IMO, especially since this sounds like a WN problem that WN had the obligation to solve, not the caller.

formeraa

I must have reacted the same way that the OP did to a phone agent who demanded extra payment in an IRROPS situation. That said, never call WN phone agents during IRROPS -- they aren't empowered to do a darn thing. I've tried a twice -- shame on me for expecting WN to have superior customer service. Just get in line at the airport with everyone else from the flight to be rebooked. At WN, that's the best thing a passenger can do.

formeraa

I've never tried the app, but phone support CANNOT generally rebook you. Generally, you must speak with someone at the airport.