PV_Premier

what did the "F" word add to this statement versus not including it? emphasis? or just 7 letters ("the F...")?

Proudelitist

Not sure what company you worked for, but each one I have worked for allows employees to disengage at the first use of profanity or threatening language. It's not their job to coach adults, nor do we want them to suffer abuse.

Beltway2A

I feel genuine pity that you believe customer service agents are so far beneath you that it's "part of the job" to put up with verbal abuse from impotent customers. Feeling powerless is never a good feeling, but hurling obscenities at the people trying to help you with your problem is never the way to go.

lhrhappy

I came here expecting the F word to be "Frontier". Nope, just a DYKWIA pottymouth. So disappointed.

s0ssos

Not "free"?

dulciusexasperis

Swearing can offend some people. Not swearing offends no one. Which then do you think is the way to go? The answer to that should be self-evident.

Those who make a habit of swearing gratuitously in their everyday speech, may believe they have the right to do so if they wish and they are correct, they have the 'right'. However, whether it is the smart thing to do or not is another question to which the answer is no, it is not the smart thing to do.

People who swear in everyday speech are perceived by many people as uneducated, of low intelligence, possessing a more limited vocabulary, lacking in social skills, etc. All negative impressions. Does anyone want to try and list some positive impressions someone swearing elicits?

My advice DCAAA, is to take this as a learning experience. Learn to communicate without swearing, it will serve you far better in life than coming on here and posting about your being upset and how someone hung up on you. What was it you wanted to achieve when you made your call? Answer, to book another flight. Now tell me if you succeeded in doing that on that phone call. Answer, no you did not, what you achieved was getting hung up on!

So what did swearing gain you? Answer, nothing. What did it cost you? Answer, a failure in achieving your goal. Should we really then say to you, 'yeah, right on bro, you had a right to be upset and to curse.' Or should we say to you, 'gee DCAAA, that didn't work out well, what do you think you should do differently next time?' Which is more likely to help you?

lhrhappy

Nah, that wouldn't get him in trouble with Southwest. Most things there are free.

3Cforme

Ding!

Agents might be coached to offer a warning of the form 'Sir, if you continue to use profanity I will end this call.' That will cause some people to step back and rethink their interaction. From some it will bring a new stream of profanities. Click!

mikesyr18

I don't treat reps like that, even under the most annoying circumstances. I also work in a customer service-like job and have dealt with it before... I've never hung up on anyone, but instead, handled the situation professionally.

Orange County Commuter

You act like a 2 year old you get put in time out. It's a simple equation.

Yes, I have had a job where people thought it was OK to curse at me.

Yes, I have hung up on them.

Yes, my bosses supported me.

No, I don't think OP should have been given a warning. He apparently is an adult. He should learn to act like one!

u
And anyone else want to bet that there is more to this story. I bet OP was not all charm and niceness before the F bomb came out of his mouth. Reminds me of being in line at the airport during weather issues. The jerk in front of me was screaming at everyone about how idiotic the airline was to cancel the flights etc (NOTE: We could SEE the storm all around the airport, but....) He gets to agent and proceeds to berate her about how badly the airline is run etc... She basically tells him "sorry sir, your plane was diverted, it will land at midnight and then board you and take you to your destination, no there are no seats on the flight where the plane is at the gate just waiting on the ground stop to lift". I get up there, I am nice.... I go from being on the flight with the jerk to first class on the flight sitting at the gate.

RooseveltL

You need them, they don't need you at that moment. Even if the CSR made a mistake quoting a fee for cancelled flight fee - you are still in the wrong for foul or abusive language. Outside of POTUS, any other business environment you will be ejected from the premise if the other party doesn't appreciate it.
Grow up and I say this because you oddly still feel you are the victim here by your post.

In no circumstance will the manager/supervisor take your defense over their staff once the language goes abusive or disrespectful.

jep8821

It may not be their job to "coach" people... But it sure is their job to resolve the issue of the caller which THEY FAILED AT. And come on man.... Point blank.. If you can't handle hearing cuss words and still try to resolve the issue.. then you have no business being a customer service rep. To be honest.. "suffer < some mild verbal> abuse" is part of being their job description. I want to follow this up some.... I do believe its important to respect people! I do feel that sometimes customer service reps do take a lot of "abuse" when its not their fault but rather company policies /etc are to blame. I think most reps are underpaid for the level of patience it takes to take calls like these.

tatterdema

I have worked in customer service all my life. Agents have good days and bad days. Most of the time I probably would have let it go without even a warning. On a bad day, I would have hung up. I have never had a customer service job in the last 50 years that had "rules" as to how many times you had to hear profanity before you could hang up. In fact I would not have a job that didn't allow me discretion on when and why to terminate a call. Saying it is their job to deal with it is BS.

Redwood839

I worked as a Manager and Operations Manager in a call center for a very very large online retailer (starts with Ama and ends with Zon) and I would've never thrown the phone at someone for using the F word and it being the first profanity. Some people just have really thin skin. If the OP was being a jackass and started cursing continuously then yeah, after a warning. Everytime I got on the phone with some that was pissed off I wouldn't even join them in it, no point in getting upset too.

OP, I'll probably be the first to be sympathetic with you. I know what it feels to be in the middle of an IRROPS situation and someone actually try and blame it on me (like trying to get charged for it). I know what the frustration is and how stupid it feels. 6 pages of arguing and I'm sure that if one of you had to get somewhere and got an agent that didn't care or appeared to make it better would be very upset to. And yes, they didn't try and make it better considering they tried charging him to get someone.

Not saying it's an agents job to get verbal abuse, but it's sure as hell is there job to help a customer and in the middle of a situation like IRROPS be reasonable and helfpul.

Cledaybuck

Sometimes the truth is hilarious.

I guess I don't see how you don't believe this. You can say stuff on network TV now that would have been blasphemy back in the 50's and 60's. That doesn't even mention basic cable or even worse premium cable like HBO. Our current president talks in a way that would have been unthinkable for a president not long ago.