Assault on the guests

[felinefan]

I'll have to check this, but I believe the phrase "The customer is always right" originated with Mr. F.W. Woolworth. One of his staff members was arguing with a lady customer, over some cloth I think, and Mr. Woolworth went up to the clerk, and after settling the argument, told him, "The customer is always right." It went from being store policy to a widespread saying to a flimsy excuse for stupid guests with oversized egos in 100 years.

[Kwahati]

It went from being store policy to a widespread saying to a flimsy excuse for stupid guests with oversized egos in 100 years.

Wow...kinda like a nation-wide game of "telephone" that's been pissing off staff for generations! :D:

[PirateJohn]

I'll have to check this, but I believe the phrase "The customer is always right" originated with Mr. F.W. Woolworth. One of his staff members was arguing with a lady customer, over some cloth I think, and Mr. Woolworth went up to the clerk, and after settling the argument, told him, "The customer is always right." It went from being store policy to a widespread saying to a flimsy excuse for stupid guests with oversized egos in 100 years.

Mr. Woolworth clearly had not spent a whole lot of time listening to customers.

I like the way Walt put it better: "The guests may not always be right, but they're still our guests."

[IdiotsAreEverywhere]

I loved that show. Nothing made a bad day better than watching the stupid guests of Southwest Airlines get treated exactly how they deserved. And although I don't agree with some of SWA's policys (and probabaly wouldn't fly them because of it), I do admire that the managers and supervisors all stuck to them regardless of how much their passengers protested...unlike some managers I know.

I agree, I wasn't too fond of their one policy where if you are obese, you must buy another seat next to the seat you already bought. I think that truly is discrimination. But it's always good to see the idiots get what they deserve.

[PirateJohn]

I agree, I wasn't too fond of their one policy where if you are obese, you must buy another seat next to the seat you already bought.

Especially considering that the reason you need an extra seat is because airlines have made the seats so ridiculously small that anybody taller than 5'4" can't even move for six hours.

[leftcoaster]

And what about the person sitting next to you? What about your discrimination of that person, because he/she cannot sit comfortably in the seat, but has to sit at a slight angle away from you ?

Have you ever measured the width of the bucket seats in your car?

I've flown SW. The seats aren't that narrow. And I am 5'4" and a little over 200 lbs.

I don't know the specific rules of SW that force someone who is obese to purchase two seats, but if you "spill over" into another seat, I think SW has every right to make you purchase another seat.

I was on a flight years ago (not SW), where the guy across the aisle (we were in the first coach row), motioned for the flight attendant to allow him to use the little "extra" piece of seatbelt that she was using to demonstrate how to buckle your seatbelt, because he could not get the straps to fit around his belly.

I am all for the rights of the obese, smokers, etc. But when those rights intercede on the rights of others, that is where those rights end. And, this comes from a person who is not skinny.

[Kwahati]

And what about the person sitting next to you? What about your discrimination of that person, because he/she cannot sit comfortably in the seat, but has to sit at a slight angle away from you ?
...
I don't know the specific rules of SW that force someone who is obese to purchase two seats, but if you "spill over" into another seat, I think SW has every right to make you purchase another seat.

For the record: I'm 6' and just shy of 200lbs. And as I'm not as active as I once was, that's mostly flab, not so much muscle...But here's my two cents: I'm okay with double charging people who 'spill over' into another seat, but it has to be fair. You have to get the indian woman (who I had never met) who fell asleep on my shoulder on a flight a few weeks ago. Also, you have to get the old man (I think american, but I'm not sure) who didn't understand that the arm-rests on planes these days are *shared*(honesly, I don't use them and I'd prefer no one else did--instead, use it as a divider, you stay in your space, and I'll stay in mine!). Once you've given those small, yet inconsiderate, people the the room they need, then I'm fine buying an extra ticket on these stupid, undersized, domestic flights. In the mean-time, understand that flying is never a comfortable experience anymore, and you can stop glaring at me worrying that you're going to be sitting next to me--at least I'm not drooling on your shirt or knocking into your arm every two minutes so you can't hold your book steady...oh, and I bathe regularly! (Ah, misty water-colored memories! )

[David R]

We are really getting off topic here but while we are at it...

One time I was in a flight where the passanger next to mine was spilling over into my seat. Let me tell you, it was so uncomfortable. I could not move, my right thigh, leg and arm were touching him through the whole flight and I ended up with sweat stains on both my shorts and t-shirt because of this.

This is the type of thing that buying a 2nd seat will avoid.

He apparently had a great flight because he slept and snored the entire time.

[hobie16]

Ahhhh, the joys of flying. You haven't lived until you get the middle seat between Bubba and his larger cousin Weiner. They were so big I was resting my chin on both my shoulders at the same time.

At least I didn't have to worry about getting killed if the plane crashed as these two piles of lard would act as human air bags.

[BRWombat]

I'm a 2-seater myself (just call me "Bubba," hobie. Wait; on second thought, don't), and I like Southwest. Actually, several airlines have this policy, but they are not always consistent in enforcing it like SW is. Plus, the law's on their side, from what I've read -- a ticket is for one seat, not transport of one person.

The lesser-known thing about Southwest is that if you have to book 2 seats and the flight is not full (which they say happens 80%+ of the time), they will refund the cost of the extra seat after the flight. Not all airlines do that.