Originally Posted by
EMB120IP
Well, on behalf of the "customer service" you received (or didn't receive based on how it sounds), I'm sorry that situation occurred. Mx issues can be frustrating to deal with on all ends (pilot, passenger and customer service), especially when mx is constantly saying it'll be fixed in 20 minutes. This is the information that was probably being fed to the CS agents and they were doing their best to expedite the boarding process, only to be told that the aircraft still wasn't fixed, nor would it be for another "40 minutes", etc, etc, etc. I do know how frustrating it gets. Chances are, the agents could have had a long day up to that point and basically just "checked out" (not that I condone this).
A CS agent job is essentially to get yelled at by numerous passengers and be blamed for every little problem in that passengers travel that day, and then they have to put on a smile and say "thank you". After a while, this gets old, especially when all of the stuff that's happening isn't their fault yet the pax group takes their frustrations out on them. They were just trying to do their job as efficiently as they could based off of the information they were being provided.
I hope this provides a little guidance in what may have been going on at the time of your trip. Again, I'm sorry for any inconvenience this caused you.
Most people know all of this, it's not a secret, it's just calling a spade a spade. If an airline can't hire quality people that can "take it" or "perform under fire", can't afford decent planes, parts, mechanics, and a system that communicates effectively, can't reasonably apologize when necessary, it shouldn't be a surprise to hear them called what they are.
Seriously?, "expedite" the boarding process for a plane that's sitting 200' from the terminal? This is exactly where good judgement is necessary (and lacking). After being yanked around several times in a row, they already know they are severely late, having them "line up" at the door again, only to be told to sit down a few minutes later again(50' from where they lined up) is just ridiculous. But, that's why their a bottom-feeder. They are allowed to exist because people can and do put up with it, so far.
I'm sorry to say, you speak as if this happens regularly...?