You can't blame flight attendants for the crappy service they provide. They are only doing what (their) management allows, and by default considers acceptable. People are, by nature lazy, when given the chance to do so, and without meaningful supervision, anyone (even pilots
) will sink to the lowest acceptable level of service. The industry could do a lot within the confines of the currently accepted practice allowed by law and the work agreements most employees work under. We (American society) has moved beyond discrimination in the work place, and thats a good thing. No one has a problem, per se, with old flight attendants, but we do with indifferent, lazy, and rude ones. And don't even get me started on how well many of them (physically) present themselves. These are the people who are defining the problem with cabin service and I blame
managements for not addressing the core problems that allow these problems to fester. If FA's are not motived and trained to provide good service; if they are not disciplined for providing poor or non existent service, this is managements fault. It is up to the the airlines management to outline what and how (their) employees serve their customers and its up to management to provide the proper enticements (and when necessary, punishments, for non compliance) to
all employee's, on the airplane and off.
I think some of the problems can be laid at the door of the union(s) that represent not just FA's but most workers within the transport industry. I say this with a heavy heart because I do believe in workers rights and especially the right to be collectively organized with a contract spelling out workers rights and obligations. Seniority is an important aspect of all our benefits and as a pilot, I understand and deeply defend the right of seniority to define certain privileges within a class and craft. That said, I think FA's "rights" as it contains to where they fly and what cabin they work is counter productive to the best needs of the customer and, by default, the airline itself. Too many senior flight attendants work flights and the forward cabin, on sectors that the quality of the service provided should be at the highest level. Instead, management (by way of the work agreement it agreed to with the FA union) allows and fails to define/demand that the people working it highest revenues passengers get the best service.
So rather than blame the flight attendant the agent or even the flight crew for failing to provide the best service, the focus should be be on the management's failure to provide direction, leadership and rewards to motivate and (when necessary) demote/re train/fire those who fail to make the grade. American's have set the standard in many industries, both service and manufacturing in the past and we certainly are capable of competing with a bunch of middle eastern and asian carriers. We just need a corporate structure that manages it resource to invite customer loyalty rather than just next quarter results.