By Laurie Schloff, Senior Coaching Partner
Hello people, rationality calling.
I feel real bad for Steven Slater. Most of us would forgive him for reaching the flying freak out point one hot day in August.
We got the laugh and the vicarious revenge. Apparently, many Americans are so fed up with the people or the boss they were hired to serve that flight attendant Steven Slater’s dramatic exit from JetBlue made them green with envy.
Sure, it’s a blast to bond over one giant slide revenge fantasy together—for a day.
But Slater’s no hero to those of us working for positive communication in the workplace. He made a rabid choice when he slid down that chute with two beers. If only he had stopped at the beers and regained his bearing!
In addition to facing a possible seven years in prison for the most slapstick career buster ever, Steven Slater is a service traitor.
Too bad– with his know how and experience, he could have been a service first-rater.
Great service providers have to be able to take the cabin pressure. They don’t give in to rudeness. They break the routine by bonding in some small way with customers. They pride themselves on keeping cool and use techniques to block negative emotion.
Service soldiers win medals for kindness, compassion and patience. They nurture themselves with deep breaths, venting to a pal and a good foot massage.
Super servicers understand that customers can have bad days and even be bad people, but that great service providers are proud to be pleasant, even on their worst days.
Granted, Mr. Slater may end up hosting a “Take This Job and Shove It” reality show.
Sadly though, his inner reality is that he failed to be all he could be in the profession of service civility.
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We would love your response to:
“What do you do when you are about to lose your cool at work?”
