How to handle a Rude Customer

From My InBox:

> An award should go to the Virgin Airlines desk attendant in

> Sydney some

> months ago for being smart and funny, while making her

> point, when

> confronted with a passenger who probably deserved to fly as

> cargo.

>

> A crowded Virgin flight was cancelled after Virgin's

> 767s had been

> withdrawn from service. A single attendant was rebooking a

> long line of

> inconvenienced travellers. Suddenly an angry passenger

> pushed his way to

> the desk. He slapped his ticket down on the counter and

> said, 'I

HAVE to

> be on this flight and it HAS to be FIRST CLASS'.

>

> The attendant replied, 'I'm sorry, sir. I'll be

> happy to try to help

> you, but I've got to help these people first, and

> I'm sure we'll be able

> to work something out.'

>

> The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the

> passengers

> behind him could hear, 'DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I

> AM?'

>

> Without hesitating, the attendant smiled and grabbed her

> public address

> microphone: 'May I have your attention please, may I

> have your attention

> please,' she began - her voice heard clearly throughout

> the terminal.

>

> 'We have a passenger here at Desk 14 WHO DOES NOT KNOW

> WHO HE IS. If

> anyone can help him find his identity, please come to Desk

> 14.'

>

> With the folks behind him in line laughing

hysterically,

> the man glared

> at the Virgin attendant, gritted his teeth and said,

> 'F... You!'

>

> Without flinching, she smiled and said, (I love this bit)

>

> 'I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to get in line

> for that too.'