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word to avoid

 
Author flavo2000
Member 
#1 | Posted: 8 Nov 2008 02:14 
hi

i work in a airline industry.

i would like to know which words to be avoided while talking to customer that may create a problem.

Author KarenSB
Member 
#2 | Posted: 8 Nov 2008 07:57 
Seriously?

Seriously???

Sorry, I don't intend to be rude or belittling, but I find it incomprehensible that anyone, even those who do not fly, could be struggling with this. And if I remove two words from your post - airline industry - I find myself to be even more disconcerted.

I have to assume that anyone working is an adult, or only a couple of years short of being an adult by legal definition. That there is a need to understand what spoken words could create a problem shows me that either all schools and family units (and I'm talking global here) are totally dysfunctional, or that we have created a society (again, global) where it is far better to ask rather than using our own minds for the specific purpose for which they were created: to think.

Sigh.

But, good girl that I am, helper bee that I am, I will at least get you started.

The pilot is normally drunk.
We've never had a safe landing.
If there's a tailwind, we should have enough fuel.
Yes, the mechanics are on strike but it's ok because the Maytag man is here.

Author ayaree
Member 
#3 | Posted: 10 Nov 2008 18:48 
Karen: Ha ha! You sound pretty colorful in that reply. Maybe even Ayaree-esque - which is not to say bad.

Flavo, without knowing a lot about what prompted you to ask that, I am going to make some assumptions, but I emphasize first that this is somewhere for me to start for an answer, and not a sum of who I think you are.

Flying is a big movement. Getting yourself and all you want to lug with you is heavy. Getting there in advance is stressful. Getting there and being there is stressful. Everything about it and the service itself is not human. (Humans don't fly, they tread the earth like non-birds, but there is technology to accommodate the need to fly.) But that doesn't mean the toll of human expectation does not come with humans achieving and buying what is not humanly possible.

Maybe you come out with phrases like "You need to" or words that resonate with instructions/commands more than words that reflect gratitude for the people that are lined up/herded up and pent up, and paying money to be in that place that they want to get out of.

It wouldn't be easy to let go of the fact that masses of people "need" to conform with rules and safety measures. And all types of roles in the airline industry would have a responsibilty to participate in safety first and rules first. And customers will feel less like customers in the process.

It would vary from dept to dept, and I don't even know which one you are in - and I am not even experienced in your industry - but I would think that wherever possible, and where there is not a clear security issue, that it might be helpful to switch terminology around a bit for customers so that they do not feel stress is added to their plate, so that they are not feeling extra homework given, after paying to have work done for them, as far as they knew.

If there is ever a "you need to" sentence in order, maybe that sentence can start with "what I'd like is for you to" instead. If something takes a while (like in the computer), then maybe "thanks for your patience" and any droning boredom sound could instead be "thanks for waiting through all this with ME, now we can go to the next step together."

This is pretty serious stuff. None of us is supposed to be up that high with what we were born with, and none of us is born with the ability to create comfort in a natural context let alone a man-made, technology-boosted one. It's ALL learned. Aviation is a place where rules have to be followed even though you are paying for something. Like roads where you can be penalized for not following a rule while on them, even though you did your part to put them there, as well as the cop pulling you over. Not fun for the paying consumer. But the rules have pretty strong biceps here. I would think "we" language (not "you" language) would help wherever it is possible, and wherever your team leader agrees. "Let's cover this for your trip" instead of "move over there and get processed."

Is my reaction to you anywhere within the range of your question? I hope so, because that's the best I can come up with!

I would couple anything you find here with learnings from team members and team leaders.

Author gloken
Member 
#4 | Posted: 11 Nov 2008 03:30 
try asmuch as possible to aviod word like,you ve to wait for a technician,u have to wait in the line.itcan get someone go nuts

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 word to avoid

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