I got home from a trip 13 hours after I was supposed to. After plane malfunctions, vouchers and dealing with numerous airline officials, I came to one conclusion: It always pays to be nice.
Of course, we're always told to be nice and to remember our manners, but at the same time we're told to stick up for ourselves and never let anyone walk over us. When those two lessons of not being a wallflower collide, the result is almost always people who love to yell in order to get their way.
Case in point: After a delayed flight, I found myself running from one terminal gate to another. I reached the gate of my departing flight just as they had closed the door. "Sorry. This flight's closed," the official at the counter said. Right as I was thinking, "Oh no...not again," a group of four people came rushing in and DEMANDED to be allowed on the flight. The group included a man threatening to never use the airline again and a woman who made me SICK by lying and saying she "had to be at a funeral." All I could do was look at this poor woman behind the counter who was having to handle these people because of an issue that was out of her control. Still, she handled the situation professionally and never once raised her voice. As she was on the computer trying to do what she can, I looked at her nametag, called her by name and said, "I know you're doing the best you can, and I really appreciate that. I'm going to take a seat. When you have this situation settled, please let me know." She looked at me and said, "You know what? I'm gonna get you on this flight." And she did. Lesson of the day: You attract more bees with honey than with vinegar. Be nice to people."
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