BUSINESS IS ABOUT SOLUTIONS NOT MAKING BIGGER PROBLEMS

How NOT to handle a situation when you are at work and doing business.

"Wild viral footage has captured Frontier Airlines gate agents getting into a bust-up with a passenger who had sniped, “I’m never flying this sh—y airline again” after being hit with an unexpected $25 fee just to check in."

Frontier Airlines staff taunt passenger trying to check in, hit him with $25 fee: video

"“They all kind of started chiming in, ‘Well, you should have checked the website.’ Like not in a professional or polite way. They were like, ‘It was your fault for not checking the website. Sorry, it’s on you,'” he said of the moments before he decided to start filming."

This incident at an airport jumped out at me as being a prime example of an opportunity for a properly trained and Objectively oriented employee to create a positive experience for a paying customer. A positive experience for a paying customer is worth $1 million dollars in Public Relations and advertising. And conversely an unnecessary negative experience for a paying customer can bankrupt your business.

ALETERNATIVE LIFESTYLES: THE SHARK HAS BEEN JUMPED! "I deal with multiple thousands of individuals and their transactions personally every year. Every year, year over year for the last 33 years. And I have learned several very simple but key philosophies in dealing with people of all shapes, ethnicities, colors and orientations successfully.

1: Understand the difference between when you are being Subjective (personal / emotional) and when you need to be Objective (taking care of business and solving problems).

2: Be genuine. Don't be phony.

3: YOU, initiate and foster mutual respect.

In business if and when you master these three simple personal philosophies of operation you can honestly sell anything and or deal with most anyone successfully. And when you fully embrace and allow this philosophy to bleed over fully into your personal life you will live your life at peace with yourself and most others. Why? Because you will understand better what motivates and drives most people to act in the way that they act, you will see yourself in others."

Did the agent see herself in the customers situation? I would have to say, no. Solve the problem do not amplify the problem based on a word an attitude or a dissimilarity. The worker must remain Objectively in control of their Subjective selves and the situation.

A properly Objectively trained employee comes to work with that Objective "Solve problems, don't make bigger problems" being the first thing in their mind when they arrive at work. You consciously flip a switch in your mind and surrender all of your Subjective personal perspectives. You Objectively surrender your biases, and you surrender your sensitivity to words or utterances that you may find offensive or cutting. And if you are trained properly, you are given the authority to solve problems over and above what any generic arbitrary company policy might be.

In this example of this interaction between a Frontier Airlines customer and a gate agent as soon as the customer who was apparently minutes over the generic arbitrary policy time cut off for the $25 dollar fee. No matter what the customer said the agent should have remained Objective and solved the problem. But what did happen? The agent pointed the finger of absolute blame at the customer and became rigid after the customer in their frustration uttered words she did not Subjectively, personally like. And to compound the situation other gate agents piled on pointing the accusatory finger at the customer. Not good, they ALL need retraining.

The solution should have been: "Sir, let me see what I can do". The agent should have first had the training, authority and wiggle room provided by her company's management to be able to offer a solution. Hard drawn arbitrary company policy lines can tend to create hostility and anger. You never want a customer hostile or angry. And second, the agent personally should have had the Objective foresight and control, again provided by her company training, to not become personally offended by words or attitudes and solve the problem by waving the fee or having some other manner of making the customer happy.

Now if the situation becomes unreasonable or even violent that is another story entirely. Never allow anyone, customer or agent to go over that line. But words spoken in frustration concerning an arbitrary company policy can certainly be professionally and Objectively handled and a positive outcome be the end result no matter what "ISM" might be involved.

Business is about solving problems, not making bigger problems.

(ISM: "An ideology, system of thought, or practice that can be described by a word ending in ISM")

Are you paying attention yet America? J.G. LaValle 5/8/25