Listen Before You Speak :: Words of Wisdom

I have been noticing a lot lately, OK well in the past 3 weeks that I have been working at the airport, people are very impatient when they ask questions and really if they would just shut their mouths and stop with the interruptions they would get the answer they require much faster.

I am not sure where this stems from, however; in my observations of the past 3 weeks I get asked the same question over and over and over again and without interruption I would be answering that question fully in less time than it has taken since I have been interrupted numerous times.

Maybe I am out in left field ^↩ thinking that you are the only person that can’t read signs that are hanging every where pointing you in your direction with symbols ^↩ ↩ or the numerous monitors that point to where your airline check in counter is…but seriously you are not the only person that has walked up to me today or in the past 20 minutes, to ask me that same question.

Here is another point that I find really frustrating so bear with me on this one, let’s try this as a conversation…

1. I just want to give you first a little background – the terminal I work in is ONE LONG LINE that resembles a rectangle, so really if you walked in one direction and hit the wall at the end of the building you could turn around and walk back in the opposite direction.
2. There is more than 1 terminal, however there are massive signs that highlight what airlines fly out of what terminal as you approach the airport infrastructure, read them as you pass by.
3. At EVERY entrance at the terminal are huge flat screen displays that have departure cities listed ^{↩ ↩ ↩} and then what airline is operating that flight, times of departure if multiple flights to that city, and then the counter numbers where you can find the bank of counters your airline of choice operates.

Now where I work I am just a little bit to the side of centre or rather the middle of the terminal so I do understand that people see me as a conduit of information; however to get to me they have had to pass 2 signs directing them to either Domestic or Transborder (flights to the USA) and that bank of monitors that show where to find International Airlines such as British Airways, KLM and Air France((you get the idea)).

First piece of advice I have is LOOK UP! Signs are there for a reason, we put them at the side of a road for a reason, yup we put them up in an airport for a reason.

Here is a typical conversation that makes my toes curl…hope you don’t get lost because I will give you the “comments/questions made by the passenger” the “thoughts in my head” and “what I actually say” so hold on….

Picture it – I am standing right under those monitors….

“Excuse me do you work here?”

“No I put on this uniform for the fuck of it and stand here with a bunch of other people that had the same idea this morning and decided to congregate in this area”

“Yes, and how may I help you?”

“Where do I go to check in for a flight to Kiev?”

“Who are you flying with?”

“I am traveling with my husband and my 2 children.”

“Really? Are you fucking shitting me? And how were you planning on getting to Kiev?”

“I am guessing you are going to visit relatives and friends.  However, what airline are you booked with for your travels” ^{↩ ↩ ↩ ↩}

“Oh we are flying with Aeroflot.”

“Ok well I know that Aeroflot runs there check in counters down this way….” as I point in a direction and move towards those monitors to look up and discover what counters they are operating that day, and knowing that what is then behind me is all domestic, Caribbean charters and then Transborder but hey things change at airports I can accept that.

“But the gentleman outside having a smoke beside his luggage told us he thought it was this way!”

“Yup okay sure I only work here, he is only traveling and thinks it might be this way. Who do you want to trust?”

“Well he might be right for today and things may have changed so why don’t we go take a look at the monitor here that is behind you here and see where Aeroflot is checking in for their next flight?”

“Oh I don’t know, he seemed pretty sure”

Ok at this point I pretty much lose it – I mean really I work here! For the past 5 years I have been in airports more than I have been in my own bathroom at home so I have kind of figured out how they work.  The information is there you just have to take the time to look for it.

I know travel plans get screwed up with connections, weather and such but for the most part it really is smooth sailing.

“Come follow me lets go take a look.”

Sure enough we get there and Aeroflot is operating at counters 310 to 315 and we are standing ant 201 and I was pointing in the right direction.

I point out that they need to keep walking in “that same direction” and watch the signs above the counters, yes the counters are numbered and bid them a bon voyage.

Can’t really remember hearing a thank you though.

1.  ↩ would love to know where that phrase comes from↩
2.  ↩ ↩ usually FLAGS↩
3.  ↩ ↩ ↩ alphabetically because really that makes sense↩
4.  ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ for those of you that really know me you so know how hard I am curling up my toes….↩