Alaska Airlines agent clashes with passenger over delayed luggage at Newark Airport

Reflecting on such situations, one observer noted, "I often feel for agents in the bag office because nobody who is having a good travel day ever goes to see them. Everyone brings a problem. And it’s not their fault. But that’s also the job."

The observer further commented on customer service interactions: "Customers have a duty to treat the people helping them in customer service reasonably. In fact, I always recommend going out of your way to be pleasant, to joke, and build a rapport – because whether or how much they help you will largely depend on how much they want to help you."

At the same time, there was criticism of baggage office agents: "I often find that baggage office agents – especially in major cities – are some of the worst at any airline. Maybe the unpleasantness of dealing with nothing but problems gets to them eventually. That isn’t universally true, just on average. And here we add Newark to the mix."

(HT: Live and Let’s Fly)