WORD UP
Flight attendant reveals the clever phrase she uses to deal with rude passengers
She also revealed how it led to one of her favourite flight memories
A FLIGHT attendant has revealed the clever secret phrase she uses to shut down rude passengers.
The cabin crew veteran has been in some of the most stressful mid-air situations imaginable but always manages to kill the argument with kindness.
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Faye Lane has been working on aircraft for almost 25 years, using it to fund her main passion as an author and motivational speaker.
Having started out on US-based flights just before 9/11, she soon saw the restrictions on passengers rapidly tightened.
While the new rules have, thankfully, been instrumental in preventing other disasters, they have also been known as a source of frustration among passengers.
Nobody likes having to throw away their week's supply of shampoo because it's over the 100ml limit, especially after getting up at the crack of dawn for an early trip.
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Fortunately, Faye has developed her own way of dealing with irate customers that allows her to remain professional while defusing any situation.
Her entire approach is centred around one key word: empathy.
She told : "If someone’s very frustrated or annoyed, I will go there with them.
"Like, ‘Oh my gosh, I know, right? It’s so frustrating.
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"'It’s so annoying. Oh, I wish I could fix it!’
"And then I can calm down and they’ll generally come with me."
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She said this has helped her get through everything from medical emergencies to all the passengers being stuck on a plane for hours with no food or bathroom after being diverted thanks to severe weather.
She recalled: "Obviously, it was incredibly frustrating. People wanted to get off.
"We couldn’t let them off because there was nowhere for them to go.
"There was no one to receive them at the airport.
"And then, at like the fourth hour, this amazing thing happened where we all just sort of relaxed into it and bonded.
"Customers were hugging me when they left.
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"We all bonded on this common nightmare of an experience.
"As physically exhausting and emotionally difficult as it was, it’s one of my favourite flight memories because I just got to see how people actually are."
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