A Delta Air Lines passenger endured a rather uncomfortable phone call with a customer service agent after they both realized they were talking to their ex-partner.
The passenger recounted the “really weird” and slightly tense conversation in a post on social media site Reddit after being dumbfounded at how seemingly impossible it could be to run into your ex on a customer service call.
Going back the username ‘JaceX’, the passenger said that he had requested a callback from Delta to sort out a ticketing issue and as soon as he picked up the phone “the voice on the other end was familiar”.
”As we started talking, she confirmed some details about me and my trip and then in a sarcastic voice: ‘Wow, First Class with the wife and baby, huh? Pretty fancy’”.
”We didn’t have a long catch up or anything,” the passenger continued. “She sounded slightly jealous.”
”We had a slightly terse, ‘oh wow, I didn’t expect it to be you’ kind of moment once we realised who the other was. She said she couldn’t help me with my issue and I quickly ended the conversation. Wife beside me was confused.”
Commentators on the passenger’s post were quick to make jokes about his awkward encounter with one suggesting that he might mysteriously find himself at the bottom of upgrade lists for years to come.
Another commentator wrote: “Did you give her a 5-star rating in the follow up survey?” To which the passenger replied: “Lololol. Nope. She didn’t resolve my issue.”
While this passenger’s encounter with Delta’s customer service ended in a bit of a disaster, that’s not always the case.
Last week, another Reddit user shared their story of how they managed to score a free upgrade to First Class despite having no status with Delta simply because he was polite to the agent.
The customer service rep even thanked the passenger for being the nicest person they had talked to that day before wishing them all the best with a complimentary upgrade. Now that’s what you call service!
Remember, be nice to your ex. You never know where they might turn up in your life.
If you treat airline staff like human beings, with empathy, humor and genuine concern, it can be rewarding. Once, at my local airport, I inquired about a staff member I hadn’t seen in quite some time. And like the Reddit user cited, the gate agent was so impressed they promptly upgraded me on my long haul flight, despite my ticket not being eligible. It pays to be nice to people…