The Baby Boomer Renaissance: Going Like Sixty

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Going Like Sixty

Yesterday I Embarrassed a Hot Southwest Customer Service Babe

Posted: 12 Jan 2011 11:43 AM PST

Southwest Phone Customer Service Agents must also work as luggage handlers.

Southwest Airlines is our airline of choice. We travel with them two or three times a year. Usually I only deal with them via their website.

Yesterday, I needed to talk with a person.

I got a female heavy breather. I’m sure she looked just like the picture above.

Since I don’t hear well, if I’m talking to you by phone, we are always on speaker.

The transaction was rather complicated so Ms. Southwest Airlines and I were on the phone for an extended period of time. Since it was a complicated transaction, Nancy was standing by to double-check my requests.

Ms. Southwest Airlines heavy breathing got to the point where I looked at Nanc’ and we both smiled. As Ms. Southwest Airlines got to the end of the transaction, I told her I was going to record her heavy breathing.

She was truly flabbergasted. What? Oh, I’m am just freaking out, she said. I’m am so embarrassed right now…

Seems that she had a loaner headset because hers disappeared. She suggested the borrowed headset was much more sensitive than she imagined. I said it was OK, I rather enjoyed the sounds of her breathing. I wished I could have seen her face.

As we concluded our business, I could hear the guy in the next cubicle explaining to a passenger that using dry-ice was the best way to make sure that his package would arrive still frozen.

I think all customer service headsets should be that sensitive – call centers would be a lot more interesting to deal with.