I fly about 75,000 to 100,000 miles a year and have been doing so for the last 10 years or so. In general, I find airline employees to be hard-working, courteous, and very capable of doing a good job. However, it is the customer service policies of airlines, in this particular story, the bad customer service of British Airways, that makes you wonder if management is just out of touch, or just incredibly arrogant and dismissive. Read The Traveling Professor's story and we let you decide if British Airways has the worst customer service in the industry.
One of the reasons we all travel is to experience the differences of our cultures. The American concept of "customer service" is different from that of Europe. I find that this does cause confusion among travelers and sometimes even anger or disdain. But if you know what to expect on your next tour to Europe, I think you will have a more enriching experience.
One of the reasons we travel is to experience the different customs and cultures of foreign people. When taking a tour to Paris, Italy, or Spain, travelers may find different approaches to customer service than what they are used to in the United States or Canada. In this blog post I'll go over a few things that might be encountered in terms of customer service in Europe in order to prepare you better for your next trip.