Comments on: Customer service management, or Big Brother? Airline staff fired for Facebook comments http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/ Living the first class life -- at coach prices Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:55:54 -0700 hourly 1 By: tairay http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25238 tairay Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:39:34 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25238 I personally have friends working as cabin crew, many of them are active bloggers, for what i observed, it is too common for them to complain about the pax, but it is less common for them to publicly complain about their employer. Isnt it too common we make complains about things happening everyday, on our blogs? I guess these 13 people were unfortunate, with the airline companies actively looking for ways to cost down, it is naturally for the airline to strengthen the policing their regulations, and use this as an excuse to fire those people. I personally have friends working as cabin crew, many of them are active bloggers, for what i observed, it is too common for them to complain about the pax, but it is less common for them to publicly complain about their employer.

Isnt it too common we make complains about things happening everyday, on our blogs?

I guess these 13 people were unfortunate, with the airline companies actively looking for ways to cost down, it is naturally for the airline to strengthen the policing their regulations, and use this as an excuse to fire those people.

]]> By: Tino http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25207 Tino Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:35:23 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25207 While Robert Henderson's anti-French attitude goes a bit far, I think he's right when he says that a person who identifies him/herself as a Virgin Atlantic employee, and makes personally-identifiable information public, becomes responsible for what they say about the company in a forum like Facebook. Robert is right: If they had used the "n" word (or the "c" word, a la John McCain...) then they would have been (rightly) called to the carpet. One quibble with Robert: These employees were canned in the UK, not the US. I'm an American, and I make no claim to expertise on UK rights and freedoms, but I know there is no written constitution, so is there a free speech doctrine enshrined in UK law elsewhere? Any barristers out there to clear this up? While Robert Henderson’s anti-French attitude goes a bit far, I think he’s right when he says that a person who identifies him/herself as a Virgin Atlantic employee, and makes personally-identifiable information public, becomes responsible for what they say about the company in a forum like Facebook. Robert is right: If they had used the “n” word (or the “c” word, a la John McCain…) then they would have been (rightly) called to the carpet.

One quibble with Robert: These employees were canned in the UK, not the US. I’m an American, and I make no claim to expertise on UK rights and freedoms, but I know there is no written constitution, so is there a free speech doctrine enshrined in UK law elsewhere? Any barristers out there to clear this up?

]]> By: Bobby http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25204 Bobby Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:57:45 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25204 Were these people hourly or salaried. If the former, then I wouldn't think the company could legally take this action (but IANAL). If the latter, then the 24/7/365 comment is probably accurate. Were these people hourly or salaried. If the former, then I wouldn’t think the company could legally take this action (but IANAL). If the latter, then the 24/7/365 comment is probably accurate.

]]> By: Robert Henderson http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25202 Robert Henderson Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:37:10 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25202 P.S. ONLY the French are allowed to behave in this manner..It is institutionalized into their very character and they can't help themselves. They can't be fired for such behavior or for any other behavior. Apparently the British are not ready for this. P.S.

ONLY the French are allowed to behave in this manner..It is institutionalized into their very character and they can’t help themselves. They can’t be fired for such behavior or for any other behavior. Apparently the British are not ready for this.

]]> By: Robert Henderson http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25201 Robert Henderson Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:33:28 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25201 Free speech is a right that is guaranteed by the constitution..a protection that ONLY prevents the government from limiting your speech not private enterprise. If you work for a company then you represent that company 24/7. Yes, you have a legal right to your free speech and to be stupid, arrogant, condescending, mean spirited towards your company and it's clients who pay your salary..but they also have a righ to get rid of people who are of such ilk and are disloyal and would be happier working somewhere else. Good riddance. There would be no question in this world if the perps were calling people of different races slang names including the "n" word..but other people are not deserving of respect because they are not cool..maybe they are poorly dressed for being squeezed into smaller and smaller spaces and have more humble backgrounds or they are not politically correct as the BBC might have a particular grudge against them like Americans..these people don't deserve the basic respect that the British law requires for other specific groups or the politically correct group. Hooray for the airline dumping these "superior" employees. The 13 are happier now they can go to work for a company that they respect and be able to deal only with people that they think are chic and equal to themselves. Free speech is a right that is guaranteed by the constitution..a protection that ONLY prevents the government from limiting your speech not private enterprise. If you work for a company then you represent that company 24/7. Yes, you have a legal right to your free speech and to be stupid, arrogant, condescending, mean spirited towards your company and it’s clients who pay your salary..but they also have a righ to get rid of people who are of such ilk and are disloyal and would be happier working somewhere else. Good riddance. There would be no question in this world if the perps were calling people of different races slang names including the “n” word..but other people are not deserving of respect because they are not cool..maybe they are poorly dressed for being squeezed into smaller and smaller spaces and have more humble backgrounds or they are not politically correct as the BBC might have a particular grudge against them like Americans..these people don’t deserve the basic respect that the British law requires for other specific groups or the politically correct group. Hooray for the airline dumping these “superior” employees. The 13 are happier now they can go to work for a company that they respect and be able to deal only with people that they think are chic and
equal to themselves.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25196 Patrick Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:29:24 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25196 J-man - good thing you've used your right to free speech to identify yourself as a foul homophobe. Lovely. J-man – good thing you’ve used your right to free speech to identify yourself as a foul homophobe. Lovely.

]]> By: The J Man http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25188 The J Man Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:04:21 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/11/02/customer-service-management-or-big-brother-airline-staff-fired-for-facebook-comments/#comment-25188 They absolutely did. I can't say what the laws are in England, but here that violates the right to free speech. An employer can only regulate and judge you on your behavior when you are on the clock. To have control of someone in any fashion when you are not paying them is tantamount to slavery. That said, the ones complaining about "stupid American" passengers are probably a bunch of socialist Euro-fags who chain smoke and prefer hairy women. They absolutely did. I can’t say what the laws are in England, but here that violates the right to free speech. An employer can only regulate and judge you on your behavior when you are on the clock. To have control of someone in any fashion when you are not paying them is tantamount to slavery.

That said, the ones complaining about “stupid American” passengers are probably a bunch of socialist Euro-fags who chain smoke and prefer hairy women.

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