08-17-2018
07:21 AM
I typically love to fly Southwest, but I will likely be having second thoughts after the unprofessional and personally invasive behavior of a southwest employee on my most recent flight. I left a personal item on the plane after exiting and after briefly leaving the gate turned around to retrieve it. No employee was present at the gate but I was soon encountered by one on the boarding ramp as made my way back down to ask for help. Before I could speak the employee sharply rebuked me trying to reboard the plane and told me I needed to turn around immediately. I responded I left an item on the plane. She said, “I will take care of it. You need to leave now and go back up.” She was harsh in tone, adamant, and not willing to listen. I did not feel heard especially as she did not ask what I had lost and where I was sitting. Not arguing, I proceed to remain where I was standing and tell her what I had lost and where I was sitting before turning around to wait. The whole time of this first interaction she walked aggressively toward me and got in my face for not immediately obeying her barked orders and threatened me that security would be coming. I immediately turned around and waited by the gate door just outside of my fellow exiting passengers path. Apparently I had not exited enough because when the employee returned with my item she again beraided me for not leaving the ramp fully and refused to hand over my property. At this point it was nearly 11:30pm at night and no other flight was leavin from the gate. The terminal was empty except for exiting passengers. I asked twice for my property and she withheld it almost as a punishment for not leaving. At this point I reached for my belonging to take it and be on my way. The employee then physically engaged my person in an attempt to prevent me from taking it. I had grabbed it quickly and she then pushed me. She was irrate and yelling in my face. I said I was leaving and turned to walk away. She threatened me saying she was calling the police. I felt very unsafe after the way she physically engaged me and left the scene. She attempted to follow me for a while. For the typically amazing customer service I am used to on southwest, I was shocked. Southwest please screen your employees better.
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