No, I repeat no, employee at any job should have to listen to or take that kind of abuse. There should be some kind of policy in place on how that type of passenger should be dealt with whether it be on the phone, at the gate or ticket counter or on an aircraft. It shouldn't be, just stand there and take it and then just let that out of control abusive passenger walk away. That seems to be company policy. Again, management has no respect or one bit of compassion for US employees.
In Res, the agents are never to hang up on anyone no matter how abusive a passenger or potential passenger is. As human beings why are they forced to listen to that crap and sit there and take the personal attacks? Just a for instance, and I can't recall the exact wording but, not too long ago, an agent got a call and the first thing out of the guys mouth was screaming at the top of his lungs "Get me a f---ing superviser now!". She was in shock at that point but, as is procedure, she asked politely for his record locator so CSD would have some information when the call was transfered. He proceeded to say "I said get me a f---ing superviser now you f---ing, c--t, whore, you c-m sucking slut!" and then he hung up. Now what kind of person should have to listen to this obscenity? She probably would have hung up on him but she was totally in shock at that point. It's disgusting! This past spring, very few agents brought their kids to work on Bring Your Kids to Work Day because they were afraid to let their kids hear how passengers talk to them on the phone (they listen in on calls). That is pretty sad.
I have never worked for a company where this behavior from customers was tolerated or where the employees had to be subjected to this kind of behavior. Every single company that I have worked for had the policy that the second a customer became abusive, out of control or used profanity, you hang up. If they became that way in person the GM or superviser would come out and ask them to leave and told them that their business was no longer desired or needed. In some cases the police were called and the customer was hauled away. These companies have respect for their employees and back their employees 100%.
US management has no respect for their employees and never will! I think it's getting to the point where most have taken all they are going to take. Some ask why all the employees are not willing to do what it takes to save US. They can take only so much abuse before they see the light and most have finally seen the light after all these years.