TechBoy
Sorry for my short reply; my aircraft pulled up & I didn't have time to finish.
I do understand your point. I agree that pax often think "we" are lying. In spite of that, I'll tell them what I know (which often, like yesterday, isn't much). But many times, all I can tell them (by looking at a computer) is when we should be leaving - not WHY we're late. That was the point I was trying to make (again, my apologies). I've told pax, for example, "We should be leaving at 5 o'clock". This info is based on estimated arr. time of the inbound, time for deplaning/boarding, etc. When asked why we're late, I responded (truthfully), "I'm sorry, I don't know". I been called a liar to my face, heard a pax go tell a travelling companion what I said, followed by, "I think he's lying", etc. We're going to leave when the inbound gets here (which is up to the inbound Capt. and ATC), everyone gets off (up to the inbound pax), etc. I do everything I can to be early, on time, or make up time when late. But I can only control so much. Telling someone WHY we're late doesn't change when we're leaving.
As a pilot, I can log in on the computer and look at the same info as the CSRs. Our system for estimating arr. times (and thus dept. times) is fairly accurate once an aircraft is in the air. But that time will change if the inbound is instructed to enter a holding pattern or various other reasons. If I (or a CSR) tells you that the inbound will be at the gate at 5 o'clock (based on what's in the computer), and 2 minutes later that aircraft is told to enter a holding pattern for an hour, the new ETA is going to be at least an hour later. Did I lie to you? No; I told you, when you asked, the best available info. Once the computers are updated, I can pass on the new ETA to you. Once the inbound lands (now at 6 0'clock), what if it can't get into the ramp because a certain commuter airline, who will remain nameless, that seems to never have gates available for their inbounds in ATL, is clogging up the ramp area, and our inbound can't get to its gate for another 30 minutes. Did I lie again about the new ETA? What if the weather/traffic forecasts predicted no holding, the inbound was given a 2 hr. hold, got low on fuel, had to divert to an alternate, and once there, ATC wouldn't let it take off for 2 hrs? This could take a once ontime aircraft and make it 6 hrs. late. Were you lied to?
Another example: Say our inbound is 4 hrs. late, and I know it is. What possible incentive do I have for lying about this? If I think you're going to yell at me because of the delay, I'm thinking that I'd rather tell you the truth and have you yell at me once. If I lie (and tell you that we're leaving on time), aren't you going to come to the gate area around departure time? Aren't you going to then ask why we're not leaving on time? Aren't you going to yell at me then? If I then tell you that we're leaving in an hour (a lie), aren't you going to come back in an hour and repeat the process? If my incentive was to not have you pissed off around me in the gate area, I'd tell you the truth, get yelled at once, and get it over with. I wouldn't want to do it 4 times, every hour on the hour.
I can't honestly tell you that airline employees never lie, any more than you can tell me that they "often" do. Neither of us has enough evidence. But, I have had personal experiences of telling pax the truth, only to be accused of lying. Although that's frustrating, I don't think that all, or most, pax are rude and accusitory. I just wish that they would give airline employees the same consideration when it comes to receiving flight info.