What ever happened to customer service?

So it was early, but I don’t think that really would have made much difference. A normal business day and a flight to Dallas (DFW), the airline is not important as far as I am aware they would all have reacted the same way.

I had already got my seat and found room for my carry on and single personal item under the seat infront. The less frequent travellers are typically the last to get on the plane due to the group or priority system that the airline deploys.

The plane is starting to get very full, the last dozen or so passengers lined up on the jet bridge. Its the normal melee inside the plane, everyone trying to squeeze oversized bags into the over head bins.

So frequent travellers all know that the last dozen or so on the plane will not find room to store the carry on bags, they will have to be checked. So passenger X comes on board and he knows that he is going to have to check his precious bag, and says to the airline steward "You known why we have this problem? because YOUR airline charges $20 to check a bag". Looks the steward in the eye. No response, so we walks on down the aisle. No idea if he ever found room to store his bag.

So a couple of things struck me at that moment. Firstly, the steward just looked totally bored and blank, a look of non-response. His whole body langugage was of complete non-interest and that he has no concern of the mans comment.

This could be true on a couple of counts, One, he personally does care if the man's bag gets inside the plane or in the hold. Secondly, anything he would say would just strike up a longer debate about prices and polcies and he does not really care.

So my question is.  Why do they not care? Because it had no impact to him personally? Some may argue that the longer term picture is that it does effect him, more clients that do not like the service will move and so his job position is not secure? If this was his own personal business then sure he would care as it would effect his bottom line and personal wealth.

So how does corporate America fixed this problem, the above is a simple example. How do we fix this lack of interest in customer service? what is the answer?  Let me know!!! please.