Helen, do I have my blinders on, or what? I see stewardess as simply the feminine form of the word, nothing more (or less). As somebody posted on an other thread, different doesn't automatically equal inferior. But how stewards and stewardesses are treated is not something I really know about, so I'll shut up on that, now!
I was fascinated to read your Macy's story; I had a similar experience at Sears. Although I didn't have any difficulty getting to the store, I stood at the cash register holding a--one--pair of socks out, as the lady carried on a phone conversation. It should have been a snap for her to have rung up my single purchase while she talked, but she didn't; and then walked away without a single word to me. And I haven't shopped at Sears for three decades.
It occurred to me later that possibly my lady wasn't a checkout clerk or that maybe that wasn't her register...or something; but she could have TOLD me something. And your lady was likely thinking only of getting rid of the long line; it may never have occurred to her to wonder whether any of the customers might have had a hard time getting there; but she COULD certainly have been more helpful!!
mav, your statistics are correct as far as my experience goes: high customer satisfaction = high customer retention.
And I reckon one good way to give high customer satisfaction would be to have satisfied employees; not ones whose main characteristic is griping about their low wages.
