‘God forbid a working lady multitask’: Woman tries to get help at Southwest Airlines customer service desk. Then they catch her online shopping

A flier captured footage of a Southwest Airlines worker who seemed to be online shopping while assisting a customer at a service counter.
Tricey B (@triceyb2) uploaded her video to TikTok where it accrued over 34,000 views. Folks who commented on her clip were up in arms. Mostly because of Tricey’s decision to record strangers, and not because the worker was checking out clothing wares on the internet whilst on the clock.
Tricey begins her video with a recording of a Southwest Airlines gate agent standing behind a counter. A flier speaks to her on the opposite side of the counter. Because of the angle, the TikToker is filming the agent’s computer monitor. On the screen is a graphic of a purse and what appears to be other products. This suggests the airline employee is perusing an online retailer while assisting the customer with their query. Or, is shopping online instead of facilitating whatever requests the traveler is bringing to her attention.
Judging by the blank stare emojis incorporated in Tricey’s text overlay, it seems as if she believes the latter is true.
“When you at the customer service counter and the agent is shopping. Southwest Airlines,” the TikToker penned.
A sound appended to the video, titled “Do Your Job” by Gator Now&Later echoes with a resounding statement.
As the passenger starts talking to the worker, the employee places her hand on the mouse as she continues to scroll. More shoe options populate the screen, including shin-high boots.
Viewers couldn’t be more divided
Folks who replied to the TikToker’s video were divided over the footage. There was at least one user who seemed concerned with the fact that the employee was scouring the web for some footwear.
“I’ll be honest …, I didn’t even assume their computer allowed them to browse. I assumed it was an airline software only,” they wrote. “Wow.”
However, throngs of other people weren’t bothered by the Southwest worker’s computer habits.
“God forbid a working lady multitask,” one person wrote, seemingly defending the employee’s on-the-job browsing. While another replied that they, too, scope out shopping deals at their own place of work. “I do this at work too? Y’all don’t?” they said.
Another said that from their assessment of the video, the Southwest Airlines employee was indeed helping the customer out. So whether or not she was trying to find a nice pair of shoes for herself at the same time was ultimately a moot point. “The lady still helping the customer. So does it matter?” one wrote.
Another echoed the aforementioned sentiment, writing: “God forbid the agent know how to multitask.”
Filming without consent
Another subset of users expressed concern about what they perceived as an attempt by Tricey to catch someone off guard. By blasting the Southwest worker online without their knowledge, they questioned her and others’ motives for engaging in such a practice.
“I wish people weren’t so comfortable filming others without their knowledge or consent,” one said.
“Remind me why are we filming people?” another person replied.
When it comes to filming inside of an airport, as The Points Guy blog puts it, there is no all-encompassing answer. Rather, it depends on the nature of who, where, and what a person is recording. When it comes to police interactions, recordings are constitutionally protected, as these are government employees.
The same applies to TSA agents and employees, who are government-contracted employees. This means that folks are allowed to film their interactions, just as long as they aren’t impeding their work. So if you’re holding up a line to get a perfect shot for your travel blog, that’s not going to fly.
When it comes to airline workers, however, different rules apply. That’s because airlines aren’t government-owned agencies, but private corporations. Furthermore, when a traveler purchases an airline ticket, they come with an agreement fliers need to sign off on.
This often includes a photography/recording policy. Jet Line Marvel writes that Southwest, like United and Delta, has implemented restrictions when it comes to filming and snapping photos on its planes. Furthermore, The Points Guy adds that American Airlines clearly states that only recording “personal events” is allowed. So if you’re recording an employee, who is a private citizen, it could be a problem.
Recording workers at the counter
In fact, The Points Guy even goes on to write in its same piece that documenting an exchange one has with a worker at the kiosk is a no-go. “Recording an argument with a counter agent…this interaction is likely to fall under the ‘do not record per the conditions’ section of your agreement,” it states.
Moreover, the outlet writes that recording this conversation, even if one of the fliers themselves is the one filming, can prevent them from boarding. Additionally, fliers may even lose the money they spent on the ticket, depending on the nature of their airline’s policy they agreed to.
In Tricey’s case, the conversation she captured and posted to TikTok seems to violate this overall recording policy The Points Guy references. It involves recording not one but two private individuals: the passenger in the clip and the Southwest Airlines employee. The website states that videos like Tricey’s could culminate in her potentially losing her flying privileges, depending on how stringently the airline wants to enforce its photography policies.
“An onlooker recording the same interaction would be subject to the terms only if he or she was a passenger of that particular airline,” it reads.
@triceyb2 ♬ DO YOUR JOB – Gator Now&Later
If you’re trigger-shutter happy, be sure to refer to your airline’s policies prior to flying. The Mary Sue has reached out to Southwest Airlines and Tricey via TikTok comment.
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