fast food restaurants - perspective of former worker - the work is difficult

# 6 for February 26, 2002

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on February 25, 2002:

From: Tracy Katt [Email User]

fast food restaurants - perspective of former worker - the work is difficult I have dealt with many negative experiences while eating at fast food restaurants. My order has been wrong, I have waited longer than expected and have been served by rude employees. But, as a former fast food employee, I can say that these experiences don't even compare to what fast food workers endure while serving customers.

My complaint is not to the restaurant but to the customers. The workers are making minimum wage to listen to you complain about things that the company does, which they have no control over (prices, product removal, etc.).

They are making minimum wage to clean up after the horrible messes that customers make. They are making minimum wage to work in a hot, sticky room making food that they can't even eat. During the summer at Taco Bell, where I worked, it would sometimes reach 110 degrees. We had no air conditioning, yet the dining room did. And we are not just making food or taking orders.

We are also making sure that enough food is ready to be made, cleaning, stocking things that have run out during a rush and MUCH MUCH more, often while being incredibly understaffed.

After a long day of politely listening to ungrounded complaints, making food for people who treat us like machines, and running around trying to get everything done, it's very difficult to just smile and nod while a person, treating you as their servant, literally screams at you because the person making the food, who has also had such a day, happened to accidentally put tomatos on your taco.

We are not machines. We are people. Maybe if we were treated as such, you would receive better treatment and better service.

I have had "real" jobs since my years at Taco Bell and can honestly say that Taco Bell was the most demanding, hardest and all around worst job I've ever had, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I learned to treat the workers as people and I learned that just because you only make minimum wage, it does not mean that your job is easy.

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I'm going to comment on this post piece by piece first

"fast food restaurants - perspective of former worker - the work is difficult I have dealt with many negative experiences while eating at fast food restaurants. My order has been wrong, I have waited longer than expected and have been served by rude employees" Then why are you defending them do you like rude aggresive people in your face when all you want is what you ordered the way you ordered it. DUH!.

"But, as a former fast food employee, I can say that these experiences don't even compare to what fast food workers endure while serving customers". You mean customers who asked for no ice, but got ice, asked for cheese and found no cheese anywhere. Or the customers who asked for extra mustard and found a huge mound of mustard sitting in the middle of their dry tasteless burger? Let's not forget about the retail workers and customers how about the customers who ask where something is only to have a snotty so and so with attitude roll their eyes and snap "follow me" then lose them in the crowd! Or the customer who gets upset when the item is on sale for $35, but rings up $55 and expects the cashier to adjust the price (ie: do her job) Do you mean those ill behaved customers??

"My complaint is not to the restaurant but to the customers. The workers are making minimum wage to listen to you complain about things that the company does, which they have no control over (prices, product removal, etc.)." Well doof welcome to the work force we all have those jobs..I took a pay cut watched my coworkers lose their jobs we're facing another lay off and I work in a very dangerous job that involves chemicals, constant heat beating down on me while I fix the messups others cause I work to put food on the table pay my bills and line my bosses already fat ass pockets..but hey, I guess that doesn't compare to standing behind a counter taking orders getting them wrong then lipping off at customers because you made the mistake..I once stirred a huge pot of baked beans when I worked at Taco Bell I sweated my ass off I burned my hand, I dealt with customers who just wanted their orders right and I in no way blamed them when they got upset or returned their order wanting it fixed!

"They are making minimum wage to clean up after the horrible messes that customers make. They are making minimum wage to work in a hot, sticky room making food that they can't even eat. During the summer at Taco Bell, where I worked, it would sometimes reach 110 degrees. We had no air conditioning, yet the dining room did. And we are not just making food or taking orders." reread my above comment sloopy everyone has a hard job mine is harder then yours I work 10 hour days four days a week and am forced to take three days off..I use to work 7 12 hour days..I work heavy machinary, deal with employees who wont do what they're told half of them don't even speak American so I'm forced to play charades everytime I need to give them something to do...I've been promised bonuses and pay raises repeatedly for doing more then my share of work yet when it comes time they avoid me and their promises like the plague...I dare you to do my job for one day I guaratee you wont be there for more then 1 hour before you'll give up, that is if you can get a Government security clearance..

"We are also making sure that enough food is ready to be made, cleaning, stocking things that have run out during a rush and MUCH MUCH more, often while being incredibly understaffed" Oh poor baby my work day sucks more then yours I had to unload 5 huge semis full of parts that outweighed me by tons, my only helper was in a meeting that lasted over 3 hours, when I went to start up the forklift the battery was dead because some moron forgot to put it on the charger the night before..so I had to borrow one from the other side of the plant it took me 30 mins to reach that dept and then I had to wait for them to finish using it..as if that wasn't bad enough the computers went down so I was unable to do my paperwork for the very parts I just spent all morning unloading, I had to do the paper work by hand which was not a easy task because I had to walk to each and every dept to hunt down who ordered what and find out what and how many was suppose to be on the trucks! The entire time the sun was beating down on me I live in Fla. 110 degrees in the shade and that was beating down on my head and back the entire time..we are not allowed to wear shorts or tanks. T. shirts and pants only with heavy workboots..by the time I left work I was sick from the heat (to save money they turned down the air conditioning), sweating my ass off, sitting in traffic for an hour driving home once again in the heat, I leave for work at 5:30 am and get home by 5:30 pm, once because of traffic I didn't get home until 7pm..at times I can't have my lunch or breakfast because I'm in meetings or a hot job is being rushed..sometimes I can eat on the run, but that's rare..so boohoo to someone else!

"After a long day of politely listening to ungrounded complaints, making food for people who treat us like machines, and running around trying to get everything done, it's very difficult to just smile and nod while a person, treating you as their servant, literally screams at you because the person making the food, who has also had such a day, happened to accidentally put tomatos on your taco" "first if that person is allergic to tomatoes then it's a health concern second if that person doesn't like tomatoes then that's a valid excuse for not wanting tomatoes, how can you accidently put tomatoes on a order when the ticket clearly says "no tomatoes" I think that's called accidently on purpose..ok here's my rant..I spend 10 hours a day smiling and nodding as the person who's taking money out of my pocket and the mouths of my family brags about the 9 million profit made the past year in the same breath that asshole is laying off decent hard working people so they can line their pockets further (one lay off was the day before thanksgiving and the other was the day before Christmas)...they actually told us "take a cut in pay so we wont have to lay anyone off"..one week later they laid off 30 people..I have been lied to, lied on, forced to do everyone elses work, clean up after the screwups around me, I spent my days off rearranging depts that were messed up by someone they had just fired, I was promised a big bonus in my next paycheck, instead they gave me a pay cut then froze my wages and refused to give me a cost of living increase, they also took away our overtime! When you signed on you were told what you would earn and you took that job based on that, I bet you still make what you were promised, I was told what I would earn I accepted the job and now I'm making less and doing more work...my work isn't appreciated, I'm underpaid and overworked, but I don't take it out on our customers nor do I blame them when I make a mistake..I apologize and make it right..too bad employees like yourself and others out there can't do the same..they have to blame the customer for their mistakes..tip for ya Einstein don't expect the customers to accept your mistakes and pay for them willingly!

"We are not machines. We are people. Maybe if we were treated as such, you would receive better treatment and better service." ok here's a scenario for you that happened to me recently..I had just had a rough day at work my Wife wanted some Wendys so we went to Wendys I ordered a #1 my Wife ordered a #3 and two large chillies we paid I waited and waited and the counter person never gave me our cups...I asked for them and he said "oh you wanted drinks" I said politely "combos come with drinks" he proceeded to hand me two small drinks I again politely said no medium! He handed me two medium drinks then proceeded to try to charge me for them..I snapped softly they come with medium drinks! He took back the cups then argued with me I asked for the manager, when the manager arrived he proceeded to tell his side of the arguement first the manager snatched the two medium cups from his hand shoved them into my hand then rolled his eyes and walked away no apology no nothing..we had to ask for our chilli twice ( I might add he slopped chillie all over the cups and the tray) my Wife had to ask for crackers which was suppose to be automatically given to us then I had to return to the counter and request spoons he pointed at the condiment counter and mumbled "over there" I told him there was no spoons..he jerked a box of spoons out from under the counter and handed me one I said that's ok I'll give my wife this spoon and I'll eat my chillie with my hands..he actually growled as he handed me a second spoon..we returned our food and got a refund, but I guess you feel I should have paid extra for the drinks that were already paid for, drank our chillie and just be thankful that employee actually took the time to take our order!! Ok here's another one we stepped inside Steak and Shake and was lead to a booth the waiter threw our menues in front of us did not wait to take our drink order he walked away about 15 minutes later he returned and took our order my Wife wanted a cherry coke..she never once said diet she hates diet drinks, I asked for a small chocolate shake...he returned another 15 minutes later with a diet cherry coke my Wife gagged and he took it back..about 10 minutes later he returned with her correct drink. I had to ask for my shake three times and when he did bring it finally he brought strawberry...I'm allergic to strawberries, he actually got upset because I wouldn't just drink the shake as it was when I'm informed him of my allergy he snatched up the shake spilling some of it on the table (we should have walked out on the spot, but we stayed like the gluttons for punishment we are), 15 minutes later he brought me my shake..he started to walk away I called him back and said we were ready to order he just walked away without a word..my jaw dropped then he returned I ordered a small salad and chillie 5 way with cheese and my Wife wanted a small salad and a large bowl of chillie with cheese..we asked him to bring out our salads first.. he walked away without a word..about 35 minutes later he returned with our food he brought everything, but our salads and crackers for our chillie there was also no cheese added to our chillie..by the time we got our salads and crakers we had finished the chillie..when it was time to pay we took our ticket walked to the counter dumber then a box of rocks was at the register counting the money inside, we stood there for about 10 mins. he never said a word or even looked up, I laid out ticket on the counter next to the register he then closed the register and just walked away..our usual waitress saw him and snapped "where do you think you're going?" he said "to the bathroom" he took the long way around and glanced at the table to see if we left him a tip, he glared our way then walked inside the mens room..we always leave the tip after we pay, we told her about the problems we had with him, she gave us a discount and an apology! I guess from your point of view we should not have ordered any drinks in particular we should have let him choose what we were to drink and eat, we also had no business asking for our salads first..but you know what that was our right as customers..we can order what we want how we want it and you as our server is suppose to abide by our wishes, after all that's what WE pay YOU for..you DON'T pay us after all! try to remember that!

"I have had "real" jobs since my years at Taco Bell and can honestly say that Taco Bell was the most demanding, hardest and all around worst job I've ever had, but I wouldn't trade it for anything." Good for you, by real job I hope you mean you no longer work with the public!

"I learned to treat the workers as people and I learned that just because you only make minimum wage, it does not mean that your job is easy." No real job is easy moron no one says it is all we are saying is everyone has hard jobs not just those in fast food or retail only difference is we don't think the customer owes us we believe we owe the customer great service with a smile, correct orders and when we do make a mistake offer an apology and a quick fix that is fair to the customer! According to you the customer isn't owed anything, but a glorious chance to hand over their hard earned money whether they get what they paid for or not..that in my opinion makes you really stupid and not fit to be in the work force..I hope I never have to order from, work with or for you!

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Amen to that commenter!

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Oh, quit yer whining. If you're not cut out for the work, then find something else to do. I worked in fast food when I was a teenager, and sure, the word is "hard," but it is hardly a sweat shop. The difference between workers today and workers back when I was a kid (in the '70s) is all about attitude. I am so sick of the attitude of servers that somehow THEY are doing ME a favor by putting a dry hamburger in front of me, sans the cheese that I ordered on it, and expecting me to be satisfied with that. Customers pay your salary, sweetie. If you don't want to make minimum wage, then get some schooling and do something else with your life. Nut no one's forcing you to be there, working for minimum wage; that was YOUR choice. But YOU are there to serve ME and your other customers and it is not unreasonable for a customer to expect their food order to be the right temperature, with the right food and condiments, side items and drinks that they ordered, and receive those items with a reasonable amount of courtesy and respect. Taco Bell, McDonald's, etc., did not become the multi-billion-dollar empires they are by treating their customers like they are dispensable and with an attitude that says, "We work hard so you're lucky to get what you get."