The food service industry is very popular, especially among teenagers. It's an easy way to make money because anyone can do it. But, there are a few things we'd like you to know.
1. When we're out of something, it has nothing to do with the associate. People get angry when the restaurant is out of their favorite food and a lot of times, feel the need to yell. The cashier is their first line of defense and therefore receives the brunt of the force. But, the lack of the item has nothing to do with us. We didn't go eat them all just so you couldn't have any. Either the restaurant was extra busy that day or they didn't make enough of whatever item or they just ran out of it and are waiting on a shipment. If the store is out of something, smile, say that it's okay, and either order something else or go somewhere else. It makes all the difference.
2. Learn the policy about clearing your own table. Some places have wait staff that clears the table, other places have all disposable items, and still other places have bus tubs to lay your dishes in to be collected. Learn what the store does. There's nothing worse than running around trying to clean up everyone's dishes from their tables on top of everything else you have to do. Going along with this, if the store has bus tubs, learn the correct places to put everything. It's makes the associate's job so much easier.
3. People make mistakes. If your food is made wrong, there's no need to yell about it. People make mistakes. Most likely, the person making your food was busy and probably just missed a step. We'll gladly make it again and will be even happier to make it if you're nice about it.
4. Know when the store closes. Having people walk in just a few minutes before close and seeing them order huge plates of food isn't fun. A lot of times, people just don't realize that it's time for the store to close. They're not being malicious; they just don't know. So if you think that the store is about to close, order to-go or even just eat quickly and try to make as little mess as possible, just to be polite.
5. Stay off the phone when you order. It's rude and honestly makes us feel awkward and like we can't talk to you like we need to in order to get you the right food. It's better for everyone in the long run if you hang up the phone for the few minutes it takes to order.
6. There's a menu for a reason. And sure, no one minds if you take off the tomatoes if you don't like them or ask for no onions because you're allergic. It's when you completely change the item so that it's not even close to anything on the menu. Of course, if you're at Subway, that's completely acceptable! But try hard to stick to the menu, you'll have a better chance at getting the right food (and it will probably be cheaper).
7. If the cashier is helping another customer, don't interrupt. Wait until we're finished to ask for a refill or whatnot. No one likes being interrupted, including the customer ordering.
8. If you have a huge order, call ahead. It will be ready more quickly for you and cause a lot less stress on the store. It's hard to get twenty pastries and two dozen bagels together at the drop of a hat and you will most likely get impatient with the time it's taking. Call ahead and we can avoid all of that!
9. "Please" and "thank you" go a long way. Associates appreciate manners more than you know. So try and use just the simple manners as you're going through the process. If I'm introducing myself or starting to say hello, don't cut me off with your order, I'm just trying to be courteous. Play along and then start your order after we've been through the formalities.
10. Don't be impatient. We're trying to get you taken care of as quickly as possible. How quickly you get your food depends on what you order and how many people are in front of you. We're trying our best, so try to be patient.
11. Don't fight over who's paying. It's beyond awkward for us when we're being thrust two different credit cards because you can't decide who's paying. We just know we're going to get yelled at whichever card we pick. So argue about it beforehand and just give us one card.
12. Order everything up front. When you complete your order and then decide you want to modify your salad, a lot of times, we have to remake it and the original one gets thrown away. It makes it a lot easier if you tell the cashier everything as you're ordering so we can avoid outrageous food costs and wasting food.
It's easy to have a good experience when going to an eatery if you just follow the rules you've been taught since you were a kid: be nice, be polite, don't yell at people. It's as easy as that. We love the customers who go out of their way to make us feel like humans and not just robots whose only purpose is to serve you. Politeness goes a long, long way.
