Do you remember when you landed your very first job? I bet that you felt like you could conquer the world. At least, I did. It was like I was a new person. I (finally) had money in my pocket and I was ready to swipe my debit card like nobody's business. Your very first job is something that you will hold near and dear to your heart. It's an experience that will not be soon forgotten. For most teenagers, working in the fast food industry is a right of passage and if you were/are a Chick-fil-A employee, you'll more than likely be able to recognize these 15 signs.
1. You know where they hide the Chick-fil-A Sauce.
Just because I don't work here anymore, it doesn't mean that I don't know your secrets. Being an employee has caused me to become a CFA sauce hoarder and I'm not ashamed to say it. That said, I will definitely need more than one packet for my eight-count nugget meal.
2. "My pleasure," has been ingrained into every fiber of your being.
Even though it has been four years, if someone says, "Thank you," you bet that I'm going to respond with, "My pleasure." Is it annoying? Yeah, it probably is, but I have good manners, right?
3. Your drive-thru order is perfect.
"Yeah, I'll take a number two with American, no tomato, extra pickles, up-size fries, a regular lemonade and three Chick-fil-A sauces, please." It's impressive, no?
4. "Smile, eye contact, enthusiastic tone, stay connected."
It's just another mantra that will forever be part of my life.
5. Hosting duty was the absolute worst.
I cannot tell you how many times I have said, "Would you like your beverage refreshed," or, "Can I clear this tray for you?" No matter how hard you tried to keep the dining room spotless, there would be one kid who threw their chicken nuggets all over the floor. Your sanity was tested during every hosting shift, I kid you not.
6. You begged the scheduler to be nice to you.
If you were friends with the scheduling manager, your life was a dream. If not, it sucks to suck. Every CFA employee knew how, when, and who they should "suck-up" to when they wanted a good shift. You strove for bagging, window, or headset because who wants to interact with customers face-to-face at the counter?
7. It's called Polynesian sauce.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not pronounced as "Pomeranian sauce," "propaganda sauce," "polygon sauce," or whatever other "P" word that you crazy customers come up with.
8. Yes, you can get just 1 nugget.
I'm still not sure why you would ever want to do that.
9. Black sock checks were your demise.
Thanks to good old Chick-fil-A, my black sock collection has grown immensely. It is also important to note that you should never wash your CFA socks with your regular socks! Trust me.
10. If you wanted to text on the clock, you'd better be cleaning the playground
Even though cleaning the play-land is right up there with hosting, it was one of your only opportunities to take a peek at your phone, reply to texts, and check Twitter.
11. 4:00 to 9:00 shifts meant that you were on bathroom duty
This is relatively self-explanatory.
12. Squeezing lemons gave you better work than bicep curls.
I greatly attribute some of my upper body strength to squeezing lemons. After about two cases, you really are feeling the burn. At least you got a quick workout in on the clock. Although gaining muscle was awesome, nothing is worse than getting lemon juice splashed into your eyes.
13. You've seen everything and anything come through the drive-thru.
By everything, I really do mean everything. From cute dogs to circus monkeys, professional cyclists to people on foot, and everything in between, you've seen it all.
14. Kids nights were the best form of birth control.
With the amount of crying, screaming, and yelling children taking over the store on these nights, it's a pretty safe bet that you won't be having kids anytime soon.
15. These were your glory days.
Despite your numerous complaints, working at Chick-fil-A was one of the greatest experiences of your life. You've had countless laughs with coworkers, met some of your best friends, and you might even miss it (just a little bit). Chick-fil-A shaped who you are and, for that, you are forever grateful.
Even though my fast food days are over, Chick-fil-A will always hold a special place in my heart. From every eight-count nugget order to the countless hours spent in the cow suit, CFA made me into the person who I am today. Every time that I step foot into that restaurant, it's like I'm transcending time. I just want to get back into the game and bag orders before they go into the red. Just because I complained a lot and left every shift smelling like a chicken nugget, it doesn't mean that it wasn't "my pleasure" to work there. Like I said, you won't ever forget your first job!
