When I applied to work at McDonald's three years ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. When I got the job, my family and friends started making bets that I wouldn't last more than a month. "You're too nice," they told me. "Why not get a job in retail?" I was hesitant of accepting the job, but my best friend who worked at a different McDonald's liked it, so I gave it a chance.
The fast food industry has one of the largest turnover rates of any market and I was sure I was going to be another statistic. From the fast-paced environment, rude customers and low pay, I didn't even think I would last more than a month.
Three years later, I love McDonald's more than ever and can't picture what the last three years would have been like without McDonald's in my life. I can almost guarantee I am the only person you will ever meet who loves working at McDonald's. I don't plan on making it a career obviously, but I am going to enjoy it as long as I can.
Coming up on three and a half years of working there, I can't help but reflect on some of the things I have learned:
1. You can't please everyone.
I could give someone the freshest, most delicious fries in the world and those fries still won't please a certain customer. I could replace someone's entire order and they still won't be pleased and they'll throw their bag of food at me instead (that actually happened). Like the real world, you can't please everyone.
2. If you can handle working in fast food, you can pretty much handle anything.
Most people view a fast food company as the easiest place someone can work. "It's just fast food. You just take orders and serve food," I've heard multiple times. While that is true, it's much more than that. I have to have a high tolerance for people who are rude to me. I have to deal with snarky comments when someone is pissed off that we are out of something or if their sandwich was made wrong. We clean the store constantly to be up to code. We have to provide the best customer service possible or we will get complaints. It's not just "serving food."
3. You will either love the food or hate the food after working there for a while.
After working at McDonald's for nearly three and a half years, I am guilty of loving the food more than I did before. If I go more than a week without eating McDonald's, I have withdrawals and start craving a frappe or their french fries.
4. Your coworkers feel like family.
I have worked with some of my coworkers since my first day. My coworkers feel like family. They ask me about my day, how college is treating me, what I am studying, what my weekend plans are, etc. When someone quits, it's sad because it can be difficult to keep in touch. They are not just my coworkers, they are my friends.
5. You have to learn to be nice to people even if they're rude.
I have had people swear at me, yell at me, call me every bad word in the book, throw a bag of food at me, tell me I'm an idiot because I work at McDonald's, etc. As much as I want to call them every bad word in the book sometimes, I'm on the job and I'm getting paid so I have to keep my cool and be nice to them anyways. If you get mouthy with every person who's rude to you, you'll never make it in the real world. Like I said before, if you can handle working at McDonald's, you can pretty much handle any job.
6. Some people are rude to you because they had a bad day. Others are just plain rude.
Some people are rude because they had a terrible day or they're tired. While it's no excuse to be rude to someone just doing their job, it's a part of life. Other people are rude because they're just terrible people in general.
7. Customers expect everything to be perfect.
If their order is wrong, customers get pissed. If their order took too long, they get pissed. If we're out of a product, they get pissed. If a machine breaks, they get pissed. If we raise our prices, they get pissed. I'm sorry your order was wrong, we made a mistake. I'm sorry your order took too long, we were short-staffed. I'm sorry we are out of a product, I don't order the food on the truck. I'm sorry the machine broke, I don't control it. I'm sorry we raised our prices. I don't want to pay $1.33 for a small fry either, but I didn't decide to increase minimum wage and I don't control inflation. Customers expect us to be perfect. News flash: we're human just like you.
8. Everyone has a story. Just because people work there doesn't mean they're dumb.
Too many people view fast food workers as idiots who were too stupid to go to college. Other people view fast food workers as people who are never going to accomplish anything in life. Others view fast food workers as people who are too lazy to get a "real" job. While I'm pretty good at keeping my cool when someone is rude to me, nothing pisses me off more than an ignorant customer who judges our character. For all the people who think fast food workers are only working there because we are too dumb to attend college, news flash: I'm in college, a couple people who just graduated high school are going to college in the fall and a few of my coworkers are either in college or aspire to go to college. Fast food workers are not dumb. Sometimes our lives guide us in different directions. For people who think fast food workers are too lazy to get a "real" job, news flash: they would be lazy if they didn't have a job at all. Some people are just living off the government. My coworkers work long hours so they can provide for their family. The economy is tough and getting a decent job can be extremely difficult. Fast food workers aren't dumb or lazy; we are people who are working to survive.
Since I started working at McDonald's in 2013, my life has been changed. I too used to judge fast food workers. I too used to get pissed off if my order wasn't perfect. I, too, used to get pissed off if my order took too long. Since I started working at McDonald's, I have gained a new perspective on life and people. Just because someone works in fast food doesn't mean they are stupid. Just because someone works in fast food doesn't mean they are too lazy to get a "real" job. Fast food workers aren't perfect, we are human. We need to stop judging a book by its cover. Besides, if I or any of my coworkers didn't work in fast food, how else would you get your McDouble?
