I have been working in the foodservice industry for a couple weeks now, and I can confidently say that you've become angry at a foodservice worker at some point in your life. Fact. Now, if you recall one of these times, is it due to service being slow, food being cold, a wrong order, or something in this nature? Guess what: We did not do this purposefully, this was a genuine mistake. We are people too.
I have personally worked with some of the most kind-hearted, genuine, uplifting people, from college freshmen to seniors (citizens, that is), while working in the food service industry. We work long hours, receive minimal breaks, deal with all sorts of dilemmas and personalities, work through communication barriers, and still must live up to our quality food product and customer service. Yes, it is our job to do every single one of these, but I don't see many people my age busting theirs at a job working twenty hours a week trying to juggle life as an incoming freshman.
I'm expected to wake up Monday through Thursday, go to a full day of classes, and report to work fifteen minutes later for a closing shift of five hours, come home at ten PM, and still be expected to finish my assignments, study for my college classes, and take care of myself while having a balanced social life and sleep routine. Other coworkers have families at home to take care of, their childrens' performances to attend, a second job they have after this shift, and many other life factors that all boil down to the satisfaction of a customer.
An astounding amount of pressure is placed on every one of us, from cashiers to cooks.
As workers, we cannot just run to the bathroom and cry about our lack of sleep or step outside for a moment to collect ourselves when we're overwhelmed with stress during a rush. Each one of us has a duty to each other, our company, our customers, our managers, and ourselves.
Complaining about your order not being exactly what you wanted even when I try to make the situation right and resolve any issues just doesn't fly with me. We are human; people make mistakes. Although we each put in our best effort to do our jobs most accurately and efficiently as possible, slip ups do happen, and instead of complaining about having to wait one more minute for us to fix your order, just be courteous and polite, as we are trying to do as well.
One common misconception is that the foodservice industry is the lowest of the low in terms of jobs. We've all heard one of our teachers telling us that if we don't get a decent education we'll be "flipping burgers" or "busting tables" for the rest of our lives. So explain to me this: Who would be making your coffee at seven AM for you or flipping patties for your Double Whopper at two AM if no one worked in the foodservice industry? Society doesn't appreciate foodservice workers enough, even though the vast majority of our economy is based in foodservice.
If you think you're too superior to ever work in the foodservice industry or associate yourself with a foodservice worker, just know that we would gladly prefer to turn down your business. Even if working in the foodservice industry isn't your ultimate career goals in life, it's an amazing place to start to gain knowledge and experience for many other careers like advertising, customer service, culinary arts, and business. And hey, extra cash.
Many of my coworkers chose a job in the foodservice industry over other jobs that probably would've paid more than minimum wage, others chose to work in the foodservice industry to provide their families with better opportunities. Sacrifices are made; decisions are ours. We don't need your validation about our choices of employment. I absolutely love working as a foodservice worker, and my coworkers make my day positive even in Tampa's torrential downpours.
Remember, foodservice workers aren't your personal servants and chefs; we have real lives, real families, and real feelings, and we are people too.
