Have you ever gone into a fast food restaurant and been rude to the employees? Ever seen the person in front of you be rude and just look at the seething rage hidden just below the surface of said employee. Ever wonder why the employees at these places seem just so angry? Well, this is where you will find the answer why.
I work for a small fast food chain you've probably never heard of, but I guarantee I've been treated like the lowest form of dirt by people who seem to think they are better than me. It really isn't much to ask to go into my place of employment and be treated with respect by the patrons, but apparently decency is incredibly rare these days. I come into work everyday with a sunny disposition, and I try so incredibly hard to keep it that way, but there are only so many dirty looks, so many snappy fingers and attitudes that one can experience in an 8 hour shift before I start to get crabby and, to be quite honest, stop caring entirely. What you don't see when you come in is who I am. You see a 22 year old girl in a uniform, and you think to yourself' "clearly she is a loser because this is where she earns her money". True, this is not my ideal job, but it is a job and it pays me well enough to take care of myself and my 2 year old daughter. Before I come into work, I am a full time mommy to a very demanding boss. Being a mother is the single most rewarding thing I have ever experienced in my life, and taking care of her on my own is incredibly taxing. Her father refuses to pay child support, and therefor can't see her, which makes him try to make my life hell, but you don't see that and you probably don't care about that, but it does not give you the right to come into my work and look at me like filth. Let's go to a real example of this, shall we:
Me: *with a big inviting smile* Hi! How may I help you today?
Customer: I want a double cheese burger.
Me: Would you like everything on that?
Customer: Yes.
Me: And would you like the special today? You get a double cheese burger and a large fry for only $3.99.
Customer: *mumbles something I can't hear*
Me: I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I couldn't hear you.
Customer: Christ! I said 'Yes'. Are you deaf or do you just not pay attention?
Now, had I not had 2 grills, 3 fryers, 4 co-workers, and a line of customers around me making noise, I would've heard the customer just fine, but this is the real world and I can't read lips. I know you're thinking, "Well, this is just one person, you can't let it effect you". I don't, it's around the 10th person that it starts to work the nerves. I work hard at my job and I try my best to ensure each customer gets exactly what they ordered in a timely manner, I'm on my feet all day, I'm exhausted' and quite frankly, I don't need your crap. I don't come to your office and stand over you and yell at you and criticize you, why do you take your anger out on me?
The point of this blog is not only to vent my frustrations, but to hopefully reach people and see that I am not some brain dead burn-out. I am an intelligent woman who has been dealt a bad hand and is trying to fix her life as best as I can.
We are food service employees, We are people, and We deserved to be treated as such.
