Food Service Workers Not Being Treated Fairly

Sometimes I think when going into a coffee shop, burger place or other fast food restaurant that it has to be one of the hardest jobs in retail. Not to take away from clothing and grocery store or another form, but there doesn’t seem to be the stigma that comes from working at a McDonald’s or Burger King. Nor the sometimes outright animosity customers will show these workers.

It’s hard enough to have to work with managers who look down their noses at you. Barking out orders to sweep the floor, wipe the tables and counters right in front of customers. These types of managers seem to think that just because they are ‘managers’ they can speak to the employee or ‘crew’ in any tone they wish. Granted a lot of food service workers are teens, it doesn’t mean you can demean them.  Oh, they don’t just reserve their speech for the young ones, oh no, they tend to speak that way to any ‘crew’ member working under them.

It seems it’s a way of them making themselves larger than they are. After all, they aren’t working for this Fortune 500 company in a corporate capacity, they are a lowly manager at the store level. They themselves had to slough through the insults of customers, the rudeness and contempt of managers to gain the position they are in. But at what cost?

, can’t say hello back to you when you say it first, and grab bags or coffee cups out of your hand.

Case in point to rudeness in customers, yesterday I was at a coffee shop. It’s a small one, more of a takeout place than anything. There was a line yes, but not an incredibly long one.

Male customer comes in, see the line and waits for a minute or so. After waiting far too long in his mind, he calls out loudly  so the entire restaurant can hear him. “Can someone else take a cash?” Then upon stepping up to the counter to order, he sees the lady who makes the sandwiches and again, loudly enough for everyone to hear, “Can someone else make the sandwiches, she’s slow.”

Since when are they your personal maids? Would you speak to your own family that way? Or to a boss? or friend? Then why do you feel it’s right to speak to these workers this way? They are trying to earn a living like everyone else and not being paid very well for the abuse they receive.

Now, I’m not saying all customers or managers are this way. There are some terrific managers and customers that are a dream to work for. It just seems that more and more customers tend to think they can speak any way they like to workers they deem not worthy of their time.

Would you like it if someone spoke that way to your child working in a fast food restaurant? Or if you yourself had to work there? Yes there are workers who are rude first, but there are times you have to think of what their day must be like.

Then I think it’s time to show the respect these workers deserve and say please and thank you. Have a great day.