Society is fast-paced. Everything is specially crafted for people that are constantly on the go. Multitasking has become a way of life, and most of the time, it is unavoidable. While many of us contrast in our trades, interests, and values, there is one thing that we all have in common: fast food! Fast food is effortless and cheap—perfect for someone who is always on a time-crunch. Fast food has become a necessity to people living in the United States. It helps busy mothers feed their families, hungry college kids get a meal between classes and studying, and anyone else that lives the on-the-go lifestyle so many of us experience today. There are hundreds of thousands of people that trail through fast food restaurants and drive thrus every day, and yet it seems that people rarely take a second from their busy lives to consider how they treat the people who work in these restaurants. Having managed a fast food restaurant for two years, I know how awful customers can be. Here are the ten things that make customers intolerable to the people who work in fast food restaurants, and if you can relate to any of these, you might be a bad customer!
1. Talking on the Phone While You Order
This is probably one of the most common habits amongst customers, and one of the most infuriating. There is nothing more rude than hushing the worker whose job is to take your order so that you can finish your phone-call. If you are planning to order food in a restaurant, finish your phone call first! You are not the only customer that we are required to serve, and being on the phone makes it difficult to move on to the next customer that needs helped.
2. PDA
There is nothing I hate more than PDA! I find it to be extremely awkward when I have to break up a make out session so that I can take a customer’s order. Ew! I always get the same reaction when I interrupt a couple’s moment; they are offended. Quite frankly, I am offended that they think I want to stand at the register watching them make out until they are ready to order their food. Not only is it extremely uncivilized to have your tongue down your significant other’s throat in the middle of a family restaurant, but it is excruciating for the people within the restaurant to watch. It’s like a bad car accident; you don’t want to look, but you can’t help it. Get a room and keep your affection to yourselves. It makes those surrounding you uncomfortable!
3. Complaining About the Price
People never seem to comprehend the fact that prices are mandated by the franchise owners or corporate headquarters, and not the people working at the store! There is not a day that I go into work that I don’t get a customer who wants to complain about the price of their food. There are prices listed for all the items on the menu board; if the price is going to be an issue, you should look at the prices before you order your food. There are many things that are in my power to accommodate an upset customer, but changing the prices is not one of them. Often, I get cursed at for my lack of ability to change a price for someone. No one should ever make a restaurant a hostile environment over something that the worker cannot control.
4. Poor Parenting
Watching people’s parenting skills is perhaps the most interesting part of my job in the food service industry. From the parents who couldn’t care less and let their children destroy my clean store, to the parents who scream uncontrollably at their unruly children; they are both equally as irritating. Every time I see a parent and child coming into my store, I can’t help but let out a huge sigh. More times than not, the children are extremely rebellious. They rarely listen to their parent’s instructions, which infuriates them and causes an upheaval of negative emotion that filters throughout the entire store and leaves an eerie feeling for the rest of their visit. Dealing with customers and their out of control children is considerably agonizing. Either parent better at home and discipline your children so that they listen to you, or leave the kids at home!
5. Throwing Your Money Across the Counter
You’re probably reading this and thinking that this doesn’t happen often, but I promise you it does! Some customers refuse to hand their money to me and they throw it across the counter instead. Throwing your money at a cashier is extremely disrespectful. Just hand it to them. We are human beings and do not deserve to be treated as less than. When you throw your money at me, it makes me want to throw your food right back across the counter at you. Unfortunately, I can’t do that, so instead I throw a sarcastic smile at you and tell you to have a fantastic day.
6. Belittling the Worker
Society today has elevated expectations for its youth, and understandably so. But no one wants to feel judged. I have had many customers make remarks to me about my job being low on the totem pole and that I need to aim higher. I am a full-time college student…and college isn’t going to pay for itself. I hate being criticized for my place of employment. My biggest advice to these customers is to keep your opinions to yourself. You don’t know someone’s life story and trying to imply that a person isn’t living their life the way that they should be, isn’t your place. Some people have different goals and aren’t concerned with having a prestigious career. Some people are happy with the jobs they have. You should never try to impose on someone else’s life because their choices do not have anything to do with you. My mother always told me that if I had nothing nice to say, then I shouldn’t say anything at all. Everyone should take this piece of advice into consideration before opening their mouth to say something that could hurt someone else’s feelings. Let people live their lives the way they want to!
7. Leaving a Huge Mess in the Dining Room
Where were you raised? The woods? While it is my job to clean the dining room and make it look pristine, customers should be considerate of the fact that I have to clean up their mess. There are times that I walk into the dining room and cringe because it is left so messy! People will drop an entire sandwich on the ground and leave it there, in addition to spilled drinks all over the ground, broken chips, used napkins, and straw wrappers everywhere. If that is how you leave a table in public without guilt, I would never want to see where you live! It was extremely surprising to me that people could do so much damage to a clean dining room and leave with a clean conscious. Every time that I have ever gone out to eat, I keep it as clean I possibly can. My biggest piece of advice? Aim for your mouth, not the floor!
8. Neediness
This sounds a little odd, but I absolutely loathe needy customers. In contrast to widespread belief, people that work in restaurants are not just responsible for making your food. There is prep and an ungodly amount of cleaning that needs to be done; when you are constantly coming back up to the counter to ask for things, it makes it hard to complete all the other work that needs to be done. I have had customers come up to the counter over ten times during one visit to ask me for things like: napkins, extra mayo, and other things that they should have asked for when they originally ordered their food. The worst thing about needy customers is that they generally see no problem in interrupting me when I am with another customer.
9. Expired Coupons!
Customer’s expect special treatment all the time. People expect me to break the rules for them and give them discounts as well as accept expired coupons. I am never allowed to accept expired coupons, that is why they have an expiration date! If you couldn’t come into the restaurant before your coupon expired, that is on you. Most of the time, people are rude about it; don’t expect me to get myself into trouble so that you can save a dollar, especially if you are being rude. If you want someone to break the rules for you, you should probably at least ask nicely. If you are rude to me, I have no interest in helping you.
10. Holding Up the Line
LOOK AT THE MENU BEFORE YOU GET IN LINE. There is nothing more annoying than waiting 15 minutes for you to decide what you want while there is a huge line of annoyed customers behind you. Not only do I have to deal with you being indecisive, but after you leave I have to deal with all of the angry people behind you that expected FAST food. Be respectful of those surrounding you.
Of all the annoying things that customers do daily, these things are by far the worst. If you can relate to any of these things, I suggest you try to make a change. Remember that even though we work in the food service, we are still people and deserve to be treated with respect. We are paid to do a job that many people would hate to have, but someone must do it. If we weren’t there to make your lives easier and make your dinner for you, then you would have to take time out of your busy lives to actually cook for yourselves! Treat us with respect and we will surely do the same for you.
And remember, if you are a bad customer, we do remember you the next time you come in.