When I turned 16 years old I immediately I knew I wanted to work. Now you may be wondering why I was in such a hurry because many people say, “you have your whole life to work” and while that is true, I wanted to gain more control of my life. Before I was able to legally apply for a minimum wage paying job, I had spent previous summers mowing lawns. This was a good way to get some cash in my pocket, but as I got older, I wanted to have a steady check coming in so I could start saving for things such as a car and college.
Back in May of 2020 I decided to take on my first real job. Coming from a small town there were not many options to choose from so my ultimate decision was to work in fast food. This job may not seem appealing to most people, especially teenagers because its “gross” or “too much” but honestly, I’m so grateful that I made this decision. I worked and currently still work at a Canadian owned chain restaurant, Tim Horton’s. This fast-food chain is known for mainly their coffee and donuts but serve other items like breakfast and lunch sandwiches. To be honest, the main two reasons why I chose to work there was because at the time I had some friends who were working there, and I knew that making $14.50 an hour would allow me to fulfill my financial goals.
My first few weeks working there were filled with ups and downs. The first week when I was training was very overwhelming because I felt like a chicken running around with my head cut off. I was trying to figure out how to type in all the items correctly on the order screen, learning how to work the register, while also being taught how to make every drink and food item on the menu. Now in a week, (technically working only 5 days) this is a lot to memorize before your completed with your training period. On top of finally getting comfortable with the job, I had to deal with many customers. Some customers are very relaxed and came to get served then move along with their day. If only everybody was like this then life would be perfect. I remember vividly that during my second week of work there was a customer who came into the store and told me that his sandwich had been made wrong. At the time this was when the COVID-19 pandemic was occurring so we technically couldn’t take back any food or drinks for health pre-cautions. I explained to the guy that we would be more than happy to remake his food and all he had to do was throw away the incorrect sandwich. Immediately he got super angry and was starting an argument over something so simple. My manager came over and addressed the situation, but the guy was still very upset, yelling and eventually unwrapped his food and smeared it all over the lobby window. He left right away and, on his way, out he tipped over all the trash cans and ash trays outside and drove through the grass just because he refused to throw out the old item. I remember that day when I went home, I was thinking to myself “what did I just get myself into”. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the last incident and there have been so many customers I have encountered that make your job way more difficult than it needs to be.
After 3 years of working there I have gotten used to what people may say or do just to get a reaction out of you or make your day miserable. I don’t even pay attention to customers like this anymore because honestly, it’s not worth the energy to get upset over something that lasts about 5 minutes. Thinking back on it today, I am glad I decided to work here because not only did it allow me to earn money, but it also gave me some leadership experience and brought on more responsibility. Without this job I wouldn’t have been able to buy my own car or save more money towards college. Another benefit of working was that I have made so many relationships with my co-workers and even regular customers. If you’re debating on ever working in fast food, although it may seem scary or not be your first option, I would recommend it. I guess my point of sharing this experience is to let you know that sometimes in life we will have to put up with things or people that will create some sort of stress or obstacle.