What's the worst thing about working in fast food?

Question

NamerOfStars · Accepted Answer

From my experience, the amount of food you see thrown out. I worked in fast food shortly after a time when prolonged unemployment left me just shy of homeless (I only have a roof over my head as a way of solving a complicated family situation) and surviving off of plasma donations. If you've never given plasma, it's a lot like giving blood; it just takes longer, and so they compensate you for your time (since it's illegal to SELL blood, but they need it for research and stuff). The difference in attitude, however, is enormous: when you're giving blood, you're a hero; when you're giving plasma, you're livestock. And if they happen to insert the needle wrong and you wind up with a massive internal bruise that keeps from donating for two weeks? Oh, well. Next!

It doesn't feel that way to YOU, not when you've lost your only source of income and have to go scrounging for dandelions again, since those calories are free and no one cares if you pick them. And some of those herbicides you just CAN'T wash the taste away from, even if you clean off enough so that you don't get cancer from them.

Even in America, poverty sucks.

And then you get a job, and have regular income! You get to eat like a human! And then you see just how much food gets tossed out, and it makes you absolutely sick, thinking of how, a couple of miles away, there are people who haven't eaten in a day and a half, standing beside the road with "Please help" signs. We weren't supposed to take tips, but I always did- and donated every damned PENNY of them to the local food depository.

Diodoro · Accepted Answer

I never worked at a fast-food restaurant, but I did work in the restaurant industry so there is some overlap. I would say the most annoying thing is the lie that this job is somehow a Launchpad for another opportunity job wise

It really is not LOL. Unless you work at a place like McDonald's that may pay for your college tuition to where you go to school to learn a trade of some kind, trying to get a better job that way.

The best you can expect from a place like McDonald's is becoming a manager at McDonalds. That's about it, anything else you're going to have to learn on your own.

Personal opinion, the only benefit at working at a fast-food restaurant or any restaurant as a kid is to develop work capacity in any job. Unless you're going fir something like bartender that excites you there is little value

Bhrianne · Accepted Answer

From my experience at McDonalds the bosses were perverted and rude and just horrible beings. Thats my experience. I moved to another McDonalds and they were lovely. But I still feel like im messed up from my experience there. One boss asked me if I wanted to "have fun with him" and that was my second week.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Toss up between the bad pay, the unreliable hours, bad managers and bad customers.

hahahmm · Answer

I worked at 5 fast food joints when I was a teenager. Most were okay. The worst stuff I saw at a few places: Managers stealing and blaming it on the staff. Rats all over and getting into condiment stuff but nobody would tell the customers. The dumb owner who hired his girlfriend and let her break all of the rules while expecting everyone else to follow the rules. Learning how even tho a restaurant might have 8-10 people working the whole place could be run by just 2 people. Guess what will happen when restaurants are forced to pay much higher wages.

MCheetah · Answer

I worked in fast food when I was 18 and 19. It was a Taco Bell/Pizza Hut two hours away from where I lived. The hard work and sh*tty pay will always be the worst thing about it. Oh, and the complete waste of perfectly editable untouched food that they don't allow you to take home or give away cause they're assholes.

pickedcrisps · Answer

Makes the diet bad for the long run.

And sometimes the pay was crap. The stress was hard.

Worst of al: it was hard to please everybody let alone ourselves at the end of every shift.

The drive to do the job well comes from happy customers and happy colleagues/managers. The opposite often too often is what made it a real drainer.

I lasted 5 years and quit on the spot 🙂😁😒👍🙄😜

G5TWA1 · Answer

never worked in fast food but a friend of mine who did told me that some costumers think that because they work there that they are idiots with no future, he said once a woman told his kid to study hard not to end up working there, little does she know most people there are students

NathanDavis · Answer

Never worked at fast food... but I am quite sure that the worst thing about pretty much any job and work place is people, "people" are the worst, everywhere, anywhere.

AndrewMG · Answer

So during my Uni/college days I did loads of part time work working at sports venues/festivals/concerts where I was mostly selling fast food/booze... I mean I've got a respectable job now but not once have I laughed as much as I did when I worked in those jobs. So the worst thing is it left me with an unrealistic expectation about what fun you can have whilst working.

paradiseonearth93 · Answer

When you have a broken heart or something devastating happened and you have to work and you have to get through the day being surrounded by demanding and rude people

Jessica405 · Answer

I just had my first week as a waitress in a big, popular cafe. The worst thing? Every fucking thing! I am made to feel like I should be running to and from my tables. The shit from some customers, too!

Flower7 · Answer

I've never worked in fast food, but from my observation, rude customers, a stressful work environment because of being rushed around by the supervisor, and regularly being understaffed seem to be the worse issues.

CuriousJC · Answer

The worst thing of all fast food restaurants in the fact that the customers are too impatient for their food. They complain, they rush and it's too hard to remember a hundred orders at once.

jshm2 · Answer

That it's not food - it's basically processed chemicals posing as food. Also that it's not very fast.  One of my friends owns several fast food franchises and he doesn't eat there either.

DizzyDesii · Answer

Standing all day or cooking or seeing classmates. I hate both lol.

ChiPaPa · Answer

Customers. Like yo, don't order ten of the big sandwiches where there's a sign that says, we have a skeleton crew and expect them to be there all the time on time. I feel sorry for understaffed places struggling.

Still-alive · Answer

People look down in you for working at one and some treat you like garbage there too.

Wester1967 · Answer

The customers who think they must be treated like the bloody Queen of England over some curly fries

Rachelspiks · Answer

Trying to catch the food as it runs away from you. :)(I just bet most people won't get the joke)

hellacray · Answer

I've never worked in fast food but I'd say dealing with stupid customers.

DarkCarousel · Answer

Smelling like the food when you leave and feeling greasy from being in the kitchen area.

EmbraceThePain · Answer

Perhaps the negative or hostile treatment by the customers that can occur quite frequently.

jennifer_bloom · Answer

I would say bad co workers and high exposure to junk food.

JakeS00 · Answer

Probably fitting in because you're trying to make somewhat of a living and some people can be difficult.

B4852 · Answer

Never worked in fast food. But I'd imagine dealing with the people. Seen so many people not being polite.

t-8900 · Answer

I've never worked in fast food and never will work in fast food.

Gwenhwyfar · Answer

Pimples from all the grease? No decent place to hook up?

tomtom05131 · Answer

I’ve never worked in fast food, but I had a friends with benefits with a young girl who worked at 5 guys. She always smelled of that place until she showered.

TheSpaceGnome · Answer

low pay grade, long hours, and poor sanitation level.

exitseven · Answer

Long hours, low pay, stand on your feet all day, wear a funny uniform.

FinalFantasyBro · Answer

I haven't worked in fast food so I wouldn't technically know.

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

I worked at Macdonald's once when I 20 years old.  I hated the 💩💩💩 customers. I lasted 1 week then I quit.

SmokinAces2000 · Answer

Well when I was a teenager the worst thing was trying to pick up a girl while wearing an ugly uniform and smelling like stale fries 😂

Anonymous · Answer

Dealing with customers when they come in being ignorant/rude/think they come before everyone else

blondfrog · Answer

The lowage and the customers treating you like shit.

BigKevHanma · Answer

The same thing at every job Lazy coworkers and horrible bosses

ReyWolfgang · Answer

I worked at Wendy's and BK boyfriend and it's definitely the old mean lady that works with you if you have one 😭

Anonymous · Answer

The amazing level of stupidity. From the management, to the other employees to the I'm sorry to say customers.

Totesperf · Answer

From someone who worked in Customer Service Fast-Food joints for Seven years, there's too much to decide on one thing. The biggest one? Angry people every day.

Shy_Steve · Answer

It can be a very fast paced environment and a lot of times you only do small hours.

Twalli · Answer

You are also required to do maintenance, such as cleaning the bathroom.

SpaceGalaxy · Answer

having to clean the toilets at the end of your shift

Relux47 · Answer

I’ve never worked in fast food and I am happy that I don’t

Tabasco25 · Answer

It was cute when the industry first started out but now it's grown up more like penny wise.

Whatthefluff · Answer

The management and the pay.

Zoi420 · Answer

My ex. Boss i work for 2 hours. Got sent home early a lot of times. Tried firing me “for not coming in” which was kinda true. But they changed schedule without telling me.

karaspara · Answer

No tips and rude customers

TurningGraves · Answer

Probably the pace of things.

Joker_ · Answer

Nothing. It's all good

ChefPapiChulo · Answer

Why are you planning on getting a job at one?

suisuiola · Answer

Customers? Store hygiene?

Finchie40 · Answer

Eating it constantly and getting fat lol

GoodGuyBreakingBad · Answer

Ones attempted to eat fast food on their break

Shamiah02 · Answer

Never did it, thankfully

dreamstar72 · Answer

People like customers

DJB72 · Answer

Trying to get the smell out of your hair

Ms_Vanderquack · Answer

The customers.

Anonymous · Answer

Running out of spit i should imagine.

ManHater · Answer

PAY and people treat you like shit.

OddBeMe · Answer

When I was there, the smell

TheAfrikan · Answer

That apetite for food can go missing in a action.

Adam1978 · Answer

The salary?

A_Nihilist · Answer

Probably the customers.

What's the worst thing about working in fast food?

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