HUMANITY

Dealing with “Hangry” Customers

Fast food workers deserve more credit for what they do

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. — Margaret Cousins

Several weeks ago, before the mask mandate was lifted, I ran into a local fast food joint to pick up my order when I saw a man arguing with the cashier.

He was most likely in his late 30s and had come in with his wife and young daughter.

The man asked the cashier why he could not dine inside the restaurant as a couple of other people were eating inside.

At the time, a large sign clearly displayed on the door that indoor dining was prohibited at this restaurant.

The cashier was a young man who looked somewhat flustered and had difficulty dealing with the angry customer. So, he beckoned to another employee to assist him.

The other employee was a confident young woman who calmly explained to the upset gentleman that the other people dining inside were not customers but were employees of the fast-food joint.

He asked again in a defiant tone if they really were employees. When she replied that indeed they were actual restaurant employees, he left in a huff with his family.

I noticed him snapping a picture of the sign on the door as he left the establishment.

Closing Thoughts

I fail to realize why the man could not take the restaurant employees’ words at face value. It was almost as if he were arguing for the sake of argument.

He seemed just to want to prove he was right.

My hats off to the young lady who held her composure when dealing with this irate customer. She kept calm, cool, and collected throughout the entire exchange. Her attitude set the tone for her interaction with the customer that day.

It must be challenging to deal with customers day in and day out. We do not give these restaurant industry workers enough credit.

We need to thank these people for their patience in dealing with these rude customers.

Fast food work is usually low-paying and often requires employees to learn a corporate-mandated set of strict procedural requirements while still being flexible enough to meet customer demands.

The next time you ever find yourself upset at a restaurant service worker, keep in mind how hard they work to serve you.

Do not forget to save some room for gratitude.

What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments.

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