Fast Food With A Side of Poor Service? Nah! Not Me!

Today I visited two fast food restaurants — one in Missouri and one in Illinois where I live. Honestly, I am no fast food junkie although I do indulge once in a while. I had business in Missouri so today was just one of those days, okay?

I was not greeted at either establishment, had to wait at one location for at least 45 seconds before anyone recognized that I was in the drive-thru (although there was only one car on the lot), and made a mental note to go to neither store ever again.

One of the persons who accepted payment from me just took my card, charged it, and handed it back to me without a word. When I facetiously said, “You’re welcome,” she mechanically repeated, “You’re welcome.” Perhaps she had been recently reprimanded and was still into her feelings; however, regardless of the reason, it was obvious that she did not want to be at work there today. At least the person who handed me the food I had ordered thanked me and bid me have a good day.

When I arrived at the window of the second restaurant (it offers a very much over-priced limited-time specialty item that isn’t even that good), I waited nearly a full minute before being recognized. Since I received no apology for the delay, and seeing no evidence of an extraordinary circumstance that may have delayed her, except for the phone conversation she was carrying on, I assumed that maybe that staff person’s phone call was the reason for her inattention to me. Maybe I overreacted since really, I’m nobody — just a paying customer.

I have observed this kind of behavior, particularly at fast food restaurants, for quite a while and have only talked about contacting restaurant owners and managers to offer training of their staff (I hold a master’s degree in educational studies, as well as a master of theological studies degree which may qualify me just a little to offer that kind of service). However, since most of the offending staffers are black, I suspect that owners may be wary of disciplining them for fear of racial discrimination charges.

Not only is tolerating this kind of behavior unfair to owners and managers because I and the many others like me simply won’t spend our money at these places, but it is also unfair to these workers when they can treat the owners’ customers with these attitudes and have no expectation of consequences. It is especially egregious when this means that owners put up with this madness so they can pay these workers less than their white counterparts.

Some people just like fast food, but as high as prices for this food have become, they should not have to pay to be treated poorly as well.