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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLost my temper over my pet peeve
I have always had a problem with people who treat fast food workers like crap, you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat animals and low wage workers. The workers had made a mistake on his $7.00 order and he lost it so bad there there were flecks of spittle flying from his unmasked mouth and I suddenly realized this guy works with me! I tried to clam him down and finally had enough when this 6 foot 220 pound guy started physically threatening the female workers, I shoved him around pretty good and made him apologize. The idiot complained to the guy who owns the company we work at and he talked to me and said he was going to look into this because he can't have employees getting into physical confrontations. He left and showed up awhile later with the police following him, they took my coworker into custody and took my statement, my boss walked by me and said "you did good". I'm just happy I controlled my temper for once, last time I stepped into a situation I did 90 days for beating the crap out of a guy who punched his girlfriend.
It doesn't cost anything to treat others with respect, these people are the same as anyone else just struggling to get by they deserve at least a smile.
bamagal62
(3,218 posts)In retail, work at a fast food restaurant, or wait tables. Then you wouldnt have people that treated these workers like crap. Ive done 2 of the 3 and always try to be patient and I always tip well.
I've worked every position in food service, from dishwasher to management.
If nothing else, I now have a bit of PTSD.
The positive note is that waitstaff get treated like treasured friends when they serve my table, even if they're complete strangers. They are guaranteed a generous tip. I always send a little something to the cook.
Funny thing: if I'm with a date, this makes an impression on them.
bamagal62
(3,218 posts)Neema
(1,151 posts)at sixteen. I worked in retail or food service throughout high school, college, grad school, and a couple years beyond. Its unbelievable the way people think they can treat you. More unbelievable that they think theyre going to get better or faster service by doing so.
dixiechiken1
(2,113 posts)Frankly, that's a special kind of stupid, IMO.
Neema
(1,151 posts)that, if they asked for a cookie or muffin or something, I gave them the smallest, least appetizing looking one. And when I worked for a custom frame shop, assholes' orders were dropped to the bottom of the priority list. They got them by the date promised, but never a moment earlier even if we had time to get them done. My coworkers and I had an unofficial blacklist of people who treated any of us badly, and likewise a list of people who always got special treatment because they were awesome.
Whenever someone tells me about how they always have a bad experience at a place that's always been great whenever I've visited, I wonder if that person did something to get blacklisted.
magicarpet
(13,935 posts)Leith
(7,802 posts)I hate it when people bully those who can't fight back.
This happens to bank tellers, too.
zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)I always try to remember that the person with whom I am engaging probably has little to no authority to really do anything about the problem. But it becomes problematic for me when they either try to justify their response, or they attempt to suggest that they actually can exercise some authority, but won't. It's about that time my temper can flair. When it comes to minimum wage employees, my general intent is to disengage as quickly as possible. They can't do anything and more often than not, they don't have the skills if there was anything they could do.
JoeOtterbein
(7,697 posts)Unless someone is physically attacked, please do not do that again.
Call 911 to let them deal with it.
druidity33
(6,435 posts)as a 20+ year kitchen worker (grocery store). I wouldn't encourage a customer to do what he did... but i wouldn't DIScourage it either. I am NOT ALLOWED to speak frankly to an asshole customer and the cops near me will DO NOTHING about these situations. They have even told us not to call about maskless customers anymore.
paleotn
(17,778 posts)That's exactly right. I couldn't agree more. A lot of folks wouldn't have cared. Particularly if the perpetrator was a co-worker. But you did. You did the right thing.
question everything
(47,263 posts)ripcord
(5,081 posts)DanieRains
(4,619 posts)I eat so much fast food I kinda know them.
canetoad
(17,088 posts)".....happy I controlled my temper for once...."
Grokenstein
(5,707 posts)hamsterjill
(15,214 posts)I have a thing about bullies myself, and I do animal rescue. You can definitely tell a lot about someone in how they treat other living creatures be it two legged or four legged.
Glad you were there to handle things.
BobTheSubgenius
(11,535 posts)Good for you for both dealing with the situation, and keeping yourself out of trouble. As a side benefit, your boss respects you more.
Here is a quote that I like, because I think it sums it up well.
"Someone can be the nicest person to his friends, family and everyone he knows, but if he's rude to the waiter, he's not a good person."
JoeOtterbein
(7,697 posts)The is why food industry workplace safety professionals want you to call 911 ASAP instead, of responding with physical force when ever possible.
Please do not listen to the recs or positive comments above. Doing what you did with the creep, can cost you much more than 90 days in the slammer.
You, and the people you were rightly defending, could end up much worse.
liberal_mama
(1,495 posts)cashier because she squished his bread a little. He made a huge deal of it and demanded a manager bring him a new loaf. The bread looked fine to me. The cashier looked so upset. I was a fan of his and my heart was broken. He was not a nice person at all!
True Dough
(17,090 posts)Do tell! Please PM me, just to satisfy my curiosity.
liberal_mama
(1,495 posts)When this happened, it was the Buffalo Bills glory Superbowl years, so everyone knew who he was when he was acting like that. His wife was with him and she didn't say anything, although she did look embarrassed.
True Dough
(17,090 posts)He really suffered badly from cancer after his career. I won't go near the "karma" thing because nobody deserves that.
druidity33
(6,435 posts)Lived in Buffalo for 10 years or so... during those same years ('89-'98). Saw Jim Kelly at the Mall with his partner and kid. Walked up to him with my girlfriend at the time to ask for an autograph (respectfully of course) and the guy SCREAMED at me, threatened to call the cops, pushed me to the tiled floor and walked away in a rage. I'm 5'8" ish and 135 on a heavy day so i skidded on my but for a few feet. A few onlookers were like "Was that Jim Kelly?" and i was like "yeah, but don't ask him for an autograph".
OTOH I waited on Doug Flutie's table once at a cafe i worked at and he was the NICEST guy ever. Left me a Fantastic tip and made everyone in the cafe laugh out loud a few times...
Xavier Breath
(3,524 posts)He always seemed like such a nice guy, especially throughout his whole cancer ordeal. Just goes to to show you that a public persona may be hiding a different person altogether.
MLAA
(17,162 posts)Hope it isnt one Ive ever cheered for.
vercetti2021
(10,150 posts)I wanna buy you a meal and a beer. I would have done the same thing. I have a temper like that.
KPN
(15,585 posts)your short story touched my emotions and made me feel good about you. So in that light, its not so weird, just open and honest.
On edit, let me just add to that. That was one powerful short story with way more packed into it than its length would imply. It said so darn much. Thanks for sharing. Btw, I use story in a positive way our lives are made up of short stories. That one was related exceptionally concisely and well.
alwaysinasnit
(5,037 posts)JMCKUSICK
(197 posts)MSM media is especially guilty of this but we need to stop referring to our brothers and sisters as "These People".
99% of us are "These People" and the very best thing we can do is to remember that. Are we so far removed from that part of our life, past or current, that we can't simply act in a manner that says what you do to him/her you do to me?
I'll close with this. Whenever i go into a business, I remember the countless times I was told as an employee that i should act as if I owned the company. I try to remember to speak to him/her like I'm talking to the owner.
Just my two cents.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Tommy Carcetti
(43,079 posts)...who recommended a meal that I wasn't aware was a $1 upcharge from my intended order.
The manager, hearing me upset, came over, apologized and handed me a dollar refund.
And at that moment, I immediately felt like an asshole. I don't think I've ever felt like a bigger asshole than I did at that very moment. I was completely and utterly ashamed and embarassed for myself.
The kid was just doing his job, and I should have known it was an upcharge.
So I did the only thing I could possibly do to make it right.
I went back and apologized to the cashier and gave him the dollar.
LAS14
(13,749 posts)JohnnyRingo
(18,580 posts)...her mother told her and her sisters that to see if a man is worthy, watch how he treats people he can abuse with immunity, like wait staff and service employees.
She married Sherrod Brown so that tells me all I have to know about both of them.
momta
(4,076 posts)My three brothers and I all grew up working there. As the only girl I had the most contact with the customers.
One day a customer placed an order, and I told him it would be ten minutes because we were cooking more chicken. After a few minutes he began yelling at me (this was the drive thru), calling me stupid and "an idiot". He had heard "two" instead of "ten" and was outraged. I was fourteen, and broke into tears, gave him his money back, and wouldn't work the counter for weeks.
It took years for me to realize that HE was the asshole, and that I wasn't an idiot. It really shook me.
Thank you for stepping in. I hope the customer service person understood immediately who the asshole was in this case.
Evolve Dammit
(16,632 posts)Buckeye_Democrat
(14,846 posts)... they treat you like you're royalty.
My ex-wife was so disrespectful to employees in restaurants. I was often apologizing to them about it, returning to leave tips after she'd insisted otherwise, etc.
Just a matter of time until I was "dirt" to her as well.
No, her name wasn't Karen. Lol!
Edit:
She wanted MY food returned sometimes too, but I was like, "No, no, no... it's fine! Please let go of my plate! Keep it here, thank you!"
And I was truly okay with orders not quite being right! Not to mention how I probably would've been eating some bodily fluids from a replacement plate, after her behavior!
George McGovern
(5,410 posts)I was raised with the Golden Rule. Ever since I have done unto others as I'd want them to do unto me. In rare extreme circumstances I have elevated the maxim with "to do unto my mother," because she would not have put up any of their crap.