My confessions as a fast food+restaurant employee.

[pBLU-RAYs3]

The things I have eyewitnessed while working at both of these places. Both are franchises. I no longer am employed in this industry. One is a subs fast food place, the other is a dining type style that you find common on street corners, shopping malls. I choose not to name for personal reasons. It was a wake-up eye opener for me.
1) no such thing as a clean napkin-ALL napkins left by customers placed back into napkin holders- reason: cost
2) customer returns ordered items- Passed on to next unwilling customer who order same item within time frame.
3) you've heard of the 5-10 second rule when dropping something to the ground- More like if customers don't see it, serve it.
4) Washing hands seem to be the biggest rule breaker. I've reminded co-workers a few times to wash their hands(almost male workers 99%). You would think this rule is easy to follow, but no.
5) Co-worker sitting on food preparation tables/counters as resting seat. I've told him it's unsanitary. He's wasn't bothered by it. I notified manager, manager's response is "I didn't see it."

Also, more common knowledge, 1) better to order in person because drive-through & to go orders is where the customer doesn't always get the fresh-est food. 2) Wow, very high turn over of employees at the fast food I was at. Hired help seems a bigger priority than sanitary conditions.

Haven't seen any tampering of food by disgruntled co-workers but I was there for 1 shift. One man got fired for stealing from register, another one for pigging out too much. Care to share any stories you've seen/heard/read?
EDIT: Quality conditions all depends on the higher ups at said location.

[jstutman]

You didnt report this to the health inspectors when they do there reviews?

Your employee didnt by law list the department to file complaints with the corporate office?

A franchise can lose there franchise, very quickly when they are found to be violating policy set forth by the franchise contract.

IMHO: Your failure to report these findings is a bigger crime than that of the actual violations.

[KilloWertz]

I work in this industry and the store I work at doesn't have these problems. While it wouldn't surprise me if some places did, it's due to poor management. It is absolutely amazing that they let people do all of that at the places you worked. More amazing than customers going to one fast food place and thinking they are at a different one. That never gets old. Also, I agree with jstutman on everything.

[Marquoz]

I worked fast food before and well, it was bad. A patty for a burger gets dropped on the floor? Dust it off, toss it on the grill and heat it up to sterilize it. Bored at work? Pull some chicken nuggets out and play with them, have them dance around the station, then toss them in a box for somebody to eat. Play catch the tomato on the burger by flinging it on the ceiling so it stuck for a second and then it falls on the burger. If it hit the ground toss it on the burger anyway.

Washing your hands? Everybody there was 16, nobody cared one bit about it. Gloves while preparing food? Too much money.

[AppleCrumbDlite]

Originally Posted by jstutman

You didnt report this to the health inspectors when they do there reviews?

Your employee didnt by law list the department to file complaints with the corporate office?

A franchise can lose there franchise, very quickly when they are found to be violating policy set forth by the franchise contract.

IMHO: Your failure to report these findings is a bigger crime than that of the actual violations.

Whoa

[ThePhantomOak]

And yet, people in the United States almost never get sick eating.

If they follow 10% of the rules, we are living a very safe. I have eaten pigeon that was caught off the street cooked in a "fryer" that might never have been cleaned off of plates washed in what ever water was available.

What ever "nasty" thing some goof tries to scare me with, I frankly dont care.

[Marine Mike]

OP: How would you know if a woman didn't wash her hands? Do you hang out in the women's bathrooms?

Next question, if you are a woman, how do you know that male employees aren't washing their hands? Do you hang out in the male restroom?

Last question, why do you hang out for the majority of your day in restuarant restrooms monitoring handwashing?

[Marquoz]

Originally Posted by Marine Mike

OP: How would you know if a woman didn't wash her hands? Do you hang out in the women's bathrooms?

Next question, if you are a woman, how do you know that male employees aren't washing their hands? Do you hang out in the male restroom?

Last question, why do you hang out for the majority of your day in restuarant restrooms monitoring handwashing?

Some of the restaurants I worked at had a sink behind the counter where you were supposed to wash your hands. They might have seen people not using that one.

[proxpilot]

Originally Posted by Marine Mike

OP: How would you know if a woman didn't wash her hands? Do you hang out in the women's bathrooms?

Next question, if you are a woman, how do you know that male employees aren't washing their hands? Do you hang out in the male restroom?

Last question, why do you hang out for the majority of your day in restuarant restrooms monitoring handwashing?

he didn't mention anything about restrooms. In food service hand washing shouldn't take place only after restroom breaks

[pBLU-RAYs3]

Originally Posted by Marine Mike

OP: How would you know if a woman didn't wash her hands? Do you hang out in the women's bathrooms?

Next question, if you are a woman, how do you know that male employees aren't washing their hands? Do you hang out in the male restroom?

Last question, why do you hang out for the majority of your day in restuarant restrooms monitoring handwashing?

Place I worked had a washing station behind counter placed where even customers can see it. I never hanged out in restrooms, too busy working for a living.

Few times, I saw a co-worker handle $$ & then not wash their hands like they're supposed to OR digging into their pockets & touching stuff here & there before making your food.

[pBLU-RAYs3]

Originally Posted by jstutman

You didnt report this to the health inspectors when they do there reviews?

Your employee didnt by law list the department to file complaints with the corporate office?

A franchise can lose there franchise, very quickly when they are found to be violating policy set forth by the franchise contract.

IMHO: Your failure to report these findings is a bigger crime than that of the actual violations.

1) I wasn't there on that day of the health inspector, the 2nd one, restaurant health inspector is in & out a few minutes. No major violations like rat dropping, pest infestation, all foods properly stored & all working machines. I did my part by reporting to higher ups on several & they were no longer there within day(s).

2) maybe naive-ness played a role by some employees like myself included. Live & learn.
3) I cared about the importance of hand washing so I got involved.
4) Should not come as a big shocker that major fast food places, a worker rebels by doing there own thing. That's why there is a high turnover rate.
5) I didn't mean to make it sound like this happened every day/week/month. I can't eyewitness everything all the time.

[BluHavik]

Originally Posted by pBLU-RAYs3

The things I have eyewitnessed while working at both of these places. Both are franchises. I no longer am employed in this industry. One is a subs fast food place, the other is a dining type style that you find common on street corners, shopping malls. I choose not to name for personal reasons. It was a wake-up eye opener for me.
1) no such thing as a clean napkin-ALL napkins left by customers placed back into napkin holders- reason: cost
2) customer returns ordered items- Passed on to next unwilling customer who order same item within time frame.
3) you've heard of the 5-10 second rule when dropping something to the ground- More like if customers don't see it, serve it.
4) Washing hands seem to be the biggest rule breaker. I've reminded co-workers a few times to wash their hands(almost male workers 99%). You would think this rule is easy to follow, but no.
5) Co-worker sitting on food preparation tables/counters as resting seat. I've told him it's unsanitary. He's wasn't bothered by it. I notified manager, manager's response is "I didn't see it."

Also, more common knowledge, 1) better to order in person because drive-through & to go orders is where the customer doesn't always get the fresh-est food. 2) Wow, very high turn over of employees at the fast food I was at. Hired help seems a bigger priority than sanitary conditions.

Haven't seen any tampering of food by disgruntled co-workers but I was there for 1 shift. One man got fired for stealing from register, another one for pigging out too much. Care to share any stories you've seen/heard/read?
EDIT: Quality conditions all depends on the higher ups at said location.

Where the hell did you work?? I worked food related jobs from 16-23 and never saw any of that. Are you just trying to stir the pot or something?

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by BluHavik

Where the hell did you work?? I worked food related jobs from 16-23 and never saw any of that. Are you just trying to stir the pot or something?

I think it varies depending on the geographic region of the country. I have noticed that fast food restaurants typically have better staff in areas with lower cost-of-living expenses and mean income levels. In certain areas like the East coast of the U.S.A., fast food jobs tend to attract very marginal workers.

[pBLU-RAYs3]

Originally Posted by BluHavik

Where the hell did you work?? I worked food related jobs from 16-23 and never saw any of that. Are you just trying to stir the pot or something?

Unfortunately, I saw things that no-one should ever see. I had pride & satisfaction while working at the 2 places. Too bad there's one too many people that enter the food industry that don't want to be there other than a paycheck. I just happen to run into them, unlucky me.

[phlydude]

I used to work in a restaurant when I was 13 as a bus boy and the worse thing I saw was slimey slippery floors and bread being dropped as it was tossed from the over to the bus boys because it was too hot "pick it up and dust it off!" was what I was told by the chef

But no matter where you work, people are fricking disgusting - there is a guy at my place that will drop a deuce, come out wet his finger tips (no soap is used), rubs his hands together and then rubs his face. Then touches the towel dispenser gets his towel and grabs door handle to exit.

I learned to grab the towel, wash hands, use towel to dispense more towel, dry hands and take towel to open the door. Some people are ignorant about wiping their a$$ and don't think they are spreading disease by not washing their hands.

I was a manager of an office where employees felt compelled to bring bathroom issues to my attention and I will say that women are a hell of a lot more disgusting in the bathroom then men...maybe it's because men don't mind sitting once in a while...

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by phlydude

I used to work in a restaurant when I was 13 as a bus boy and the worse thing I saw was slimey slippery floors and bread being dropped as it was tossed from the over to the bus boys because it was too hot "pick it up and dust it off!" was what I was told by the chef

But no matter where you work, people are fricking disgusting - there is a guy at my place that will drop a deuce, come out wet his finger tips (no soap is used), rubs his hands together and then rubs his face. Then touches the towel dispenser gets his towel and grabs door handle to exit.

I learned to grab the towel, wash hands, use towel to dispense more towel, dry hands and take towel to open the door. Some people are ignorant about wiping their a$$ and don't think they are spreading disease by not washing their hands.

I was a manager of an office where employees felt compelled to bring bathroom issues to my attention and I will say that women are a hell of a lot more disgusting in the bathroom then men...maybe it's because men don't mind sitting once in a while...

I got a lot of amusement out of this post, especially the end. Women have "a lot of other stuff going on" when it comes to things they could potentially need to do in a bathroom. Men can be quite the slobs, though.

I get a kick out of the women who work here at my work. They act like they're God's gift to bathroom sanitation; so much so that they demanded their own bathroom. "Fine with me," I say.

[BluHavik]

Originally Posted by phlydude

But no matter where you work, people are fricking disgusting

I completely disagree with that. Yes some are but a vast majority are very normal people just trying to make a buck.

[pBLU-RAYs3]

Please watch Hell's Kitchen on Fox OR Kitchen Nightmares on Hulu.com. Both shows show the conduct of professional 4 star chefs, cooks.

On Hell's Kitchen, please take note when Chef Ramsey inspects the final dinner plate & gets mad at the so-called professional chef/cook when they were willing to serve sub-par food to an unsuspecting patron. Ramsey caught them red-handed. Some of these chef/cook admitted right there to Ramsey that they wouldn't serve this "garbage" on a plate to their own family, but when it came to strangers then it's different.

On Kitchen Nightmares, watch closely when food falls on ground. Automatic response should be to quickly pick it up & throw it in trash. Nope, more like hesitation "uh-oh the cameraman is filming me right now, better do the right thing this time. Just 1 example.

The list goes on & on. Old habits hard to break for?

[phlydude]

Originally Posted by BluHavik

I completely disagree with that. Yes some are but a vast majority are very normal people just trying to make a buck.

I didn't say all people but every office, warehouse, factory, etc. has at least one person that isn't clean and/or has poor hygenic practices.

Think about where you work and how many times you went into a stall and had to turn around and walk out and find another because the toiled was soiled....

[ZackL]

Originally Posted by pBLU-RAYs3

The things I have eyewitnessed while working at both of these places. Both are franchises. I no longer am employed in this industry. One is a subs fast food place, the other is a dining type style that you find common on street corners, shopping malls. I choose not to name for personal reasons. It was a wake-up eye opener for me.
1) no such thing as a clean napkin-ALL napkins left by customers placed back into napkin holders- reason: cost
2) customer returns ordered items- Passed on to next unwilling customer who order same item within time frame.
3) you've heard of the 5-10 second rule when dropping something to the ground- More like if customers don't see it, serve it.
4) Washing hands seem to be the biggest rule breaker. I've reminded co-workers a few times to wash their hands(almost male workers 99%). You would think this rule is easy to follow, but no.
5) Co-worker sitting on food preparation tables/counters as resting seat. I've told him it's unsanitary. He's wasn't bothered by it. I notified manager, manager's response is "I didn't see it."

Also, more common knowledge, 1) better to order in person because drive-through & to go orders is where the customer doesn't always get the fresh-est food. 2) Wow, very high turn over of employees at the fast food I was at. Hired help seems a bigger priority than sanitary conditions.

Haven't seen any tampering of food by disgruntled co-workers but I was there for 1 shift. One man got fired for stealing from register, another one for pigging out too much. Care to share any stories you've seen/heard/read?
EDIT: Quality conditions all depends on the higher ups at said location.

What exactly do you expect? You and your co-workers were probably making $5-$6 an hour to do the shittiest job possible in the employment market. You get what you pay for.

I never understood why employers at fast-food restaurants had problems with stealing and lack of professionalism when they're willingly employing immature kids or useless adults with low wages.