My confessions as a fast food+restaurant employee.

[Clark Kent]

I have never worked in the fast food industry but have been a customer of them all over the country for many years. It really boils down to the management of each individual chain and store location.

Here are some of my insights as a customer. Older locations that have been in business many years are typically run worse than newer locations. I know of a Burger King store that has been open since the 1960's and the service has gone down the drain in the last twenty years. Poor service, spoiled food, and a filthy store in general is what happened here.

The best run fast food restaurants are new McDonald's. They are all top notch for at least the first five years of their existence, though they tend to devolve a little as the newness wears off.

[toef]

When living in North Carolina for a few years, I liked that they give "ratings" to restaurants, based on the health inspections.

Each restaurant has to display their certificate somewhere in plain site, where the overall score is clearly visible.

You can tell right away if a certain restaurant should be avoided, just based on the score. Of course a good score doesn't always mean it's a great place, because they could've just done well in their inspection, and in the meantime turned into a dump.

[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

[PH3AR]

Im glad i dont eat fast-food a lot!

[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.

[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.

[Marquoz]

Originally Posted by pBLU-RAYs3

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.

Oh man, cash is the nastiest thing on the face of the planet. I've seen money go places it just shouldn't go. *shudder* I think I'll start a money laundering business so people can bring their money in for me to wash and I do mean wash literally.

[Danger Boy]

one fast food national chain burger joint used to say in the TV commericials, that they won't cook your food till your order it. Yeah, right. You can't cook a burger from frozen raw to ready to serve and fry's in 3 minutes. I knew they probably cook a couple hundred burgers when the first employees arrive around 6 am.. and then just keep them under a heat lamp or just nuke em' when someone orders a burger for lunch 6 hours later.

[JimShaw]

I stopped by a fast food restaurant to get some food. But first I had to go to the restroom. While there, an employee stopped in to pee and DID NOT WASH HIS HANDS. He walked out before me. I walked up to order and there he was working at the food work station preparing orders.

I got out of there.




.

[Batman1980]

My employer would HIT me for saying this but according to an anonymous survey, 90% of cooks do NOT wash their hands after going to the bathroom. No, I will not tell you where I work.

[toef]

Originally Posted by JimShaw

I stopped by a fast food restaurant to get some food. But first I had to go to the restroom. While there, an employee stopped in to pee and DID NOT WASH HIS HANDS. He walked out before me. I walked up to order and there he was working at the food work station preparing orders.

I got out of there.




.

The problem is that even if he washed his hands, he might have then touched the door to get out of the bathroom, which gets them dirty again. But I guess you might as well try.

I have a habit of using my feet to kick/push open heavily trafficked doors. That's why I hate single bathrooms in restaurants, because I always have to touch the handle. If the sink is near enough, at least I can open the door, and hold it open with my foot, while I wash my hands.

I wouldn't consider myself a germophobe but I make exceptions for bathroom doors.

[JimShaw]

Originally Posted by toefer

The problem is that even if he washed his hands, he might have then touched the door to get out of the bathroom, which gets them dirty again. But I guess you might as well try.

I have a habit of using my feet to kick/push open heavily trafficked doors. That's why I hate single bathrooms in restaurants, because I always have to touch the handle. If the sink is near enough, at least I can open the door, and hold it open with my foot, while I wash my hands.

I wouldn't consider myself a germophobe but I make exceptions for bathroom doors.

I agree 100%. I ALWAYS grab the door handle with a paper towel.

[Batman1980]

The thing I do with bathroom doors is I use the towel I dried my hands with to open the door then throw it away once I'm clear of the bathroom.

[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.

[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.

[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.