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McDonald's vs. all other fast food on the planet- Do you know the difference?Sep 27 '03 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line All fast food is very similar, but they are not the same. From personal experience, I would suggest McDonald's or Wendy's, but feel free to disagree! I should start off by saying that I have worked at McDonald's for six years. I have never worked for any other fast food place, although I do eat at a lot of them. I did work at Friendly's (not-so-fast food) and I must say, I prefer working in fast food. I know that you may not think there is a difference between fast food joints. But there is! There are different sandwiches, different drinks, different prices, and different attitudes. It would help you to know the difference. It would also make my life a bit better too. I am sick of people coming around the drive-thru to order a Whopper, Fishamajig, or onion rings (Burger King), or get mad because we don't have Dr. Pepper (Taco Bell) or chicken nuggets on our 99 cent menu (Wendy's on both counts, we have a McChicken sandwich on our *dollar* menu.) I will tell you a bit about the different fast food places that I have eaten at, so that you are not confused between them. *BURGER KING*- They think they are the king of burger joints, but they are really about #3, at least in sales figures lately. I usually avoid eating there. Their burgers are dry, and their "new and improved" fries that came out a few years ago don't taste good to me. I do, however, like their frozen Coca-Cola and their chicken sandwiches. Also, if you like onion rings, this would be the place for you. *TACO BELL*- I love tacos! Especially soft chicken tacos. Apparently, the soft chicken tacos are among the healthier choices for any fast food restaurant. But be prepared to take out a loan to buy your tacos if you like them this way. They add about 75 cents for each taco in order to get soft shell and chicken as opposed to hard shell and beef. I have noticed that the tacos are usually sloppily put together, and that sometimes I get a bit queasy after eating there (but it doesn't stop me). This particular restaurant has Pepsi products for drinks, so if you want Pepsi or Mountain Dew, this should be your choice. *KFC aka Kentucky Fried Chicken*- The food there is ok, but nothing impressive. I like the Chicken Twister with potato wedges and some Pepsi. They have the "meals under $4" thing going on right now, which is actually a decent price. It also has the only cole slaw on earth that I will ever eat. Their mashed potatoes are ok, but a bit on the bland side. *Wendy's*- One of the best fast food places I have eaten at. The food is always hot, the restaurant is kept clean, and the workers don't seem completely cranky. (I think they pay better than others too.) They have a very affordable menu, with a wide range of things for only 99 cents, and some for even less. Me and my husband can fill up on food for less than ten dollars! I don't much like the cheeseburgers but their fries, nuggets, and Frosty's are pretty good. Also, they have good healthy choices, such as salads, chili, and baked potatoes. *McDonald's*- There has to be a reason why they are #1 in sales, I just have yet to figure out what it is. The corporation tries to keep morale high by providing special things for the workers from time to time (such as special crew beanie babies, free movie tickets, a crew version of the Monopoly games- I know someone who won a tv!, and other things), but it doesn't always trickle down past the store managers, who apparently forget what it is like to be a crew person. For instance, last monopoly-like game we had, one of the managers scratched off all of the crew's special game cards and none of us ever got anything! Maybe the difference is advertising. Ronald McDonald and the Golden Arches seem to be EVERYWHERE! So even though they got "new" salads AFTER Wendy's, their sales have gone up lately even though other fast food places have been struggling lately. Maybe it is the fries (which are NOT made with beef flavoring, by the way). Their fries are some of the yummiest anywhere! And trust me, I am objective and un-biased when it comes to my potato products. Or maybe Ronald McDonald, Grimace, and Birdie the Early Bird just lull us into eating there. I don't know what sets it apart, but I do know that there is a certain something that makes it different, and perhaps even better, than other fast food. It wasn't the first, it may not be the cheapest, but it is just different. Yet in a way, all fast food is the same. And so I say this to all of those who eat fast food. Especially the cranky people who eat fast food. You need to have more patience with fast food workers. I know people who work in fast food restaurants 16 hours a day, 7 days a week (no, I am NOT exaggerating). This may not be their dream job, but there is no need for you to make it worse for these people. They have stressful lives just like all other people, so treat them with the respect they deserve. In this vein, I will answer some questions about fast food restaurants that I am sure that many of you may be asking. 1.) Why are the workers so rude? Some people are just rude, there is no getting around that. Maybe they are mad because so many people are rude to them. Or maybe you are mistake rudeness for people being tired and busy. Have you ever had eight orders all at once, with the people standing right there at the counter waiting, and starting to get angry because their food doesn't immediately appear on their tray? I have. You all need to know that the counter person cannot give you the food until the grill sends it up, and the grill workers can only make so much food at one time. And if you want your food made a special way, it may take a little longer. If you have trouble waiting for your food here, I wouldn't advise going to a nice restaurant, because you might fall asleep waiting for food anywhere else. 2. Why is the store so DIRTY? You mean like the overflowing trash can? Maybe if people used the other four half-empty cans instead of the full one, trash would not be falling everywhere. Or is it the ketchup all over the tables and the soda on the floor? Or the fingerprints on the windows and doors? Or the toilet paper on the floor in the bathroom? We didn't make any of those messes. You (the customer) did. Don't blame us for being messy. You make the messes, and we clean up after you, even though we are not you mother, a busboy, or a maid? Story time: I had a customer come in the other day right after a lady with about 6 crazy (messy kids) come in. He ordered his food, and then said to me, "You had BETTER get someone to clean a table for me because every single one out there is filthy." He had a line of customers behind him, and so I had to rush through taking their orders, because I was the only one up there, and three minutes later, I rushed out there to clean his table off. He then complained loudly to his friend that this was the filthiest McDonald's he has ever eaten at and that he will never come back and that there are flies and that he will call the corporation. And he did call my supervisor. He also claimed that I told him there was no manager for him to talk to, even though the only time I talked to him was taking his order. First off, the priority is fast, hot food, NOT picking up the pickle that a little kid threw at another little kid. If I am the only one taking orders, I will get to the cleaning between orders. I know no one wants to look at that sticky, dirty pickle, but no one wants to wait five minutes while I clean the pickle off of the floor, wipe off the table nearby, and then go and wash my hands. They CAN get their food right away and then enjoy while watching me pick up that slimy nasty pickle. And that customer? He left the table dirtier than before I cleaned it off for him! 3. Why is my food cold/wrong/moving/purple? It shouldn't be any of those things. If it is cold, complain. It means the food is old, and you should ask for new food or a refund- that is perfectly reasonable. Same for wrong orders- get new food or your money back. But be patient- perhaps it is wrong because we are dealing with someone who is mad because there is a pickle on the floor. Or perhaps it is busy. Moving or purple? RUN AWAY! It shouldn't be either of those things. Tell the manager right away so one one else suffers the same fate. If it is really bad, call the Board of Health and have them visit the store. Or at least make sure Grimace didn't climb into your box of nuggets! 4. I am 10 cents short. Can you let me slide? Not unless you want to find me a new job. Which is not something I want to do for the sake of you having a cheeseburger. No offense, but if your cheeseburger means that I can't pay my rent, I might not be too happy. (I don't mean to sound insensitive, but we really could get in trouble for that.) 5. Hey, you're cute. Do you have any food that you're going to throw out that I can have? No. It is against the rules for my job, and also violates some health codes. I don't care if you think I am hotter than J Lo and Britney Spears combined, I just can't give you that hour old sandwich sitting in my waste bin. You'll have to pay, just like everyone else. 6. Why doesn't the order taker learn some English? This is America, you know. They do speak English, otherwise they wouldn't be taking your order and wouldn't understand a word that you are saying. Just because they look Hispanic/Asian/African and speak with an accent doesn't mean that they don't speak English. And don't say to me, "Oh, I am so glad that you speak English. You're the first person I've seen here who speaks English." That is very ignorant and discriminatory of you, and I don't appreciate it. And neither do my nice coworkers who happen to look different and have accents. 7. Why are you so stupid? We are not stupid. We are not all high school dropouts or teen parents. We aren't all "white trash" or Hispanics from Mexico who don't speak English. Most of us went to and finished high school, and some of us (like me) have college degrees and are casualties of a stinky job market. You don't need to speak your order super s-l-o-w-l-y or ask, "Are you sure you put ketchup in the bag?" even though you already asked for it once over the speaker and once when you paid the cashier at the first window. Most of us are not deaf/stupid/high on drugs, and we heard you the first time when you asked for ketchup with your fries. Also, we notice when you ask for that cup for WATER and then fill it up with SODA. We are not so dumb that we think water is brown and carbonated. And it IS shoplifting, it IS illegal, and we WILL cofront you about it if we catch you doing it. Suck it up, pay the buck, and get your free refills. It is not that hard. 8. Why don't you open up all three of the registers on your front counter? Because we don't have enough people. We wouldn't make any money if we kept forty people working in the store all of the time. Hey, maybe that's why McDonald's is #1 in sales. And even if they wanted to keep forty people working, there aren't exactly that many people jumping at the chance to deal with angry people irritated by pickles for eight hours on end. 9. Why can't I get my chicken sandwich for a dollar here? I got it at another store (either same restaurant chain or different one)? Because we are not the same store. Wendy's has nuggets on their 99 cent menu. McDonald's has a chicken sandwich on their dollar menu. They are not the same. And there are some McDonald's stores that don't even have a dollar menu. Why not? They are not all owned by the same person. Whoever owns the restaurant calls the shots, decides the menus (to some extent), and sets the prices. My particular McDonald's is owned by the Corporation. The last one I worked at was owned by a person, and then sold to a couple of guys who owned about 60 McDonald's. Prices will be different. I don't set the prices, I just take your orders and money. Please don't ask me why something costs a certain amount because I don't set the prices and I can't do anything about it. Also, I can not give you the cheaper price of another restaurant, and I can't take a coupon from another fast food chain. We are not like electronics stores with a money-back offer if you find your item cheaper at another store. 10. Why do my fries cost $1.05? It says "Dollar Menu." Because there is sales tax. And no, we can't NOT tax you. My husband had someone who thought that they shouldn't have to pay the tax...he had to call the cops and have the cops make the guy leave the drive-thru because he couldn't handle the 5% tax in our state. Also, when your receipt says "eat-in tax," or "take out tax," they are not an extra tax. They are the sales tax, and they are exactly the same. The only reason it says that on the receipt is so the worker knows whether to put your food on a tray or in a bag. 11. Why do you try to kick me out when I am loud and rowdy? You can't do that! This is public property and I can do what I want! No, it is a business and a private property. If you cannot behave, we can ask you to leave, and if you don't choose to leave on your own, we can have the cops remove you. Those are just a few of the questions we have been asked. I am sure they are the same for all fast food restaurants. I encourage you all to ask any more questions you have, and I will add them to this list. Because while all fast food places are different, in a way they are the same, and as customers, you should be able to ask questions and have them answered by someone. I only hope that what I have written can help you in some way.  |
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by Susie-34668
