Why do customers treat Mcdonalds crew members so badly?

Question

I hav been working at Mcdonalds for a year now, why i study my degree, and i get so upset at the fact people treat me like im some idiot. I had one guy explain to me the 2x a big mac = 2 big macs. Then there are the other customers who think it is the front counter peoples fault for slow service - reality chek we get times!! we get in trouble if it takes the bak ppl 20seconds to long to make a buger.

Answer 1

I don't think it's McDonalds, in particular.  The problem is with people, in general.  Few people have manners and they, really, don't care about the feelings of others.  Young people, today, are more self-centred than in the "olden days" when I was growing up and are products of parents who were the same.  I haven't time, now, to search for a statistical article going back to the 50's (my generation) for the percentage of US pop. imprisoned but, if you'll look only at the first page of this article, you'll notice that from 1974 until 2001, the percentage in prison doubled so, is my educated "guess" that, in the 50's it was, probably, half the 1974 stat.  There is no concern for the lives of others - the US has the largest percentage of abortions of any country in the world.  

I'm sick to death of parents complaining about how difficult it is to raise children these days and blame most of this on the internet rather than looking to themselves as the cause.  I hear teenagers yelling and carrying on with a mother who, in turn, is yelling back while dad (if there is one at home as the divorce rates have quadrupled since "my day") - dad sits and ignores this defiant behaviour by a child and the mother who lowers herself to level of the child.  None of my friends, nor my sister and I, would have lived beyond the age of 15 if raised our voice to a parent - I remember being confined to the house for a week after not complying with the household rule of 30 mins. on the 'phone - my dad said this was, not only, inconsiderate but was defiant behaviour (yes, it was).  Parents try too hard to be "friends" with their children so are more willing to put up with Krap to "relate to" the little beasts they are raising.  The little beasts become bigger, and more demanding, beasts expecting all their needs to be met by the "friend"-parent who becomes less respected with each passing day. Does anyone go to church anymore?  Close to 50% of our neighborhood went to church - the Bible is The Guide to Life and the divorce rate of married couples who, regularly, attend church together is one in 50 rather than the 50% statistic of today.  There is an overabundance of angry and rude young people and I believe this stems from parental neglect - this would explain why the results of a news poll from, about, a year ago, indicated that 83% of young 'teens would rather be famous than have a doctorate in a university subject ... fame = attention and  brains don't matter ( required reading: The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon).  Oh, well ~ fortunately, I'm too old to be concerned about living with the social mores of the next generation.

Answer 2

They do not stop to realize that you a unique human being.  They see it as your job to just get them their food, they forget they're not talking to robots.

Answer 3

wow that sucks that's why i don't eat at fast food places

just be confidant and if any one says stuff life that just think how much bad food and calories there putting into there body with the "2x a big mac"

hope it gets better :)

Answer 4

It is a crime of opportunity,they just know that you have to be polite under all situations;an underpaid ,under appreciated  bottom of the barrell job,I treat staff at fast food joints with respect,I've had some very humble jobs in my time

Answer 5

I've worked McDonald's my advice is change jobs--Noone should have to put up with that c**p, you choose to , it's that simple.

Answer 6

In the City of Orange, California there is this lovely historic area called the Plaza, it is a round about circle for traffic...  Anyway, traffic always gets congested because it is a yield a way.  It is known to be a beautiful and scenic drive, with antique window shops; however there is always some idiot(s) that needs to get from one end of town to the other at 50 mph? never-mind that there are TWO parallel freeways (the 55 and the 57) less than 3 miles in each direction.  But there they are, tailgating, failing to yield, honking and just being decks.

Point is, it doesn't just happen at McDonald's and don't expect it to end when you climb the business ladder, stupid people are stupid people...

Big hug and keep up the good work!!!

** LOL - Coolguy wrote: "McDonald's is a place where low class people go and eat."   So now we know why they twitch and whine so much,could you see these same people at a fancy french restaurant trying to argue with the maitre...

Answer 7

yea i've worked there.. pretty much the shittiest place ever

Answer 8

i always thought about the same thing.  Just play fake and apologize for the wait and tell them to have a nice day.  Usually their attitude will change

Answer 9

Some people are already "On the edge" and one thing, like slow service, or the wrong burger, puts them over the edge. They take it out on service industry employees, especially, because a lot of them are teenagers with a low-end job. (Don't take offense-I'm a teenager who works at McDonalds and loves it!). Other people live in their own little "Me-centered" world, and anyone who disrupts that supposedly should be yelled at or treated like an idiot. Other people are just rude, impatient, arrogant. Unfortunately, it's just part of the job. But don't take it personally! That will ruin you and your job!!

=)

BTW, for the person with the really long answer about kids today versus a generation or two ago, here's an interesting list i found:

Major problems in schools in 1940: Gum chewing, talking, making noise, running in halls, cutting in line, dress code infraction, and littering

Major problems in 2000: drug abuse, alcohol abuse, pregnancy, suicide. rape, robbery, assualt, murder.

interesting, huh?

Answer 10

These days people are just rude. They have nothing better to do then take out there bad day on people making there foods.... Its the same thing with me where i work except for i work at a AAA call center and when people call for help on the side of the road there just so mean, loud and rude.. Its not right cause were the ones trying to help them. But of course they don't understand that,.... It's just because there RUDE.. I treat everyone how i want to be treated. But I'm one in a million.... NO manners now of days..Good Luck Hope you have a better day at work...

Temika up above who answered this like an idiot, i think your just one of those rude people that have no manners and your lucky i don't work at McDonald's or i would spit in your food... RUDE RUDE RUDE

Answer 11

Some people, more than others, get their orders messed up. So the people that mess peoples orders up make it bad for everyone else that works there cause they'll think you will mess it up also. Bad place to work. Thats like jumping in front of the bullseye for a******s to attack.

Answer 12

it's just society lol i worked @ wendys for 3 yrs and i had some crazies come in there. A lot of people are really mean when it comes to food they feel they should get what they pay for,( although that is true) the customers tends to take it out on the cashier even though they didnt make the customers food. Just try the really smartelick "I AM SO SO SORRY LET ME PAY FOR THAT FOR YOU MYSELF!" it should correct them angry customers!

Answer 13

i definately know this happens more, than just at mcdonalds. i think it has to do alot with the society we live in, sorry but we are self centered people, and expect their demands to be met first. I've also noticed that people aren't very patient when they are waiting for something, yet i don't think they realize the time and energy most of us put into our jobs to make sure the customer is satisfied. I've also found that some people are very unclear with their orders especially on drive-thru, one of my biggest pet peeves is when people decide after they pay that they don't want pickles or something on their burger

Answer 14

Some people seem to enjoy giving people in the service sector a hard time.  I was a gas station cashier for about a year and I hated it.  As a result, I always try to be nice to clerks, cashiers, etc.  Mistakes happen, but if I have to wait a long time at a fast food place and see employees just standing around talking, then I'll get angry.

Answer 15

Cause its america and people are jerks. you'll be aright

Answer 16

cuz they be like'n hep-c spit on they burgers i guess lol

Answer 17

Because people who work at McDonalds are uneducated idiots.

[e-mail]

Answer 18

because people in our society are generaly rude, obnoxious, impatient and think they can be rude to people in service industries. They have NO respect for themselves or other, no morals no values......People think fast food should be fast and it can be frustrating to wait long time and see others get food.  This is a sign of our society and the world we live in, everything fast....

Please ignore the idiots of the world, keep in mind how immature and ignorant they are, be extra sweet to them and smile, this will just make them look even more ignorant.

Welcome to real life and society

Answer 19

OMG I know exactly what you're talking about. I work at KFC and I quite often cop it from rude customers because of the time it takes for stuff to be ready.  But that is not my fault!  While it is my responsibility to get the chicken, chips and drinks ready and organised (and I do this quite fast, I must say), it's not up to me to make burgers and cook the frozen stuff like chips and nuggets and cook the chicken.  There are people at the back who should be taking care of that who are just too slow or don't realise that there isn't any chicken/nuggets/chips down, when it is their job to do it!  Occassionally I will get sworn at and people start having a go at me when it is kinda out of my control.  

And yes, people think I'm stupid too!  It's only a casual job while I'm at school, it's not like I'm too stupid to get a job anywhere else and that it's my full time job.  Some people watch me pack their orders and say "have you got this/that in there?  Have you done this/that?" GRR!

Answer 20

Well, because they're jerks, and probably have someone pushing them around at home or at work and it gives them a little power to push around someone convenient that they know has to "take" it or lose their job. They figure that you're just some kid who probably will work there a year or two and will be off to better things anyway. I feel sorry for those who don't have anywhere else to go. People need to lighten up.

Answer 21

Honestly, this is not just a mcdonalds thing. This will happen to you even when you have a regular career after you get your degree. I have been working in my career for over a year now and i will have people calling me up telling me how I need to do something and how to do my job, when in reality they have no idea what they are talking about. At any fast food place you are going to have that issue too.. people expect quick service and when they don't get it they get very mad. People just aren't nice/polite like they used to be. Also, even though you may not want to hear this, people assume that if you work in fast food that you are undereducated and that it is the only job you can get-- even if you are just working there for college. I know thats harsh.. but its just how people think

Answer 22

The answer to your question, customers treat crew badly because they have been treated badly sometime in their life, not nescessarily by you or even in that store, but some where along the line somebody treated them like c**p and that let them believe it was okay to treat other people like that.  I'm a manager at a McDonald's and my policy (not my company's policy) is that if a person gets rude with you, you have the right to get rude back, but they have to start it, and if you just don't won't to deal with it, drop everything you are doing and get a manager, you do not get paid enough to deal with other peoples problems and maladjustments,

sorry for ranting but I hear this all the time,

the whole time i've been working for McD's (over 7 years) I have found that the easiest way to deal with the public is to not be afraid to make an *** out of yourself, be loud, but polite and know that within two minutes they will be out of your face, and in twenty minutes they will be out of your store.  

Seriously though, if your managers can't deal with people being rude to you or they openly allow this to happen you need to find another job.

Answer 23

McDonald's is a place where low class people go and eat. In fact all fast food places are low class eating establishments in my opinion.  Who the h**l wants to be seen at McDonald's eating with the all those low class idiots.

Answer 24

Chesa J is right. It's not just a McDonalds thing - it happens everywhere! When deraling with customers, in any job, you will always meet and have to deal with jerks and idiots. The back people have an advantage here because they don't have to see or talk to customers! One of my best mates was a manager at McDonald's for many years and some of the customer stories I heard were amazing.

They complain about the food... too hot or too cold? They complain about the music played (these customers wanted classical music), They complain the burgers take an extra 20 seconds to make, they complain about a liitle mess in the dining room when all staff are obviously busy serving the lunch rush. It must be frustrating working there, it would be so easy to yell at a customer and tell them to go to KFC instead!

Answer 25

some people are just like that, but it is surely not everyone. you just have to deal with them and not let them get to you, just smile and be courteous

Answer 26

sorry...but every single d**n time I have gone to Mcdonalds....which seriously hasn't been in like a year, becuz I realized how disgusting and bad it is for you....they ALWAYS F*CK something up...it's the dumb *sses that ruin it for everyone...