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Jim Lee
UWRT 1100-100
Miss Jamie L. Burgess
November 21, 2014
Fast Food Employees: They Are People, Too
Jim is hungry; something quick and easily obtainable will do. He decides to go to a nearby fast
food restaurant. There, Jim impatiently walks up to the cashier and orders a small combo that consists of a
small drink, fry, and sandwich. Several minutes pass and the combo Jim ordered has yet to arrive. He
notices that the restaurant has become quite full; however, Jim disregards the restaurant employees, and
persistently expects his order to become actualized the moment he sits down. From there, a spiral of
complaints and anger ensue. Many fast food frequenters, not just Americans but all peoples in general,
retain this mentality. Its less of condescendence, i.e., superiority and subjection, and more of ignorance,
lack of appropriate knowledge and application. Ignorance is associated with infinite sources; however, the
largest source may be drawn from single stories, forms of literacy that gradually condition us to think and
act in a singular manner and behavior (Ngozi Adichie).
When McDonalds or Taco Bell is mentioned, what do you immediately envision? Can you
envision the employees? Are they just like us, humans who fatigue, eat, sleep, and make mistakes, or are
they simple robots whose short circuitries will allow only the simplest tasks to be accomplished? If you
envisioned the first list, either you have read ahead or you are truly a respectable individual. If you
envisioned the latter, you have become disillusioned by the stereotypes that exist in single stories. It is
difficult to break out of these stories because the script has been repeatedly overwritten into our mentality
as a child, adolescent, and adult. So, what has happened to the customary perspective of fast food
employees held by many Americans?
You turn on the television, access the Internet, check your email, or update your blog, and what
do you typically see? Iraqi Insurgents Invoking Immediacy? Russian Rockets Running Wild? The
American media embraces drama; in fact, the industry thrives on its flesh. People who work in media-

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related professions understand that Americans are less intrigued by feel-good news and more by grisly
news news that are generally negative and implicitly biased. For example, if you were to access Internet
Explorer and observe the news that periodically transitions on the MSN homepage, you would notice that
the majority of the news will share a negative outlook on life. It is exactly this very reason as to why
many Americans Latin, Caucasian, Asian, and African lack the proper knowledge and applications to
effectively communicate with each other; recall how inconsiderate Jims attitude was during his visit to
the fast food restaurant. News such as Russian Rockets Running Wild generate a singular viewpoint by
which many of us take literally. Consider an average American who has never set a foot on Russia and
reads the aforementioned news: Russia seems like an aggressive country which leads him to suggest that
Russians seem aggressive which, ultimately, generates the stereotype that All Russians are aggressive.
During May of 2014, an incident involving fast food quality reverberated throughout the States.
Apparently, a woman had ordered a McDonalds chicken sandwich and discovered semen in substitution
of the traditional mayonnaise (Shea). Incidents such as this completely and utterly destroy the reputation
of fast food employees, regardless of company affiliation. The average Americans mentality develops in
the same manner as above: McDonalds is disgusting which leads him to suggest that Fast food is
disgusting which, ultimately, generates the stereotype that All fast foods are disgusting. Not only are fast
food employees being subjected to mental abuse from tonal customers, now, they must endure constant
eyes of suspicion. As the saying goes one rotten apple ruins the whole bunch. But, is all the commotion
justifiable? Is it reasonable to immediately envision all fast food employees as filth, as sexual deviants?
Of course not.
I recently observed the Chick-Fil-A that is located in the Prospector Building in the University of
North Carolina at Charlotte. I conducted two separate observations: the first one focusing on the
employees, and the second one on the customers. What I saw there was exceptional. The cashiers, without
fail, smiled and took the order of each customer as the grillers and fryers provided a consistent supply of
food. As food was prepared, cooked, and packaged, the backup members hollered out Order Numbers and
handed out food to customers. And, as customers enjoy their meal and exit the building, employees

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diligently worked to maintain a clean and comfortable atmosphere for prospective customers. I recall one
particular employee who possessed such diligence, she alone maintained the clean state of the dining area.
Furthermore, she was much older than the rest of the community yet proved to be so much more than
single stories will ever demonstrate.
The Chick-Fil-A employees were not sexual deviants or simple robots. I didnt see filth, stupidity,
pity, or misfortune; I saw living, breathing human beings who can laugh, smile, kid around, think, and
most importantly, make mistakes. They work together to create a cohesive community in which each
employee serves a unique position one which dictates the wellbeing of customers and employees alike.
For example, during my observations, I noticed how the employees would switch positions as fatigue set
in, and how willing the customers were to wait in line. Keep in mind, however, that there were many
other restaurants available in Prospector, yet, students chose to wait in line for Chick-Fil-A rather than
simply ordering from a neighboring restaurant.
I recently interviewed Patrick Xiong, a college student and employee at Jack-in-the-Box. I asked
him a series of questions pertaining to the disadvantages and advantages of customer service, and the
justification of his reasoning. Xiong stated how he once served a customer who had ordered from the
wrong menu yet held Xiong responsible for her order. He went further along and expressed how the
customer is always right has defined the roles of fast food employees as slaves and customers as
masters. Thus, for the sake of employment and rather than being obligated, Xiong was forced to serve the
customer a meal much more expensive than the original. Xiong is not alone. The fast food community
understands and shares his pain.
As a unique collective, fast food employees are easily able to identify with one another; there is
telepathy that exists between the communities. Be nice, make sure to smile, and obey. During my one year
employment at Jack-in-the-Box, being submissive was an expectation. I listened to other crew members,
obeyed the store and shift manager, and prioritized the welfare of customers over mine. To be frank, the
ordeal was hell. Fellow crew members and I shared the same view; however, we also understood that
putting on a front was the key to survival. I once served a customer who had the audacity to claim that she

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had been given unsatisfactory fries three consecutive times. On the first time, she claimed that the fries
were undercooked. On the second, the fries were extra hard. On the third, the fries were excellent.
Furthermore, each fries given to her was returned nearly empty. Of course, I desperately wanted to
convey my feelings; however, every fast food employee understands how quickly managers will
terminate them if given a chance. Fast food employees are able to identify one another because we
understand what it means to survive in a dictatorial community. Remember be nice, make sure to smile,
and obey.
Fast food employees are very much in a singular group by themselves. No other community is
given the same disrespect and pressure from outside entities. Yet, they persist and are determined to make
a living for themselves, enduring trials from customers and fellow employees. The partthat is most
difficult is dealing with lazy coworkers states Xiong during our interview. In fact, idleness is a general
problem that exists in all professions; in the case of fast food, however, idleness is one of the most
harmful elements that affect overall performance of a restaurant. During my observations, I noticed how
carefree the shift manager at Chick-Fil-A was. Unlike his fellow crew members, the shift manager tended
to stand in one place and dictate rules rather than contribute actual effort. You could assume he was
expressing dominance over the store, and abusing what little authority he possessed. Consequently, the
waiting line reached several meters back. Instances such as this occur commonly in the fast food industry.
When I was working at Jack-in-the-Box, we had a particular shift manager whose chief role
throughout the entire shift was representation. He was incoherent, irresponsible, undiligent, yet
possessive. He was there only to solve customer problems rather than contributing actual effort towards
food production and customer service. Every Friday morning, prior to the rush hour at noon, the shift
manager went on an errand delegated by the store manager. Coincidentally, he left as soon as noon hit,
and returned once the rush had slimmed. His activity continued in the same manner throughout the
remainder of my employment at Jack-in-the-Box. In fact, I had even reported him to the store manager
once before, however, to no avail. Fast food, as aforementioned, is a dictatorial community where

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corruption goes unheard. Corporal officials ignore these problems so long as their pockets are heavy and
wallets are thick.
A discourse community is a collective of groups and individuals who possess specific skills,
qualities, and/or attributes by which produce a unique community. The fast food industry, per se, is not a
discourse community; however, the constituents of individual fast food restaurants are. Crew members
are continually under the pressure of customers and managers, both of which hold the power of
termination. Furthermore, the need to be nice, smile, and obey whilst being dictated underneath the
customer is always right conditions fast food employees to speak and act with submissiveness. In spite
of the awareness, most fast food employees continue their struggle in paving a future for themselves and
their children. They may be despised and ignorantly condescended by the general population, but they
continue to serve their guests with a smile. It is truly remarkable because they are humans, too humor,
joy, regret, grief, commitment yet, we Americans tend to overlook such an obvious fact.
Dear Jim,
You have already had some feedback from me, so I wont bog you down too much here. I like what
youve done with your essay and I think you have combined personal experience with your primary
research very effectively to get your point across. I am wondering, as I read this, if its a question of
economics; cheap food (the cheapest both in terms of cost and in terms of quality) means cheap labor,
means that people dont respect the employee, who is paid very little. If the employee was serving
something expensive, you would understand that greater value to mean greater human worth. What a
terrible outcome of capitalism we see here at work.
I understand and appreciate your passion, but I would be careful in a few places that you dont get
hyperbolic to the point where your reader cant take you seriously. I mean, after all, you are free to quit
the fast food restaurant (I mentioned actual prisoners before, who are not just free to quit) if you so
choosethough I realize that would put a lot of people in dire financial straits. Anyway, its just
something Im thinking about. I wouldnt want exaggeration to get in the way of your points.
Great job with the revisions you have made for this draft! I think it looks great and I look forward to
seeing the final in your portfolio!
Jamie

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References
Chick-Fil-A. Observations done in University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Prospector. 11 November
2014 [4:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m.].
Ngozi Adichie, Chimamanda. The Danger of a Single Story. Online video clip. Ted Talk. Ted, July,
2009. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
Shea, Amanda. You Will Never Believe What This Woman Found in Her McDonalds Chicken
Sandwich. UFP News. Universal Free Press. 22 May 2014. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.
Xiong, Patrick. Personal Interview. 10 November 2014 [7:21 p.m.]

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