I am used to always being the customer, until recently when I got hired to work at one of the restaurants on my campus. I finally got the chance to be behind the counter and deal with customers. It's totally a life changing experience, let me tell you.
All my previous complaints and troubles have made me rethink how I treat workers who are serving me food. Italicized will be Customer's point of view, Bold will be workers/employees/food-services point of view.
Ordering on Tapingo
Tapingo is an app that allows customers to buy their food without coming in, get a text when it's ready and pick it up when they want to.
I don't want to wait in a line, so I'm going to order my food and relax for a while. I'll order it before class is done so it'll probably be done by the time I get there.
Darn it, you guys pretty much just cut everyone else in line. Now I have to go get a to-go box, put it in a special cooler or hot box, scan the ticket to notify you, wait until you come to pick it up, then give you your order. Curses! You're lucky my wings didn't burn...
A long line
Oh my god, they're taking forever. I've waited so long for my food. I wish they'd hurry up, I'm going to complain soon.
Okay guys, it's the rush. We got this! Holy cow, we're getting slammed. We totally aren't getting a break anytime soon. These tickets won't stop coming. When will it end?!?!
Customized orders
I want my sandwich cut in triangles. I want everything except the dressing on my salad. My personal pizza needs to be cut in six, please. Just bacon and the bread, that's it.
What the heck, why do you want that. I have to purposely not give you dressing. You want double meat? You realize it takes double the time right?! You're spending a lot of money for less things on your food, okay.
CHICKEN
Why are they taking so long to cook my chicken? I want mine extra crispy. Can I have extra seasoning?
Do you want your chicken to be raw? I didn't think so, it takes time man. Extra crispy takes FOREVER, I have so many other things to do but I have to do this, darn it! My pan is going to be such a pain to clean.
Mess ups
I think they forgot the avocado on my salad. I think I'm missing a wing.
NOOOO I knew I forgot something on the salad, I have failed!! I just dropped a wing, darn it, please don't freak out on me, obviously I have to throw it away.
Walking into the restaurant
Whose sitting and eating here, are any of my friends here? At least it's not so busy.
Whose working today? YES. There is another person at my station, thank God I'm not alone today. I have the cool co-workers today, it'll be a breeze. No not her, she's my least favorite person to work with.
Sauces
Ooh can I have that sauce. Wait and the other one. You're going to hate me but can I have the other one too.
Seriously... Okay, sure you can have it. But jeez, tell me you want all three in the beginning. It'll make our lives easier instead of walking back and forth.
To-Go
Can I actually get my food to go please.
Crap. You should have wrote it the way you wanted it. Now I have to try and make it pretty in a to-go box, it's harder then it looks, trust me! There's a science to all of this.
The most important rule of dining services: If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean. Pretty much this is the reality of being a customer and working behind the counter. It's really cool to experience both sides and I hope some people will realize that people behind the counter have feelings too. So be a decent human being and treat them right, after all, they are making your food.
