The rumor is McDonald’s workers are shit.

The rumor is McDonald’s service is supposed to be fast.

The rumor is McDonald’s doesn’t actually cook any of the food.

But those are just rumors.

Rumor is working at McDonald’s is easy.

It’s funny though, because most of the people who tell me that my job is easy are the ones who have never stepped foot behind a McDonald’s counter in their lives. Just because my job may be an hourly-paid job, does not make it easier than your salary job where you sit at a desk and go to meetings all day. For a nine to 12 hours a day I, and my fellow co-workers, are on our feet. We are running, we are squatting, we are cleaning, we are grilling, we are preparing, we are smiling, we are yelling, but none of that is "easy."

What is our job? Our job is stressful, rewarding, an adventure, a test, a show and spontaneous. Working in service means we are constantly taking on a new challenge with each customer that walks in our doors or pulls up in the drive-thru. Time after time, we are someone’s punching bag. People have this notion that we are all illiterate, poor, and stupid simply because we are a McDonald’s employee.

I am sorry to dilute your delusion, but that is ignorant to assume. We are people too. We have families. We have friends. We have social lives. We have experienced death. We have experienced joy. We know what it is like to have a bad day. We understand you’re frustrated with your life. But, we are not your personal punching bags.

Anecdote: The other week a lady came through our drive-thru with quite a large order. She had three McWraps, two Double Quarter Pounders, four large fries, two snack wraps, and a variety of other condiments and food items. When she pulled up to the presentation window (the window where you are given your food), our presenter asked her to pull up to park spot number one because we were waiting on fresh quarter meat, the wraps and fresh fries. After stalling for as long as she could, one of our managers asked her very nicely to please pull forward. (*Sidenote: Quarter meat takes four minutes to make, fries take three minutes and grilled/crispy chicken also takes three minutes to cook.)

When all of her food was finally up, one of my coworkers, Henry*, took out her order to her. As he stormed inside he just glared at all of us and walked to the back of the store. All of us on shift assumed the lady had said something rude and he was just going to cool off in the back. About a minute later one of our three doors to our lobby was opened with such force that the metal slammed against the wall and it echoed. The parked woman approaches the counter and just starts yelling for a manager. Mary* then told the woman who was yelling that our manager was the one in the window, and she would be with her in a minute because she was helping a customer in our drive-thru. The woman just kept screaming "manager."

When our manager, Linda* was finished with drive-thru she walked over to the woman who had this look of disgust on her face upon seeing that Linda* was Mexican. She then asked to speak with a different manager. So, Mary* went to the back to get our other manager, Elijah*, who is black. She asked him if there were any other managers on duty and he replied with a firm “No ma’am there are not, but what can I do for you this evening?” As she begins to tell her story about how our “clearly illegal” employee verbally assaulted her and that she wanted him fired, Henry* walked back to the front. She points to him and starts saying that he “pushed her kid” and that he better be fired the next time she comes in.

Her husband then called about 15 minutes later and said that they wanted a complete refund for their order because they were missing food and the fries weren’t hot when they got home (because she stood inside yelling for about 30 minutes). He then said that until Henry was fired his wife didn’t feel safe coming into the store or anywhere near our store because “he could attack me again."

These are the kinds of people we deal with. All day, every day.

I titled this article "The Employee" because I wanted the first piece I wrote to resonate with all those who have treated a fast-food worker, or any type of employee, poorly. McDonald’s isn’t alone in receiving hateful people. Hateful people are everywhere and they will continue to be, but I hope this blog, as it continues to grow, humanizes ALL employees for people.

I’m 100 percent positive all of my co-workers and higher-ups, understand that life throws you curveballs that you aren’t prepared for. But the employees at McDonald’s are humans too.

We are real.

We make mistakes, but in order for us to do our best to get your order 100 percent correct every time you have to listen to us when we read your order back to you. You need to be specific about what size drink you would like with your meal. You need to listen when we ask you what you would like in your child’s happy meal.

We are all trained on how to effectively take your order, and we want to provide you with a great experience, great service, and great food. But, verbally accosting us, and throwing temper tantrums in our lobby in front of other guests simply makes you look crazy.

No food item is worth losing your shit over in public.

So, next time you go out to a restaurant or you happen to be in a McDonald’s I hope you remember that those people, behind the counter, are doing their best to get you exactly what you want. So, even if they mess it up, be kind about it. There is no reason whatsoever to yell at an employee because there were pickles on your cheeseburger if you didn’t specify you did not want pickles on your cheeseburger. Just pick off your damn pickles, seriously.

The employees care about YOU. We all want our customers to keep coming back and specifically to our store because it makes us look good, but it’s not cool when we are treated as less than a human being.

Remember:

1. The employee is a human being.
2. Human beings make mistake—that’s OK.
3. Listen to your order taker when they read your order back.
4. If your order is wrong, don’t be mad about it, just come to counter and ask for a new sandwich and let us know precisely what you want and don’t want on it.
5. The employee is not your personal punching bag—don’t blame your problems on one individual who probably had no hand in your food being prepared incorrectly.

Simply put, be kind no matter where you go and regardless of what you’re going through.

*McDonald's has since changed how we cook our grilled chicken, it now takes seven minutes to grill fresh chicken patties.