This year I’ve started my first job working in a fast food chain. I’ve learned so much, and it’s been interesting to be on the other side of the counter. I realized that it’s actually a lot harder than I thought. I’m a cashier, but it actually is a lot more than it seems, I am actually really worn out at the end of the day. You’d be surprised how much of a toll standing up taking orders for 6-8 hours, running to the back to get extra tea or lemonade and carrying it back as well as picking it up and pouring it in the bin, walking back and forth getting drinks, maybe slicing and juicing lemons, and then there’s after close where there’s pretty much another hour or so (depending how many people are there). Cleaning out the milkshake machine, wiping down the counters, taking off soda nozzles, restocking everything, sweeping and mopping. It might not sound like a lot but it is.

Before I used to get mad, if the ice cream machine was shut down for the night, or they were out of things, or maybe they messed up an order. Now that I’m behind the scenes, there is actually a reason for everything.

I will NEVER go somewhere an hour before close.

At that point, I know people are really starting to shut down. It’s not that you can’t come an hour before, like we legally can’t keep you from coming in until close, we just don’t want you to. Being completely honest, we’re just over it and ready to go home. Within the first thirty minutes we’re a bit stressed, but it’s not so bad. It’s really in the last thirty minutes when it’s the worst, the last fifteen minutes are absolutely brutal, and the last ten is death. If you have the audacity to come five minutes before close, just know that there’s kind of a silent hatred.

I won’t be too upset if things are out and it’s late.

It’s late…. What did you expect? We’ve a whole day’s worth of supplies, and if we’re in that last thirty minutes of a late shift, we’re probably not going to break our backs to do anything. Shutting off things like milkshakes or lemonade is to make closing easier, so for me I definitely understand why now. To make all that extra food, just to throw it away later, because there were only a few people coming in late is such a waste.

I won’t be mad if things get messed up.

Nobody will ever do anything perfectly one hundred percent of the time. I’ve accidently pushed the wrong buttons and didn’t even realize. Nobody means it to happen, and it’s not like we just throw things in the bag and we don’t care. Just mistakes happen, so I won’t crucify anyone for it anymore, because I know it’s so embarrassing when someone comes back to the counter and tells you that the orders wrong. You know that it was probably your fault, and you honestly feel so bad. So from now on I’m giving the benefit of the doubt.

I won’t be mad for things one employee can’t control.

I have definitely been under fire for things that I can’t control. People have scolded me, and been really rude to me. Like if things just weren’t available. As a cashier especially when I’m the only cashier, I can’t like stop I’m doing and do everything for that one person. I get your drink and your sauces, and then everything is supposed to be handled by someone else, I have to move on to the next person. The best that someone can do for you is ask for an update on your said order and that’s pretty much it.