How smart are the fast food servers today?

[NFrameFred]

I've previously ripped on the culture these days that has allowed kids to graduate with a high school diploma and still be functionally illiterate. A culture that has been allowed to abandon common sense and not been taught that language, while evolving (slang and new phrases enter the lexicon non-stop), still operates on basic principles of meaning and definition of words. Having been made a mockery of to the point of ridiculous absurdity ("It depends on what the meaning of 'is', is." Remember that golden nugget?) it's pretty much carte blanche these days to just decide for yourself, personally, what words mean - Miriam-Webster be damned.

Being a retiree and of that age I consider myself adequately educated and fall back on my education (professional and practical) and tend to view the words I use by the meanings commonly assigned to them as I was taught (slang and new pop phrases notwithstanding) from my youth.
It befuddles me when simple, plain, easily understandable words don't seem to be understood by many.

One of my favorite such examples ? Well, since a lot of folks have used 'Mickey D's' (pop lexicon that is now universal) in their examples, allow me the same indulgence, Not just at McDonald's but many other retail establishment employees, as well, seem to be confounded by the apparent unknowable, undecipherable complexity of the use of the highly specialized and technical term "couple" these days, as it applies to quantity. As in, "Oh yeah, gimme a couple of apple pies on that order, too!"

In my experience, 90% of the time or better I'm met with a blank stare, the sound of mental gears grinding, and the smell of burning lubricant as the current captain of the cash register replies "How many apple pies ? Three ? . . . Four ? . . . "

I usually just ignore it and tell them "two", which, in any universe I've ever visited has been the definition of "a couple" , , , but occasionally the heathen in me rises up and I have to ask the cashier/order taker, "If you and your boyfriend/girlfriend are 'a couple', how many of you are there?" Most of the time they look at me, obviously confused, and ask," Two?"

I know the lesson is lost on them, but sometimes I can't help myself and have to confront the idiocy of it all . . .

 

[OLDSTER]

Dairy Queen Blizzard--YUM !

 

[Yaworski]

I've previously ripped on the culture these days that has allowed kids to graduate with a high school diploma and still be functionally illiterate.

I'm irritated by people who tell me how much better education is today than it was when we were young. They use examples of their kid taking law or psychology in high school or that there are robotics teams. However, these young geniuses' handwriting still looks like a kindergartner's, they can't do simple arithmetic without a calculator, and their communications skills are abysmal ("Traffic was like really bad and he was like 'you're late again." So I was like 'you're not in charge of me' and he was like 'I own the company, you're fired.' So now I'm like I don't know what to do" Typing that hurt my head.

School has become a system of do-overs. Bad grade? Automatic retest. Too busy to take a test? Take it later.

Bah!

 

[chief38]

From what I understand, the McDonald's Corp. owns the company that produces the ice cream machines and they are WELL AWARE of the problems with them. That said, they FORCE the Franchises to purchase them anyway (part of their contract). Strictly a profit driven scenario and the individual store owners can't do much about it. Apparently there have been law suits filed but so far nothing much has been done.

 

[pasound]

There are four fast food joints within a block of my work. In the past two decades of my employment, I have seen all deteriorate from fast and accurate service and orders to nearly impossible to get a simple order correct and not capable of making change. The change part is worse now that all registers show the change back total on the screen. One time at a will-remain-unnamed establishment, I ordered a sandwich and fries, totalling $4.90, and handed the clerk $5.00. The clerk fat-fingered my payment, and tried to give me $45.10 back in change. I took the ten cents from their hand and left the clerk standing with $45.00 in their hand.

 

[Yaworski]

url=https://www.nbcdfw.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/even-the-feds-reportedly-want-to-know-why-mcdonalds-ice-cream-machines-are-always-broken/2733421/?amp=1]Even The Feds Reportedly Want to Know Why McDonald's Ice Cream Machines are Always Broken – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth[/url]

From that article "Owners of McDonald's have said that the McFlurry devices, which blend soft serve with add-ins such as M&M's to make a tasty frozen treat, are overly complicated and hard to fix when they break down."

Somone is lying here. The McFlurry machine is a mixer that uses the McFlurry spoon as the beater. It's probably the simplest thing in the store outside of a drip coffee maker.

 

[Yaworski]

From what I understand, the McDonald's Corp. owns the company that produces the ice cream machines

Taylor is the company that makes the machines, owned by publicly traded Middleby Corp which makes a myriad of commercial and residential appliances.

 

[Bekeart]

Middle Class Staff - a Theory

Middle Class Staff - a Theory

Fast food vendors are know for high turn over in staffing.
Low wages and high stress are factors often sited.


I will comment on three levels of competence/skills that may or may not be related to individual intelligence.

#1) Excellent (Over Achiever) - Desirable Employee may leave for higher pay or better hours.

#2) Good Enough - Passed drug test - shows up regularly - shows up sober - shows up neat - low error rate.

#3) Not Good Enough - Can't make it - Soon to be CANNED!

I believe many Managers HOPE that they can retain enough "GOOD ENOUGH" employees to keep the system operating at a reasonably good level.

Locally many Fast Food provider have had long standing signs offering employment.

 

[ladder13]

Correction: Culvers has BUTTER burgers and MUCH better shakes.

And those concrete mixers, yumm

Never walked into a Culver's and told they were broken.


Concrete Mixers | Frozen Custard Ice Cream & Candy Mix-ins | Culver's(R)

 

[yeti]

American civilization is sliding downhill and food service (especially fast food) is now barely functional.
I hope ya'll like self checkout because that and robotics are what we can look forward to on the retail side. Punch in your own order, bag your own sale and tap/scan to pay. Most of us here are of the age that we were provided and expected decent customer service. Buckle up boys, because those days are gone!

Much prefer Culver's over McD's.
Will say this. McD fries are often decent and still enjoyable.
Bad for you, but enjoyable if fresh and hot.

 

[tinkerer]

Schneider's...Ice cream & chocolate from those who know how...

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Best soft serve is Sonic. A friend from the Navy once told me that they called the soft serve machine on the ship the robo-dog cause that is what the chocolate looked like coming out. My kids thought that was hilarious and to this day (they're all in their 30's) they refer to soft serve machines as the robo-dog.

 

[zeke]

Less than a mile from my house. Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip.

Absolute favorite!

McDonalds has gotten very expensive. Cheaper/better to eat breakfast at local supermarket deli, their large coffee is up to $1.70 or more and hard to realize when their special promotions are (local outlet doesn't participate in many). Their younger servers (14+) seem about as smart as we were at that age, before we learned to count change. Wsas in a rush last week and one of the nicer mature women commented on how they don't see me much anymore. Told her it wasn't the workers, it was the prices.

 

[Tubbsy]

I have an experiment for all. Go to McDs. and buy 1 reg. cheeseburger. Take it home, un-wrap it and put it on a paper plate on top of the fridge. It will not mold, it will not rot, it is not food. Mine was placed up there in mid Nov. of 2021. It is like a hockey puck. No smell, Soylent M. Will NEVER eat anything from there again. But yes, most of the "workers" are clueless.

No refrigerator required, toss it on the roof... the animals won't eat it either.

 

[Yaworski]

I have an experiment for all. Go to McDs. and buy 1 reg. cheeseburger. Take it home, un-wrap it and put it on a paper plate on top of the fridge. It will not mold, it will not rot, it is not food. Mine was placed up there in mid Nov. of 2021. It is like a hockey puck. No smell, Soylent M. Will NEVER eat anything from there again. But yes, most of the "workers" are clueless.

That's true for most well cooked meat. It's dry, the bun dries out as do the condiments. Take fresh meat, cook it well done and let it sit out in a warm environment. You'll have the same result.

 

[Yaworski]

McDonalds has gotten very expensive.

That's been the case for a while unless you went with the dollar menu.

When I was younger (ca. 1982), my father and I would do yard work on Saturday. Afterwards we'd zip down to a local fast food joint for lunch. McDs, Wendy's, etc. One day my father says "You know, for about $2 more we could go to [local table service restaurant]." So we changed a regular restaurant.

I've been hitting Sonic for burgers. Costs about the same as McDs and the burgers are better.

 

[Aggie1906]

Back when college dorm coeds had "hours", McDonalds ran ads that
promised "change back from your dollar"! Yep, burger, fries, coke and change back from your dollar. Smooch on the dorm steps, then off for a bite to eat. Been a while.

 

[quikdraw67]

McDonald's is my go to coffee spot every morning. $1 for a small. and then if I want a Sausage McMuffin, that's also a buck. I get that maybe once a week when I don't feel like making breakfast.

But that's all I get. I couldn't tell you the last time I went in, ordered lunch, and sat down to eat it.

Just as well, as I shouldn't eat fast food, period.

 

[sigp220.45]

Oh good!

Another Boomer T Fudd thread about how things suck now but were way better when polio meant living in an iron lung.

PS - always assume the ice cream machine is broken after 5 pm. They have to clean it and they want to go home.

 

[TheHobbyist]

I will echo Muss...if someone wants to work, let them. I will not say anything nor judge, all work has dignity. My area it is close to$20.00 an hour for adults.

In case you missed my major premise: all work has dignity.

 

[arjay]

Henry Ford had a horrible turnover rate and a lot of absenteeism. He solved it by doubling employees wages. He didn't raise his prices as his production rate increased dramatically. He was a smart guy thinking long term.

 

[Rustyt1953]

"Boomer T Fudd"

Even if I have to pay royalties I am so plagiarizing that.

 

[ACORN]

Oh good!

Another Boomer T Fudd thread about how things suck now but were way better when polio meant living in an iron lung.

Hey! It's what we do.

 

[Grayfox]

How smart are fast food workers?
Heck, lots of 'em have a liberal arts degree!

 

[Bekeart]

It is not Lake Wobegon...

How smart are fast food workers?

They are smart enough to understand that work means money.

50% are Below Average.

It is not Lake Wobegon...

Bekeart

 

[jeffrefrig]

Girl at Popeye's Chicken finally admitted that chicken tenders were off as I checked my order. I'm unsure if she got the news from out back or didn't really want to let on. This is one of the reasons I don't go through drive-throughs, you never know what is "off" the menu and they are more prone to foul up.

I have visions of Joe Pesci screaming "They (mess) you at the drive-thru! Don't ever go to the drive-thru! Every time, they (mess) you at the drive-thru!" (Gawd I hate his squeaky voice!)
"Shut up, Leo!"

 

[GypsmJim]

How smart are fast food workers?
Heck, lots of 'em have a liberal arts degree!

And many of them couldn't reed or rite after High School. Imagine how schmarrt they got after College.

I'm not a MickyDees fan, but I'm often traveling and need a place to eat quick. Their Breakfast menu isn't too bad.

What I've found is that many of the stores in big cities are staffed by, how should I phrase this, people that aren't too smart. Not just by their actions, but their appearance is less than stellar as well.

In contrast, the country stores have a better staffing. Maybe its where they came from, or the fact that there is little work in town, so the employers have a better selection to chose from.

My buddy moved to a small country town to take a job in a local plant. His daughters all worked at McD in high school. I stop in that very location frequently because its on the way to my hunting camp. Still all young people, with a good work attitude.

So, maybe that leads to another conclusion. The college kids working part time have an edge over the HS dropouts?

 

[samuelrp]

I admire ALL working people. BUT……at McDonalds, you could receive 25 napkins in your to go bag-or none at all, could have meat on your burger-or not, coffee could be fresh-or rancid, biscuit could be fresh-or old and hard.

 

[Grayfox]

There's a Wendy's just about a half mile from my house. I generally like Wendy's food, but I won't eat at this one. Why? Because they NEVER get my order right!
I've complained many times. Sent e-mails to Wendy's home office. Once the manager of this particular store even called me and offered free food. I told her "What's the point if they're just gonna mess it up? I just want you to hire some people with half a brain!"

 

[Yaworski]

There's a Wendy's just about a half mile from my house. I generally like Wendy's food, but I won't eat at this one. Why? Because they NEVER get my order right!

The McD's nearest my house gets my order right about 50% of the time. It's not really complicated, a Quarter with cheese, only onions. I get it without onions, without cheese, just regular. I complain and they send me coupons for two free sandwiches.