I’m Lovin it

Everyone always told me that working at McDonald's is the absolute worst job. My parents always told me that if I don't study enough, I'll end up there and learn nothing. When I began to apply for jobs, I kept this in mind, and I had no desire to work in the fast food industry. But after applying to dozens of positions, only one place provided me with a response: McDonalds. 

At first, I despised working there. The constant yelling and fast-paced environment was overwhelming. I dreaded my shifts and watched the clock in agony. Every second was painful and I was in a continuous state of fear because I was so afraid of making a mistake. All the tasks were fast paced and there was no room for error because you’d either get yelled at by a customer or a manager. 

There would often be hectic days with angry customers, and I was pushed far beyond my comfort zone. I needed to be quick on my feet and keep my composure in times of extreme stress, such as when managers, customers, and co-workers were yelling. One particular event that stood out to me occured when a customer was arguing with me about coupons. I was working in the drive-thru and the customer presented me with their coupon that they believed was for a free coffee. However, after I had scanned the coupon it was revealed that it was actually for a free meal. Not only did the customer get a free coffee, but the rest of her order was free as well. When I informed her about the good news, the reaction was not what I had expected. At first she was confused, which was understandable, so I explained to her that she was to get a free meal. I awaited a happy smile in return but I was met with an angry frown. The customer began to yell, claiming that she was supposed to pay for her meal and just get the coffee for free. My smile was quickly wiped off my face in confusion. I had no idea why she was mad that her whole order was free. I did not know how to handle this situation because I could not locate the issue. I made the choice to just proceed with caution and apologize for the mix-up, although I did not understand why exactly I was supposed to be sorry. However, this seemed to do the trick and the customer calmed down, thanked me, then drove off, although to this day may confusion still has not worn off.  

However, the more time I spent working, the more my mindset started to change. Dealing with angry people, in such an environment, was a test of my patience. It was tiresome to invest energy into people who were rude, but I found that if I approached situations with kindness I was rewarded with the same energy. I learned that approaching situations with compassion and care resulted in more positive outcomes. Overcoming challenges in McDonald's was unlike anything I had encountered, such as the coupon fiasco. I was able to see the results of my actions in real-time. These results could be as simple as a sincere "thank you" from a customer, but just seeing that I had contributed to making someone's day better was the most rewarding aspect of my job. These outcomes made me cherish the difficulties I faced and view them in a new light. I realized that I had been told a lie my whole life. My teachers were wrong; working at McDonald's taught me to deal with challenges I could never have prepared for in any classroom. McDonald's allowed me to grow an appreciation for working with people and view its challenges as an opportunity to make a positive impact.