When you go to a fast food restaurant, whether you’re running in and ordering food to go, sitting down to eat, or just going through the drive-thru, it’s important to remember that the employees helping you are people, too. You should treat them with just as much respect as you would want to be treated with at your own place of employment.
Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to forget this, and fast food employees are left feeling mistreated — because they often are! A lot of people wrongly assume that they are “above” a fast food employee for some reason, and so they treat them badly and talk down to them. A lot of people also assume they are “above” the fast food restaurant they’re eating in, and so they treat the place like it’s a trash dumpster, with a total lack of respect for those who have to clean up after them.
The point is, there are plenty of things you should never, ever do at a fast food restaurant… especially if you don’t want anyone messing with your order.
1. Order fries with no salt.
At this point, fast food employees know the trick about asking for fries with no salt in order to get fresh fries. All it does is create extra work for them, so if you order this and then order a side of salt, it’s just kind of insulting.
It also holds up everyone else.
Rob Gunther, a restaurant staff member, has strong feelings on this. It make everyone in line behind you wait at least another five minutes. He also notes that seeing someone order fries with no salt and then proceed to salt them at the table is infuriating — and it doesn’t even taste as good as if you got them pre-salted.
Trust that your fries are fresh.
And hey, if they’re not, that’s when you can (kindly and respectfully) ask the employees if there’s any way you can get a batch of fresher fries. That’s the proper way to do it!
2. Ask for a ton of extra sauce.
Do you really need all that extra sauce? Honestly? If it’s just going to go to waste, don’t ask for it!
Even though it sounds like a small ask, it can really add up to become a big waste.
I mean, just think of all the people out there who ask for extra sauce that they never use and end up throwing away (or just leaving in their car until the end of time).
And employees are trained to only give out a certain amount.
So when you ask for sauces after you pay, it can really put a kink in the system. Redditor AmberJnetteGardner broke it down for how it works at McDonald’s: “4 piece, 1 sauce; 10 piece, 2 sauces; 20 piece, 3 sauces – and 1 free sauce upon request. No sauce for fries!”
“The BEST thing you can do is make ALL of your food requests at the speaker.”
“When you ask for all your extras at the window you slow the whole process down and times go up and trouble starts happening. You also are running the poor window person to death.” Now we feel bad for all the times we asked for sauce at the pickup window.
“You’re already hanging out the window.”
“Now you want them to go back inside, bend over for ketchup, and come back out the window like a contortionist. But then it’s not enough ketchup so they have to go back and do it again because you didn’t like them asking you, ‘how many?’ so you said a ‘handful.'” Noted!
3. Let your kids order.
If you are with older children, go ahead and let them order. But don’t have a four-year-old put their order in.
It’s not the fast food employee’s job to interpret their gestures.
Reddoptr butchyeugene explained why it’s so annoying: “When the parents walk up with about six kids in tow, and then they say to the kids ‘tell her what you want’ while they are texting on the phone, and the kid doesn’t know how to speak or say what they want so they ask the mom…
“And then the mom whispers to the kid what the kid wants.”
“And every question I ask the kid, he asks the mom and then the mom whispers to him what to say to me. Then if the kid messes up, the mom makes me remake his order because I got it wrong. Wastes my time and my soul.”
Teaching kids autonomy is important.
But there is a time and a place, parents. Busy fast food joints aren’t one of them.
4. Go to the counter to order if you have no idea what you want.
A Reddit user who has since deleted their account said they hate: “Customers coming up to the counter and looking at the menu trying to figure out what they want after they had been waiting in line for five to 10 minutes.”
“They could have been looking at the menu while standing there.”
“Now the entire line is held up because of them. Customer after customer did this. Just standing there like a zombie until it’s their turn then suddenly they realize they need to look at the menu and figure their life out for 15 minutes.”
It’s okay to be indecisive — it happens!
Especially if there are a lot of options. But do try to respect everyone’s time, including the employees behind the counter and also other customers who have been waiting in line.
5. Give them crumpled-up money that’s hard to count.
Reddit user niaho20 said they hate when customers make it hard to count the cash, explaining: “Handing me a crumpled ball of dollar bills/ a sh*t-ton of change and having me count it out.”
“Like I’m trying to get this line moving.”
“You’re just making everything unnecessarily slow and I want you out of my face as soon as possible.” In other words, make sure your bills are nice and crisp, and easy to count, by the time you get up to the register. Un-crumpling bills is not fun for anyone.
6. Get mad at them for running out of food…
…which they have zero control over.
Got called a “useless snake-mouthed whore” by a customer today because I told her that if she orders breakfast stuff during lunchtime she’ll likely be waiting. #McDonaldsProblems
— Bee 🐝 (@unstablewifi) March 23, 2019
A Reddit user who has since deleted their account explained: “I used to work fast food. I hated it when customers would get mad when we would run out of a certain item as if the employees are the ones snacking on it in the back and then they thought we could just make more of it out of thin air…really?” It’s not the employee’s fault if they’re out of something!
7. Treat it like a bank.
An alarming amount of Redditors who work in fast food said they had to deal with customers giving them buckets of change or using large bills to pay for the meal.
And it happens fairly often.
“I’d probably say arond 3-5 times a shift this situation would play out. A lot more people would dump change, but would say it’s exact and drive off. Not worth my time counting it out, said TehWildMan_.
“I think it’s just a difference in expectations.”
“Guests expect the drive through cashier to be a bank (providing stacks of bills or rolled change, or coin counting), while I’m under the expectation of pushing through 2-3 transactions a minute.” Most places take Apple Pay and debate cards, y’all. Don’t do this to fast food employees.
Bigger bills aren’t better.
Especially if you are ordering first thing in the morning or just as the restaurant is about to close. Redditor JadeElizabeth explained, ” I have no more than three hundred in my till at all times there’s good chance I don’t have enough to break it.”
8. Leave your garbage all over the place.
THERE. IS. A. TRASH. CAN. IN. FRONT. OF. YOU. #fastfoodproblems #peoplesuck #cashierproblems #cleanupyouract
— Georgia (@hella_confused) June 7, 2015
It’s common courtesy, people! If you’re eating in the fast food place, have the decency to clean up after yourself when you’re done.
The employees are not your servers (they definitely don’t get tipped).
Reddit user Sviodo sums it up, saying: “People leaving garbage all over the seats that they sit in. Someone has to clean that up people, just be a courteous person and walk the whole five feet to the trash can.”
They have witnessed some atrocious behavior, too.
“One time I had to clean up a stall where the kids were playing ‘let’s slam our fists on the ketchup packets and see how far it squirts out’ while the parents were sitting there watching them. Some people have absolutely no regard for other people.”
9. Ask for free food all the time.
"you work at Arby's? Can you get me free food?
— Nate (@heeeyitsnate) August 6, 2015
BITCH NO I CANT BUY YOUR OWN SHIT #fastfoodproblems
If your friend works at the fast food place you like to go, you might think that means they can get you freebies. Usually, though, they can’t.
And doing so could get them in trouble.
How would you feel if someone came to your office and asked you to give them something for free, with cameras and security and managers surrounding you? So don’t ask, and don’t put them on the spot!
10. Order breakfast when you know it’s not available anymore.
McDonald’s might offer all-day breakfast, but not all fast food places do. A lot of fast food employees complain online about customers demanding breakfast items, even when it’s clearly the afternoon.
If it’s past breakfast time, they can’t make an exception for you.
If you have ever seen "Big Daddy" you know breakfast ends at 10:30 am so DONT argue with me! #FastFoodProblems 😤🥐🥓>🍔🍟
— it’s-Brandon✌🏼🌺💫 (@BrandRodri311) January 28, 2017
It’s unfair to expect them to put everything aside just because you couldn’t get there on time. Plus, plenty of diners and fast food places serve breakfast all day, so just go there instead.
11. Yell at the employees when the food isn’t fast enough.
Patience is a virtue. Reddit user SaulKarath said, “I used to work fast food. I get that it’s ‘fast food’ but please don’t yell because you were running late to work and decided to stop for a meal anyway.”
If your food is taking a really long time, you can politely ask them what’s going on.
But there’s no need to immediately get nasty with fast food employees if your meal isn’t out right away.
They might even make you wait longer.
Redditor shannosaurus said, “When people act all rushy and rude, my coworkers and I make it a point to make them wait as long as possible while still being able to defend ourselves to management if it comes to it.
“Like in the mornings when we’re slow.”
“[We]don’t have a need for someone stationed at the register, and someone comes up and immediately starts shouting at us to come to the register… yea, that one dish REALLY needs to be cleaned like right this second, sorry.”
12. Ignore the employees completely.
I can't wait to get to Hell and see all the customers who have ever been rude to me at work. #FastFoodProblems
— Meredith Johnson (@merryvjohnson) May 8, 2016
Again, try to remember that the person helping you is, you know, a person who deserves some respect. Reddit user poplarexpress said: “When I say, ‘hi, can I help you?’ pay attention to me.”
It’s really not that difficult.
“Don’t talk to the person in line behind you because you haven’t seen them in I don’t care how long; place your order, let them place their order and then have your chat. I want to keep my line moving; you not ordering keeps that from happening.”
This includes putting away phones.
We can’t believe we have to say this, but staying on your phone as you try to place an order at a fast food restaurant is beyond impolite.
Fast food employees are over your rudeness.
Redditor T_wattycakes, an employee at Subway, said, “But at subway we have to talk to these people [on phones] for around 5 minutes and it’s the WORST. I’ve started just talking to them like they’re not on the phone, interrupting the person on the other end, talking slightly louder than usual
You’re not just being rude to me at that point, you’re being rude to the other person.
13. Seriously berate them.
I don’t understand why people have to be so rude or disrespectful. I had a customer get ticked off at me at work because the shake they ordered was too thick, so instead of allowing me to fix it they threw it all over me and drove off quickly. Gotta love working in fast food. 🙃
— Shianna ✨ (@themainsmith99) May 4, 2019
There’s no excuse for getting physical with a fast food employee because you’re angry, or for calling them names or talking down to them.
These people are working — they don’t need to be berated by customers.
Again, how would you feel if someone came to your workplace and started screaming at you? If you’re harassing an employee, that could even be illegal.
14. Order something you know isn’t on the menu.
If you don’t see an item on the menu, chances are good that they don’t have it. So why ask for it? Instead, just order something that they do have, as it will save everyone some time.
Especially when you’re at a fast food place where efficiency is everything.
Customers who stare at the menu for an hour and a half and then ask for something that we don't even carry... #McDonaldsProblems
— McDonalds Problems (@McHellProblems) November 20, 2016
Save food adjustments for when you’re at a restaurant where they can take their time catering to food allergies and dietary restrictions.
15. Get mad at employees about the price of something.
If something's not a dollar a less customers will question "why does it cost so much?" 😑 #fastfoodproblems
— Former McEmployee (@MickeyDs_and_Me) October 13, 2016
Again, not their fault.
If you’re yelling at an employee because you think the price of something is wrong or too high, that’s not the right way to go about it.
That employee did not create the price — they had nothing to do with it.
Take your complaints to someone higher if you really want to. In fact, you should deal with the company’s customer service department directly.
16. Ask really obvious questions.
"Hi do your cheeseburgers come with cheese on them?" #fastfoodproblems #smh
— Jess Hofmeyer (@jesshofmeyer) June 2, 2014
There’s nothing wrong with having questions about the menu. But if you’re asking questions that could easily be answered by, you know, reading the menu, that’s frustrating.
It even gives fast food workers anxiety.
Reddit user throwawayquestion20 said, “Oh my God, I swear those people who called and asked about every single special and menu item gave me a special type of anxiety.”
Just look and see if the answer is in front of you before asking.
17. Refuse to move to grab your bag in the drive through.
If you pull up to the first window and your car is not right next to my window and you aren’t stretching your arm out, you best believe I’m not either lmao #reachbitch #fastfoodproblems
— Underpaid Mcdonalds Employee (@mcdonaIdsworker) November 22, 2018
This is just common courtesy.
Make things easier for both of you by parking close enough to the window!
Or, if you don’t judge the distance correctly, you merely need to unbuckle your seatbelt or open the car door for a quick second to retrieve your food. It’s not fair to make the employee struggle when they have another ten or so customers waiting behind you in line.
18. Ask for a very special request when it’s very busy.
#dearcustomer will order the most expensive thing on the menu and wonder why their total is so high. Like sorry those glazed tenders are expensive so don’t get scared y the price #mcdonaldsproblems
— Former McEmployee (@MickeyDs_and_Me) December 28, 2018
If you’re going to ask an employee to do something extra for you, try not to do it during rush hour. Reddit user Moldy_Muf_Kabij said: “I work at Tim Horton’s, a coffee shop. I hate when customers request their coffee be from a fresh pot.”
“Like I understand if it’s very slow and there’s only one customer a minute.”
“But if they pull this crap during a rush, is it not obvious that it’s going to be fresh because I’m always running out? Either way we dump it after 20 minutes. This also makes it a little more difficult to gauge when to brew a new pot.”
19. Treat the employee like a they’re nothing more than a computer.
Taco Bell customers- "Two chalupas." is not a valid answer to the question "How are you doing today?" We're people too. #fastfoodproblems
— Ben (@matrat103) February 28, 2012
They are still a human. Sure, small talk can be annoying, but exchanging formalities is polite. Don’t ignore the employee when they ask you how you are and just get straight to ordering.
It’s rude!
Asking them how they are in return will only take a second, and honestly, it could really brighten their day. We’re all human beings and we really need to take better care of each other.
20. Go in to order right before the place closes.
Sometimes it has to happen.
But try to avoid it.
If you can avoid going into a fast food place right before they’re about to close, try to do so — it messes up their entire process. Plus, you probably won’t be getting the freshest of food.
And if you are in a pinch and really have to do it, make sure your order is quick and uncomplicated.
Going to a restaurant 20min before closing doesnt just mean fresh food but also that the entire staff will want you dead #fastfoodproblems
— Bella Worden (@Bellzebub_14) August 1, 2016
Otherwise, you might as well find another place that’s open 24/7. It’s only fair.
21. Make a massive drive-thru order.
This was a point of contention for many of the Redditors discussing annoying fast food customer habits.
It throws off the entire system.
Fast food workers have roughly a minute to get a drive thru order in and started. When you order enough food to feed a small village, it throws everything out of wack.
Put in your big orders ahead of time.
If you can’t do that, do the courteous thing and order inside.
