Fast food job tips!!

[oitnb]

I got a job (yay!) at a fast food chicken joint.

 

It's a brand new place starting from the bottom. The owners are hoping it will be successful.

 

The grand opening is today and I'm working. I'm very nervous. For one, I've had many odd jobs but I've never worked fast food. For two, the orientation yesterday, when we all got our "training" was confusing and disorganized to say the least. They tried to pack in all the training we'd need to know for the job in an hour.

 

They're basically throwing us all into a shark tank. I'm not over exaggerating. So, if any of you have worked fast food or did work fast food I'd appreciate some tips! I'm pretty sure I'm working drive through/cashier. But I'd also like kitchen tips in case they throw me in there.

[Edmund Exley]

Wash your hands frequently

[mhowe]

Don't eat the food!

 

And when you don't know....ASK someone.

[happy_snapper]

Make sure you only spit in the food of people you hate

[poetryandlyrics]

Make sure your uniform is clean-looking for work.

Wash hands frequently.

Take the initiative.

[panther]

Smile and be nice to costumers

[HeartGoesOn]

Leave your personal life at home...

[Cheetarah]

Get your hair off of your neck and in a braid or bun. I don't know if you have to wear hairnets there, but I see a lot of fast food workers that don't, including those in the kitchen and it grosses me out.

 

Don't cry under pressure in front of customers. Make a mad dash for the restroom or in the back if you ever feel that kind of frustration coming on.

 

I've never done fast food but I've done a lot of serving.

[oitnb]

We were hats to keep our hair out of the way. I'm just nervous because I don't feel prepared, I still basically have little to no idea of how they want to run things, routines, ect.

 

All we learned yesterday was how to make chicken tenders and biscuits.

[Cheetarah]

Well, it is a brand new joint. You'll be on the learning curve with them and set routines together. They'll let you know what you need to do, and if you're not ever sure ask away.

 

Oh, and never be idle if you're not on lunch or break. Tidy or clean up, or restock.

[oitnb]

Well, it is a brand new joint. You'll be on the learning curve with them and set routines together. They'll let you know what you need to do, and if you're not ever sure ask away.

 

Oh, and never be idle if you're not on lunch or break. Tidy or clean up, or restock.

 

Yep yesterday they said like three times "if you have time to lean you have time to clean" so I know one major thing is to always be busy, and if there is nothing to do, atleast LOOK like you're busy.

[Edmund Exley]

We were hats to keep our hair out of the way. I'm just nervous because I don't feel prepared, I still basically have little to no idea of how they want to run things, routines, ect.

 

All we learned yesterday was how to make chicken tenders and biscuits.

 

That's actually not a good sign. Have these owners owned/managed a restaurant before?

[DancingFool]

Brace yourself for a very rough ride since it sounds like the owners have absolutely no clue whatsoever what it is they are doing. It will be a very sharp learning curve for all of you. So my advice is don't take anything personally.

 

Also, when it comes to customers, always apologize, never defend the restaurant even when the customer is wrong. Nothing diffuses a grumpy customer faster than a "I'm so sorry, we'll fix it right away. Thank you for being so patient with us." Again, remember that it's not about you personally.

[and so it goes]

In the fast food arena, the most important this is the "fast", the "food" is less important to customers.

Oh, they like hot food too (if it is supposed to be hot)

[and so it goes]

As far as slogans are concerned - I've work fast food, and this one is stuck in my head "if you clean the clean, it never gets dirty" (meaning constantly clean counters etc)

[quark]

I have about 10 years restaurant industry experience. One of my first jobs was Boston Market.

 

Will you be working "back of house? (fryer, grill, kitchen) or "front of house" (interaction w\ customers, register, etc)?

 

If you are working with the food, they ought to have information for you back there, ranging from recipes to photographs of how the finished product should look. One of the worst crimes in food preparation is raw chicken, don't let it happen! When in doubt, cut a portion open to see inside. Always wear gloves or keep clean hands. Common sense applies here.. don't leave food that should be refrigerated sitting out for hours on end. Refrigerators should have thermometers and should always be in the correct range (35-38 degrees)

 

If you are working with the customers, a smile and the word "sorry" will work wonders. "Sorry, we're still ironing out some of the details, I appreciate your patience" Being a new concept, most people should understand that the first few weeks of operation will probably be bumpy. As far as inputting orders into the POS (point of sale system, computer) Most interfaces are pretty self explanatory. Get your hands on the menu and make sure you know the right questions to ask. Example: Chicken sandwich -- grilled or breaded? You'll get the hang of it.

 

In either case, you should have a manager on hand who hopefully has the answers. Don't be scared to turn to them.