I've Worked In 6 Customer Service Jobs & I Have Proof That McDonald's Was By Far The Best
I really was lovin' it. 🍟
A McDonald's sign. Right: A McDonald's burger meal.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
I'm a firm believer that everyone should work a customer service job at least once in their life if only to understand what it's like from the perspective of the employee.
In my teen and early adult years, I worked as a newspaper delivery person, a florist's assistant, a pharmacy cashier at Rexall, a sales associate at Home Depot, a sales associate at Lindt, a customer service representative at Scotiabank, a teller at TD and as a cashier at McDonald's.
My job at McDonald's Canada when I was 16 was by far the best of the lot and there are many reasons why.
You don't have to ask to be paid
As a young teen with a paper route, I found it quite intimidating to have to go door-to-door and ask people to give me $6 for delivering the local newspaper.
I think a lot of people didn't understand that the newspaper didn't actually pay us kids — we relied on customers receiving the papers to give us money. As a socially anxious introvert, it was a lot to deal with, so having a job that does direct deposit was a huge relief.
It's low stakes
While screwing up someone's Big Mac order is no fun, it's nowhere near as terrifying as potentially screwing up someone's banking, handing out the wrong prescription, or giving the wrong advice about what products you need to paint your house.
I felt very ill-equipped to deal with the high pressure and demands that came with handling medication and money, particularly as they can already be touchy subjects for some people.
You don't have to answer hard questions
While sometimes at McDonald's people would ask, "Why isn't the ice cream machine working?" it's a much easier question to answer than, "Why are you putting my cheque on hold?" or "What's the best caulk for my bathroom?"
Even when I worked at Lindt and at the florist's, people would ask, "What should I get for my mom's birthday/partner's big celebration/friend whose dog died?"
I don't know! My standard answer was always an assortment of milk chocolates and whatever roses looked healthiest at the time.
You don't have to upsell to people
One of the things I truly hated about most of my customer service jobs, particularly at the banks, was having to ask people if they wanted products they didn't really need.
Sure, if there was a benefit for someone having an extra item or feature, I'd be happy to tell them why I think they should consider it, but having to advise people to buy something or sign up for a service they didn't need always rubbed me the wrong way.
At McDonald's there's none of that — my job was to punch in what people asked for and that was that.
It's genuinely a great environment
Unlike many of my other jobs, I never dreaded going into work at McDonald's.
With the exception of one or two crusty managers, the team was kind, helpful, fun and generally a good time to be around. Plus you'd sometimes get free food, which hey, when you're 16, is always a win!
Love ya, McDonald's!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.