by Heather Watkins

Created on: August 12, 2009   Last Updated: August 14, 2009

We're accosted with fast food advertisements every day, be they on billboards, TV commercials, or the restaurants themselves advertising specials as we drive by. Our society has turned places like McDonald's, Taco Bell, and KFC into household names. For a quick, cheap meal in a pinch, fast food establishments really can't be beat, and the variety of food choices and different restaurants is vast. No one expects a gourmet meal at one of these places, and they shouldn't, as that's not what they intend to market. However, I think that with a bit more attention paid to presenting a clean and sanitized restaurant as well as a new attitude toward customer service, the fast food industry could be greatly improved.

With the recent hepatitis A scare from the Milan, Illinois McDonald's making national headlines, a renewed interest in the cleanliness of many fast food restaurants has come to many people's attention. While it's understandable that many employees in these restaurants are working many different jobs at once, far more attention should be paid to the appearance of the common dining areas as well as the restrooms and the areas behind the counter. This would not only make the experience of dining at a fast food establishment more pleasant, it would be far more sanitary and help patrons feel more secure that their food is fresh, safe and prepared according to health and sanitation guidelines.

Employees should also pay far more attention to customer service, something which has seemed to be going downhill for several years now. Customers are what keeps these employees in business, and should not be treated as an inconvenience. Preparing their food courteously and quickly is what is expected of them, yet many of the employees act as though they are simply too busy to afford their customers a smile, let alone a kind word or efficient service. Their other tasks should come second to serving their customers, not take precedence over them. That is, after all, what they were hired for in the first place.

While the people ordering food may be in a hurry, the employees should not be. They should still offer efficient service, but shouldn't act as though they're trying to rush the customers out the door so they can get back to their other tasks. This just makes them look rude, and if someone is paying for a service you have been hired and are being paid to provide, being kind to them should come as second nature. Providing a clean and sanitary place for your customers should also be a no brainer, yet these things seem to be lost on many fast food employees of today. While it may never be a career choice, fast food is still a job entered into voluntarily, and these things are the cornerstones of good service and should always be maintained. Fast food would be largely improved if a bit more attention was paid to these issues by every employee.

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