Why are so many people being understanding of the human failings of the person who didn't cover basic food hygiene rules, but not the customer who almost certainly also works their arse off for the money they were about to spend?
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Am I an a-hole for asking a fast food worker to change gloves/get new bread for me?
- Thread starter Stiler
- Start date
Not making excuses for the employee, he fucked up. You can be right and be a dick at the same time, I probably would have left as well but "forget it" in my experience is used almost exclusively to piss someone off.
Sure context is important, I only brought that up because you mentioned ignoring the intent. Going purely off how it was described by OP, the "forget it" and walk off comes off as rude.
I'm 34. I said I had no horse in this race, and I feel if your in this situation it's absolutely your choice if you wish to reject the food.
What I take umbrage with is the "any goofball can do it" comment.
I get your point, but I also think "forgret it" is more than fair here. It's something the employee can learn from, their failure to follow basic rules and their sigh (regardless of their intent) caused it. As I said, I've been in the position of the employee and had to assess why the situation happened the way it did, and every time a person was rude to me because of my own rudeness or failure to follow the basics I understood their reaction completely.
What? Being understanding is not making any fuss about the sandwich having to be remade in the first place, presumably without a sigh. Receiving a sigh at a request that they start building the sandwich with fresh gloves, and not ones used to pick stuff up off the floor, warrants a "forget it" / I'll spare you the effort.
I'm not going to stand there and make someone go through the burden of replacing the bread.
I don't really think you were really out of line. The only part I'm not sure about is the walking out part, don't think I would have done that. But at this point, you obviously didn't feel like spending the money there and that's perfectly fine (shrugs). You didn't get loud & verbally insult or berate him, just made some requests so your sandwich would be sanitary (he SHOULD have known better), and then walked away when you felt the service wasn't there, so that's all perfectly acceptable in my book
You weren't asking for much, but I can almost gaurentee you took them sighing as them being annoyed when really, he probably just sighed to sigh. I do it all the time regardless of how I feel or a customer, so you assuming they had a problem with you asking and then walking out is the asshole part.
Eh, you don't even know where those gloves had been prior to your visit, most likely the picking up from the ground wasn't the worst thing that happened to those gloves that day.
That being said, yes you were kind of a dick about it.
That being said, yes you were kind of a dick about it.
Like I said, I just don't believe reacting in kind is correct. It's a proportionate response, I don't think OP was overreacting at all, but that's just not how I was raised.
Honestly, I would have probably gone elsewhere as well.
I'm having a hard time thinking of any other response though that isn't gonna piss off a dude more who is already sighing at you, save for just shutting up and completing the transaction, which is unfair to ask of the OP given he has every reason not to feel comfortable eating it--again, if the server is sucking this much at basic food handling protocol and isn't hiding it, best believe everything in the spread might've already been just as contaminated. Sighing on top of that? I might not even be mad at a silent turn around, leave, and slam the door behind me.
And I worked food retail in the past, and back then I woulda known I'd deserve that if I acted the same as the server.
Basic food hygiene? He changed his glove and it is not like the glove he had touched and rub the floor. The door handle to the entrance is more dirtier than that glove. In this instant the employee listened to each of the customers demand and the customer just because of a sigh decided that he won't eat there.
The customer who works his arse for his money can learn some humility. You don't have to be a douche just because you have some superiority complex. Op should go to Africa and humble himself.
Also to consider, you can say "forget it" in a non confrontational and overly rude way. And if someone is rude to you, a calm "forget it" as you walk away is not "in kind" imo.
I guess we all have different opinions on that though. It just seems a bit too stringent to me to call it rude.
So you're trolling.
I worked in fast food for several years. You're supposed to change your gloves whenever you touch anything unsanitary - including food that's fallen on the floor.
At least, that's what all the employee handbooks and training material always says.
The reality is that restaurant owners are cheap fucks and they never order enough gloves. You're actively discouraged from changing your gloves often because if you do the store will run out. (Spoiler alert: the gloves still run out even when you're conservative with them).
This isn't OP's fault, of course. The system just sucks. I think OP's request was reasonable, although he probably could have been less of an ass about it.
At least, that's what all the employee handbooks and training material always says.
The reality is that restaurant owners are cheap fucks and they never order enough gloves. You're actively discouraged from changing your gloves often because if you do the store will run out. (Spoiler alert: the gloves still run out even when you're conservative with them).
This isn't OP's fault, of course. The system just sucks. I think OP's request was reasonable, although he probably could have been less of an ass about it.
I already mentioned it previously, but again: "And for people trying to devil's advocate the sigh as a "my bad" kinda self-frustration thing, it's still the server's fault for not communicating that, otherwise many, if not most people gonna assume he's sighing at them. So it's still fair play to walk out."
The OP wrote that he said forget it and walked out. In this thread that has been interpreted as storming out, throwing a strop, taking a hissy fit amongst other accusations. What the fuck is wrong with some of you - he didn't overturn the magazine rack - he just left. Also what the server is paid is irrelevant - they are paid to do a job and in the catering industry that means doing it hygienically.
This really an eight page thread?
Most everyone has walked out of a store after getting frustrated, its nbd, for either you or the person working there.
Most everyone has walked out of a store after getting frustrated, its nbd, for either you or the person working there.
I've worked in a lot of fast food places... Never has one of them docked employee pay for dropping a sandwich... In fact, these types of losses were factored into the budget.
Is this satire? I think this might be satire.
Should the unsanitary bread be left intact for the next customer to eat instead?
No, It's going to get people sick and the possibility of someone having food allergy eating particles off of gloves if there aren't changed frequently.
Actually - I've thought about it some more
At the point of walking out
There's no way you can say I've changed my mind about purchasing food from this establishment because I don't believe your food hygiene standards are up to scratch and I can't be arsed with this in a 'good manner'
I've gone to totally fair response
At the point of walking out
There's no way you can say I've changed my mind about purchasing food from this establishment because I don't believe your food hygiene standards are up to scratch and I can't be arsed with this in a 'good manner'
I've gone to totally fair response
No, op is being an elitist. He doesn't wipe his arse with a $100 bill, but the way he acted seems like he does. Walking out is disrespectful and he should learn some manners. The employee did everything he asked, but just because the op felt like he was hesitant to do so, he decided to leave. That is the textbook definition of being a douchebag.
Probably a dialect thing, I'm from northwest England but I don't use it or hear it used much outside of being rude and dismissive. There are situations where it can be sure, and it will mean something different depending on where you're from, but to me it does come off as rude
Intent kind of matters. It's clear OP left mainly because they're socially awkward rather than trying to be a prick.
Fair enough, and I'm not knocking you for making the consideration to be kinder to people, that's a good thing.
This. What the fuck is going on in this thread. Sounds like the employee didn't want to be bothered so fuck it peace my dude.
Sanitary food at minimum is non-negotiable. Imagine thinking otherwise. 🤔
That's the problem; the employee shouldn't have had to be asked. I worked food retail and they drum this--basic food handling protocol--in to you from the beginning. But if you gotta be asked anyway, then respond by sighing? That is the textbook definition of being not fit for the job and deserving of a walkout.
You can't twist this into being social awkward. It is like saying someone who says racist thing doesn't have the right education or is mentally inept. As a black African American who ancestors where bought to America through slave ship, I understand when intent matters. Intent matters when white people move away from your train seat after you sat down, or when having an ordinary conversation and then an Asian or white person runs because they taught you were going to rob them. These are where intent matters. Not when a privilege guy gets what he wants and then just because of a sigh that was misdirected, decided to leave.
The sigh could be a sign of fatigue of doing the work again. It is not deserving of walking out. The op has probably already put me on his ignore list, but I m the only one in this thread that will tell him the truth and why the world is not his oyster.
OP, did they sigh at you or the mess they just created? Important distinction.
As someone who worked fast food and at a restaurant, just because you make minimum wage doesn't mean you don't have to do your job. I would have walked out as well watching someone brazenly work unsanitarily, and then be passive aggressive with their customer service. If he can't do the job, someone else will.
Doesn't matter though. As I've said more than once: "And for people trying to devil's advocate the sigh as a "my bad" kinda self-frustration thing, it's still the server's fault for not communicating that, otherwise many, if not most people gonna assume he's sighing at them. So it's still fair play to walk out."
wow, no chill
OP doesn't make it seem like there's much time between the request for new bread, the sigh and leaving so clearly the server was at fault for not being a better human being.
It's cool, I think we still fundamentally agree and we're just getting tied up in the details now.
this thread is wild. apparently after witnessing multiple hygiene violations and receiving attitude from an employee leaving makes you a bad person.
well, the employee didn't do something they didn't want to do, still has a job they probably shouldn't have, and op got his subway down the block. win win for everyone.
well, the employee didn't do something they didn't want to do, still has a job they probably shouldn't have, and op got his subway down the block. win win for everyone.
To quote "designer stubble" and a "5 o clock shadow" were not allowed and what this is will be judged by someone with the rank of sergeant and above, that's what we were told during training for a volunteer role.
Yes but the the sergeant joked that if you get injured in the job and you are put out of work for a while then that's your chance.
I actually found a link just to prove I am not making this up, this applies for the UK forces.
Anyway, not wanting to derail the topic, the reason I bought this up because it's probably the same line of thinking the OP had with the sandwich maker, the sigh itself isn't bad but it indicates that there may be larger issues such as a lazy attitude. It's a warning sign and I guess in whatever company we work at, when you do the job interview for example, little details like this are analysed. It's why you still wear a suit (maybe) to a job interview even if your day to day work is in casual clothing.
This is a bit farfetched. Black and rican and I've worked in technical support, so I've dealt with plenty of abusive customers. Sighing because someone asks you to change gloves is some shit I'd call the guy out for personally. He's lucky OP just left and why should he stay when the guys acting like he's being a huge pain in the ass? I don't stick around either to give my cash to places like that either. OP wasn't in the wrong to ask him to switch gloves and bread and as he didn't even hassle the guy, I don't see the problem.
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Thanks for the info, it certainly bristles my general anti-authoritarian sensibilities but it's a clear policy which is established. I can't disagree that bad customer service/hygeine is a red flag that could highlight issues that are unseen as well
You weren't at all in the wrong OP, ignore the weirdos on here. It's not as if you berated the worker or anything, now that would have made you an arsehole, all you did was expect basic hygiene standards to be met and he obviously couldn't be arsed about that 🤷🏽♂️
I mean the walking out is over the top.
I'd sigh too, mainly just because of throwing away so much food and it's my fault for not thinking about the gloves.
I'd sigh too, mainly just because of throwing away so much food and it's my fault for not thinking about the gloves.
Gotta love that people keep tagging on and subbing in these exaggerated words and phrases to make OP's demeanor more in line with their assessment that they were rude.
How did OP "storm out" exactly? He basically just said nevermind and left normally. You want to add that OP pulled the register off the counter and flipped a table before kicking the door to leave? If you want to say OP was wrong to leave then say that, no need to exaggerate the events.
As opposed to you twisting this into being comparable to acts of racism. Right... Look, I'm also African American and what you're saying is absolutely ridiculous and honestly downplays how bad racism actually is. If you've experienced racism like you claim, you should know this is nothing like that. Not even close. The employee at the sandwich shop is completely at fault for his own mistakes and OP leaving is directly in response to bad service. Some white family moving away from you because you're black is not your fault, it's their inherent discomfort and hate of black people.
I notice people reducing this to OP deciding to leave because the guy simply sighed. Sure, if you remove all other context and leave it at that, it does make OP seem like an unreasonable jerk. But in reality, OP left because of everything leading up to and including the sigh. I also don't know why people are trying to make this some classism argument. You think the guy at the sandwich shop can't also afford to buy a hoagie?
Oh give me a break with this hot take. No where did the OP imply they were "better than" the employee. And it ain't got shit to do with classism. When my ass was well under the poverty line and I got something to eat I made damn sure dude washed their hands and wore gloves after I ordered.
Pretty damn on point. It wasn't the "sigh" per se. If dude sighed after the food fell then that's understandable. But sighing at the request for clean food shows hesitation/reluctance. If someone is reluctant to serve me clean food I kinda don't want to eat there. I'll cancel my order and move on. Just like OP did.
I don't see that at all, I think he was trying to be a prick because that's basically the intent of walking out. everything else he asked was reasonable but the walking out isn't.
How the op worded it is where I am getting he was unreasonable with how he left.
I would have done the same thing if I saw that, fuck the haters. That being said I'm sure far worse things happen regularly in restaurants/fast food where you don't get to see the food prep. Ignorance is bliss and all.
It's not like it was a personal favor.
The employee exhibited attitude at being asked, and he should not have had to have been asked in the first place. It's not "for you" it's for all customers, it's for sanitary practices at a damned restaurant, it's for ServSafe standards.
I don't think it's really anyone's call to make. OP said why he walked out and y'all are basically telling him that's not the case and he's a prick. It's bullshit. Some people really don't care for confrontation and would rather walk out at that point.
If the guy sighed at me, we would have had words and I still would have left. Only difference is I wouldn't care what anyone else thought about it.
This. Speaking as a guy who worked fast casual for 10 years, I understand fucking up, but you are well within your rights to expect better. That said, again speaking from experience, it sounds like the guy had a comedy of errors at that moment and was probably sighing at having a cascade of screw ups, not at the OP, and it's kinda assholish to walk out just because the worker was frustrated.