Life as a fast food serf
By Manjit Bhandal

“Would you like curly fries with that?” This question seems cliché to customers, but Jack-in-the-Box employees are trained to use this phrase from their first day of work.

New employees certainly feel heavy pressures the first day on the job. They must control their inclination to scream at the next customer who tries to find change in an invisible pocket that only reappears after the final order has been placed, and they must stop themselves from hitting the screen of the computer when it will not allow the poor serf-like employees access into the register for a refund.
In time, however, the cash register becomes a business partner, the drive-thru becomes a temple of taste and the serf becomes a guru.

The most difficult part of working at Jack-in-the-Box is not trying to save teenage, acne-prone skin from the fryer and greasy food, nor is it trying to remember which one sauce out of the 30 goes with the jalapeño peppers or mozzarella sticks. The most prominent challenge is handling the complaints of guests. It is a virtual guarantee that there will be at least one food complaint every day – whether it’s because Eddie’s Sirloin burger had pickles on it when he specifically ordered otherwise, or because Ramon wanted buttermilk sauce and not regular ketchup with his curly fries, which he says are not crispy or hot enough.

Usually, when such complaints arise, the employee will desire to throw the hedgehog who is complaining out of the store and shove Ramon’s cold fries in his face.

Such pleasurable fantasies, however, cannot come to fruition if the employee is to keep her job. Instead she must smile politely and offer a perfect solution to the food problem. It is difficult to do, but the employee must remember that the reputation of a tall guy with his head stuck in a round box is at stake here. Additionally, if customers give positive feedback about the restaurant and the employee in particular, she’ll get a bonus.

The most rewarding part about working for Jack is that all the delicious food made fresh throughout the day is available to employees during lunch breaks or snack times—when there are no customers. Probably the tastiest snack is the Chocolate Overload, consisting of overflowing amounts of fudge, milk chocolate, delicious chocolate icing and whipped cream. For a customer it costs nearly $5, but during snack time for Jack employees, it’s free.

Another great part of the Jack-in-the-Box experience is the support of fellow employees. If one is having a bad day filled with guest complaints or just the work-a-day-blahs, then the rest of the staff is very eager to help. Honestly, just knowing that such kind co-workers are in the environment makes one feel energized and content.

So working part-time at this restaurant may not pay the salary of a CEO, but free delicacies, caring co-workers and the chance to work for a man in a business suit with a large round head sure makes up for it.