This is about cross-contamination and cleanliness in the fast-food industry. There have been two instances where I was willing to walk out without getting reimbursed after I had ordered some fast food, but I did once demand my money back. Both places I am talking about had open kitchens where the customer could see how their food was being cooked - and contaminated!
Problems:
The Butcher Shop (which shall remain nameless): the place had a snack-bar where customers could satisfy their hunger before or after taking a number to order their meat. Since I was just in the neighborhood to shop for veggies, I thought about getting a hot dog to satisfy my cravings for sodium, fat and nitrates.
I ordered a hot dog and the girl put it on the grill as I watched. She then got an order for souvlaki and picked up the raw pork with the same utensil used for my hot dog. She then turned the hot dog with it, turned the pork, touching the raw side, and immediately after, used it to place my hot dog in a bun. I said: "I'm not eating that." She asked why and I explained. She asked me If I wanted another one and I said yes. She then did the same thing, so I left without getting my money back.
The Burger Joint (which shall remain nameless): a very well-known burger franchise can be found at gas stations in Ontario, serving hungry meat-eaters near the 401 (a main highway in Canada). I was one of those hungry meat-eaters, in a hurry, on my way home one afternoon.
Two teenage boys were sharing cooking and cash duties...yes, 'sharing'. They would cook a burger or two, very quickly 'wash their hands' by pouring a quick stream of water over them, then handle the cash and/or food (I'm sure the tap handles and little towel were full of something). Anyway, I felt grossed out about the whole thing and didn't want to make a big stink, so I asked for my money back, discreetly.
The boys were so upset and loud, that their manager overheard the whole thing - he was pricing products in the salty snacks aisle. He wanted to know what was going on and I just zipped over to the gas cashier to get the heck out of there. I did explain to the boys that they didn't wash their hands well enough and this apparently upset them.
So, what is it? Are the training videos not clear enough? Are there any training videos? Raw pork is germy and cash is filthy. Either take the cash or cook the burgers - and use separate utensils to avoid cross-contamination. Anyway, I rarely eat at fast food joints these days - unless I'm starving and on the highway, but I still go now and then just to experience the quality of service.
Solutions:
Constant reminders posted in a conspicuous area should be essential for fast food places in conjunction with positive, calm-toned discussions about the importance of food safety and overall cleanliness.
When I was 18, I managed to get a very high rating on one secret evaluation in the fast food place where I worked.In fact, the rating was so positive that they had assumed the senior manager was in charge, not me. When I ran the floor, I got great results because of one thing - people enjoyed coming to work.
The staff knew that when I was in charge, they didn't have to worry about messing something up because I would never yell at them. Since they had a more relaxed attitude, they could have a bit of fun as well and when it got busy, they could focus more on quality and cleanliness. In fact, when they saw me with a broom or a mop in a shirt and tie, they would not hesitate to take over if I asked them to. All of a sudden, jobs like bathroom cleaning and garbage removal were not below anybody if the manager was willing to do it when others could not.
We had a good team and other people wanted to switch to our shift because, if they had to have a part time job, it may as well be enjoyable, and if they enjoyed what they were doing, the focus was on the work, which inevitably resulted in a safe, clean environment producing picture perfect food (well, maybe not 'food stylist' perfect, but as close to that as possible).
Tips for better results from your team:
- Create a positive atmosphere at work that is light on the stress, so people will look forward to coming in. This will, undoubtedly, result in less absenteeism and better productivity.
- Communicate regularly and avoid too much negative water cooler talk. Explain, calmly, why it's important to understand and remember the company's mission statement. Help the staff understand how unique and important your company is and how it must perform at top levels - this will help them feel like they are a part of something special, not just a run-of-the-mill operation.
- Post inspirational notes around, but not goofy ones - they must be hip enough for the younger generation to appreciate. Every generation's sense of humor changes and being able to be on the same level as the younger folks will make you look cool.
Enjoy your day!!
- Buck Moore
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