The first way I can think working at Dairy Queen has influenced me and my 'habitus' is simple. Dairy Queen has defined me as a leader. After working their for some time, gaining trust, and improving in skill I became a shift leader. I became responsible for overseeing the employees, dealing with customer concerns, operating complications, and closing and opening the store. I didn't realize how much working their influenced me until after I left. I went back to the store to pick up my last paycheck and immediately when I got there I started bossing people around. I saw what needed to be fixed, what they were doing wrong, and I told them. I said, "these garbages need to be changed," "these tables need to be cleaned," "you can't drink that up here." After I left I realized that I no longer had that authority, but I now know that it is instinct. When I am around that store, in that store, even hear about it, something triggers in me and I feel the need to fix whatever is wrong or lead the store as if I still work there. Being a shift leader at Dairy Queen has made me a leader in my everyday life.
Working at Dairy Queen has also influenced me as a customer of other establishments. In the fast food world, "the customer is always right," but as a behind the scenes worker I know how frustrating it is to accept this. The fact is customers can be rude, obnoxious, and even a little crazy, but we have to treat them like their right and we are wrong. Being on the other side of the counter has influenced how I act as a customer now. Anywhere I go, no matter how terrible the service, I tell the people serving me thank you and to have a nice day, because I know how much that means to those of us doing the serving. Being a worker at a fast food place has also raised my expectations as a customer. I tried my hardest to give quality service, so I expect it in return.
People always think of working in the fast food industry as degrading and "below" them. I would be lying if I said I wasn't one of them. I even found myself embarrassed to say where I worked at times in fear that people would think of me as somebody who is lazy, isn't going anywhere, or even a little gross. I do know that when I say I worked at Dairy Queen people don't think of me as somebody who worked her ass off, who was a leader, who developed a type of family. I know that people have no clue what it is like to get fudge in places nobody should get fudge, what it is like to deal with angry customers after telling them you are out of ice cream when they are at an ice cream place, or how to understand why people want ice cream in below zero weather. The only people who understand are the people who belong to the Dairy Queen institution, to that subculture.
I worked in the food industry when I was in high school as well. I was a hostess and barista at a local restaurant and I find myself feeling in a awkward position every time I am back in town visiting. I always see empty tables and also get the instinctive push to go clear the table and wipe it down for the next customers on the list. Working in the food industry has its perks and it's downsides. I agree with the stigma of "being looked down upon" by people when you say you worked in the food industry, but you learn a lot of valuable skills like you pointed out (such as being a leader and leading people in a responsible way). All my friends have changed the way they treat waiters and servers at restaurants once they started working in the food industry as well. It's important for others to realise that those people serving us are people to and deserve to be respected, no matter what kind of service they are providing.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Dairy Queen for about 6 months this past year and I know exactly what you're talking about. Dairy Queen is an institution where you can work your way up fairly fast and become a leader. While it may not have the best reputation as far a work places go, I found that it was a lot harder of a job than most people think. You have to be on all the time since, at least in most, there is a drive thru as well as a front register. And the variety of food served there ranges heavily so there is always something to do. And in the summers... oh gosh I bet you know what I'm talking about. Most of the people I worked with were younger high school students so while I wasn't the oldest I wasn't the youngest either which made it easier for me to obtain a good standing amongst my bosses. I felt like this job made me understand what it is like to work a fast food job with a lot of demand for the product we produced. And it definitely taught me as well that the customer is not always right. At fast food restaurants people expect their food very fast and they're not usually in the best of moods. Since there is a stigma against fast food workers the customers sometimes treated us like we were very beneath them which bothered me a lot. I do think however that Dairy Queen gave me very good work experience in terms of dealing with tough situations and I believe that everyone needs to work in a fast food restaurant at least once in their lifetime so they can at least have some empathy for those who do work in them and can treat them with respect.
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