I feel I am very able to offer a very nice attack on the service industry since I have been working in the restaurant and hospitality industry since age 17, and still am at age 19. Since most anyone reading this is an anarchist, I don't have to explain that most work (some would say all) under capitalism is undesirable and no person not trained to be obedient and servile would do it if they did not have to. That's a given but the reason I want to talk about the service industry and customer service is because there is so much more humiliating work in the service industry than in others, there is so much more control of the individual worker, and there is so much more done to service workers on a psychological level because of the nature of doing ultimately meaningless, publicly humiliating work that everyone knows anyone can do.
I have worked at 7 restaurants (2 of them inside hotels) throughout my career in the service industry, first at McDonald's and at the moment inside an international hotel chain. It was at McDonald's where I first saw the effects of doing humiliating work, where I first saw how managers treat employees, where I first saw how helpless service workers were to manager power, and where I first saw how nasty customers could really be. One of the first things I noticed after being there a bit was how often people were hired, and how often people did not show up for scheduled shifts. Sometimes people just would not show up and not call to explain their absence. Some people did it more than others, some never did it, like me. The punishment given out for this varied depending on how many times they'd previously done it. I believe the store manager didn't do anything the first time usually, but you could be taken off the schedule for the week, be given 1 shift the following week, or be fired if done enough times. One manager, after being asked by someone in the restaurant if they were hiring, replied that they were always hiring. What explains this semi-regular absenteeism on the part of usually a small percentage (I would say around 15%) of the workforce of that particular McDonald's? Maybe it is because of how boring fast food work is, or how little training is given (obviously not a lot is needed) which reinforces the idea that fast food jobs are useless (Which they are), and that fast food workers are useless (They are not). This has certainly got to do lots to the psychological well being and confidence of fast food workers especially for those individuals who are not very young (Like I was) and still had different job opportunities to look forward to. Fast food employees know that their jobs are jobs that need little training, require little skill, and that are easily doable by nearly anyone else in the whole wide world. And customers know this as well (a great source of comedy for some people), and employees know that customers know this, which certainly degrades self value. And then the managers who are mostly nice people who have decided to move up the latter, an offer that for most McDonald's workers without other obligations like school or another job would jump at, in most scenarios. But managers are managers and they are there to enforce work on those below, at McDonald's there is always at least 1 manger on duty and often times there are more. They make sure you're cleaning when not busy, they make sure everything is being done on time, they give you permission to go on break, and they generally lord over you. When you do those things that they decide to be unacceptable there are consequences like getting sent home for the day, being suspended, and being terminated, just like at any job. McDonald's was so low wage that when I was working as many hours as they would allow, usually about 35-40 a week, I was only bringing in around $1,000 a month. The only way to be financially independent would be to have another job, be a manager, or receive welfare money (if that can be called independence). The customers were a big problem when working there for me as well as anyone who worked in the "front of house". They could treat you like a dog, scream at you, in a humiliating manner demand to speak to your manager, and request then receive free things. As a regular "crew member" you could do nothing against them. I still have much hatred inside of me from those about 10-11 months that I worked there towards customers. Now how does this terrible work environment manifest itself inside of the employees themselves, apart from occasional absenteeism on the part of some of the workers? From what I've seen, despite the desire for people to take pride in their work, in their conversations a total lack of care about the job. Almost like saying publicly, I am better than this job. Knowing that another job is their only escape from McDonald's and that another job is likely to be doing something similar, some, I assume, turn to partying and drugs.
My next job was at Firebirds, an upscale casual chain steakhouse that is known very much for their excellent customer service. In my first interview, I was promised at least 30-35 hours a week as a busser, I accepted. I never got those hours and I worked there for about 5-6 weeks during which I definitely "proved myself" something which I had only been told I had to do to receive more hours after I had been hired, and asked for more hours, probably about 2-3 weeks in. The managers there were not mean but their management style was most certainly about forcing good customer service out of employees. Remember that Firebirds is known for its good customer service, us sane people understand that people do not naturally want to offer good customer service, no one gets up and says "I want to go to work and be a great little servant". So what is this great customer service founded on? It's founded on fear, but more fear than usual, from my experience, because for a restaurant to give renowned customer service, it has got to drive its employees even harder. So I remember one shift, the restaurants manager and possibly owner/co-owner were giving their nightly meeting in the back area where most restaurants would have their kitchen but where we only had our dishpit and prep areas and manager office (Firebirds has an open grill), the manager stated and I am paraphrasing but some of this is exact: we are bringing in some new people, and it's not to scare you but we are trying to make sure that we have the best team out there so you're not going to be on the floor Saturday night if you're not giving great service. What any sane person should hear is: I'm going to make you starve if you do not follow my commands, slave. Maybe some of those in attendance understood what the speech actually meant, I assume some were hit by a new wave of fear, and I assume some had been so trained as to actually agree with the manager decision to bring in more people. When I was at Firebirds, that was not the scariest thing I heard, that came at another meeting, abruptly held by an assistant manager after a table did not get the complimentary bread we give to everyone. This paraphrase is nearly exact and nearly in full, how could I forget something so evil? Here it is: someone didn't get bread. Three ladies just walked out because they didn't get bread. When I went to their table they were very angry and I offered to pay for this meal and another if they decided to come back, and they declined. This is a big deal, when you go to Firebirds you get bread, and now they are going to go tell other people that when you go to Firebirds, you don't get bread and then they will tell more people and then where does it end, 100 people? Guys, we don't have commercials, we only have what people say about us. I want everyone with their eyes open out there, on their toes. If this happens again there will be consequences, do you understand me. After the meeting I was like "wat just happened?". It had actually been my fault they did not receive bread, but I was very new and let off the hook. But I was surprised that just because some people got a little angry that they did not get bread in time, the manager decided to hold a threatening meeting about it. Imagine that one human can treat another that way. How pitiful. That is why I believe in the death penalty. But for restaurants that is all too common. I soon left Firebirds and continued my Service career elsewhere.
I have much more to write about the service industry but at the moment that will suffice. The way me and my coworkers were and are treated is no way exclusive to us but instead it is the hallmark of the service industry. Everything that I have written here is truthful and I have even gone as far as taking certain things out which I am not absolutely sure of.
I had been inspired to write this little essay and attack on the service industry earlier tonight. If you have any questions you can email me and andrew3943345@gmail.com anytime you like.
Andrew F