I want to make something very clear. I am currently employed at a global franchise’s establishment located in my hometown, and I love having a job there. It is a great job for someone in my situation, as I can go on academic leave and still know that I will have opportunity to replenish my funds when I am home on breaks. I enjoy working with the customers, and contrary to what I’ve heard aspersions cast towards (more on this later), it is with a genuine smile that I supply you with what you have ordered.

I am not going to identify by name which chain it is that employs me for the sake of my job security, because I, by contract, cannot make negative statements about the company as an employee. However, chances are pretty high that you know me personally, and if not, I will be making references to outside sources that very well should lead you to the truth. I really would just like to set the record straight on a few things.

I have recently noticed an alarming trend of negative statements being made about my place of work. This is nothing new, it is a fast food joint and was the focus of a Morgan Spurlock documentary that showed the documentarian suffer crippling heath consequences from a diet that only included menu items. The name has become synonymous with “evil corporation hell-bent on draining our wallets as it kills the American people”. I concede that all of this is understandable, maybe not reasonable, but I can see how one would believe this.

What I can’t understand is how the restaurant is immediately attributed ALL the blame. We serve products to customers who come in by their own free will and pay for our services. We don’t force anyone to buy anything from us. In my months of working there, I have never been told to go and direct traffic into our drive-thru window, or hold the patrons inside the restaurant  at gunpoint until they buy more food. As a customer, it is your choice to buy our product, and therefore you are also directly responsible for any consequences which may derive from your patronage. Nobody’s making you eat food from… my workplace.

Speaking of which, I’d like to take the time to point something else out. I have heard some very negative comments about the typical attitudes of the employed crew at our topical restaurant. Seriously, the crews that have served you guys must really suck, and I’m a bit surprised that they are still employed. Part of our job requirement is to always treat the customer with courtesy and to be as kind as we possibly can. I know back home my crew mates do a fine job at working through personal stresses, but nobody’s perfect. Still, we do our best to deal with all twenty-two million of our daily customers, being as nice as we can as we tell you difficult truths, despite a large amount of customers proving to be things I cannot, by contract, call them outright.

I love the smell of freshly cut grASS, but sinkHOLES are really annoying when you try to mow the lawn.

We are people too. Please try to remember that.

Thank you very much.