I have a read numerous letters of praise and complaints about McDonalds, regarding both the quality and often questioned healthiness of their food, and also regarding their "exploited workers". Well, as one of the crew members of McDonalds Thornleigh, the head office of McDonalds Australia, I feel I have a good inside view of what McDonalds is all about.
Walk into a McDonalds resturant comparred with any other fast-food place and compare the service. At any old local fish and chips shop you will not find the same standards of service set at McDonalds. The staff are always courteuos and friendly, and we even have a certain procedure of service rules we have to follow, "the six steps".
Out in the kitchen where the food is cooked, the crew are always under survailence of a manager and the quality, temparature and cleaniness of the food are constantly checked.
I'm not praising the place totally and ofcourse there is the ongoing debate that the food can cause heart-attacks and other cardio diseases because of the high amount of fat and colesterole. I don't really know about what goes in, but it does satisfy for a quick relief of hunger.
Regarding the standards of work for employees...well, what can I say. You can't really comment on what the work is like until you have actually experienced it for yourself. Compared to my peers who also have part-time jobs in different places, I feel I do the hardest work out of them all, but although constantly demanding, I have always been told, and now really believe that it is the best training for later life and an excellent addition to one's resume. Sometimes the work can be quite menial, and it motivates me to try my hardest at school so I am not stuck cooking frys for the rest of my life. But the head manager at our resturant is only 24 and has one a prestigous award for the young retail executive of the year. If you work your way up the ladder, you really can get places.
It's true that our wages are low but how come there are always new "suckers" who want to be employed there? Because it is such a universally established and recognised chain that has been employing people from all parts of the globe for nearly 50 years ,and because it is a clean, friendly, convieniant place for people to drop into, get a bite ot eat or to get the kids out of the house.
Out of the eight months I have been working there, I have understood the term 'team work' and have learnt many new skills that will go with me for the rest of my life. Alright, the food may not be tofu and soyabean pies, and they may not lay out velvet rugs for their crew to walk on, but if people don't want to eat it, they don't have to. But I think all you people out there, who are on a vendetta to rid the world of McDonalds should stop wasting your time, because it is now a local icon in todays society and I think will continue to be for quite a few years in the future.
