Ask any fast food employee the most stressful day of the week, and you will be shocked to discover that it is that of the Sabbath Day. Not surprised? Then perhaps you are aware of the common rudeness of customers,most of them having just left church.

Having worked a full-time summer job at a local fast food restaurant in Russellville, I have had all too much experience of this Day of Rest in which no worker gets a break. It can be something as trite as Diet Coke instead of Coca-Cola, or forgetting to make an order a medium combo, but for the Sunday customer it is always the fault of someone else.

Although most fast food employees are more than willing to help a customer or correct a mistake, I believe there is a limit that which an employee should have to tolerate, and from my experience, many customers behave in a manner beyond this. Most customers do not help themselves by behaving so rudely about an issue that can be simply solved, and their lack of participation makes employees less willing to help. And even if the common phrase is “the customer is always right,” that does not give him the right to assume that he is not at fault; many mistakes have been made on the customer’s part because he did not specify his order or was not paying attention. In a group situation, like one would see on a Sunday afternoon, a customer will make an order and leave without making sure the employee got his order correct.

Service is a number one priority to the fast food industry. Whether or not the restaurant advertises to “have it your way,” the employee is responsible to make an order to the specifications of the customer. A happy customer will be more likely to return than an unsatisfied one. That being said, participation is a team effort, between an employee and a customer. And since politeness is somewhat contagious, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to merely act civil to someone taking your order? I’m sure that everyone, myself included, has forgotten at least once that the voice from the speaker is a human being, who has his or her own worries and feelings from day-to-day. And since Sunday is the day of the week in which many reflect on life’s lessons such as good will and humility, it is sufficient to practice what which is preached. You never know what side of the counter you will end up in the future.