A Hands-on Experience
By Albert B. Kelly
In the last couple of
weeks I got a new set of eyes and a new set of ears, not literally of course,
though some might claim I should; but in the way that matters most- through
understanding. My new eyes and ears came courtesy of our Bridgeton McDonald’s.
I had recently spoken with
owner Anna Ford-Keels and in the course of our conversation she challenged me
to put on a uniform and work shoulder-to-shoulder with her team serving and
meeting customers for part of a shift. I didn’t really know what to expect, but
the prospect of the French fry station cinched it for me and we set a date.
On the appointed day I
showed and after donning my uniform, the first thing I noticed was the
incredible pace. From the minute I stepped behind the counter to the minute I
left, the restaurant was wall-to-wall activity. From the young workers cooking
and constructing meals and working the drive-thru windows to those on the counter,
everyone moved with a purpose and the process had its own unique rhythm.
It was lunchtime so it was
a quick rhythm; measured in seconds or perhaps a couple minutes at most. The
staff was locked into that rhythm through the monitors listing customer orders,
but also through their own internal “feel” for how things had to move. The
boss, Anna, could sense a slight slow-down before things got really backed up.
If there was a slow down
on this day, I suspect it was my presence that caused it. I say that because in
today’s day and age, whenever someone wants to stereotype a low-skill job, they
talk about “flipping burgers” at MacDonald’s. But I think that’s wrong, because
there’s nothing easy about it.
I’m not claiming its
rocket science, but in the heat of a lunch rush where success is measured in
seconds; you have to be sharp in working the equipment, staying on top of
orders, building meals to specifications, and getting it done right-the
MacDonald’s way…the first time. For the record, I went through 4 patties before
I got the process right, it is precise.
Moving on to a new
station, the same thing goes for working the windows; whether taking the orders
and handling the money or checking the order, bagging it, and capping the
beverages; it all requires focus, organization, efficiency, and a smile. The
same can be said for working the counter.
There’s a lot of ways to
be mayor, but rolling up my sleeves for some “hands-on” learning about the
daily lives people live in this community has no equal. As I said, the work on
this day was not rocket science, but it was not nothin…it was not a “MacJob”.
And while I don’t know how these mostly young employees feel about their work,
I hope they feel pride. They move an average of 70 cars an hour through that
drive-thru and nothing about that was easy.
If you want to call it an
entry level position I wouldn’t argue with you, but it’s a place to start and
young people that are new to the work force learn teamwork, organization,
customer service, “process”, and almost anything else you might expect. I got a
new appreciation for the work and I was impressed with them.
As for the owner, Anna
Ford-Keels, she should feel pride in running what was clearly a tight operation
as part of a multi-billion dollar international corporation and that’s not
nothin either.
The bottom line is that
the people in our community work hard. It’s not that I didn’t already know
that, it’s just that suiting up and walking in their shoes makes me know it
even more. And while economic forces, known and unknown, limit job growth,
depress real wages, and create a downward drag on local economies, it doesn’t
change my sense of urgency in putting the right foundations in place so that
their hard work yields a little more.
That’s why this “hands-on”
learning will continue for me and the best way I know is to leave my comfort
zone from time to time, walk in someone else’s work shoes and experience things
from their perspective. Beyond keeping me grounded, not to mention humble, it
helps drive my focus on what our community must do each day just to get
ahead.
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| Mayor Kelly working the counter at the Bridgeton MacDonald's |
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| Mayor Kelly delivers service with a smile at the Bridgeton MacDonald's |
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| Mayor Kelly working the Drive-Thru-which can average 70 customers an hour |