This one goes out to all the people who go to restaurants ten minutes before they close. This is for all the angry people who yell at the cashier when really the bagger is the one who forgot to put the kids’ meal in the order. This is to the people who don’t think it’s a big deal to completely change your order right after the cashier just tendered your money.

I used to be one of these people. But working in fast food taught me one thing: the customer isn’t always right. Fast food workers, no matter the age, should be treated with some more respect.

Almost everyday a customer comes in and asks to see a manager, who half the time isn’t even there, and chooses to complain about their fries not being “well done enough” or that their food was “too cold” and then showing us all a half-eaten sandwich. Why must you go complain to the manager if the intention was to get free food in the first place? Why must you play games with the employees? It’s deceitful to try and trick innocent teenagers and adults who work for less than 10 dollars an hour. These people work to take your order, give you your food, refill your drinks and serve you whenever possible. They do not work to deal with the conniving customers who purposely cause conflict.

By purposely causing trouble in the restaurant, all the customer is doing is making things worse for everyone else. Yes, there are customers who come in and make the transaction easy, ordering smoothly and with respect. But for those who come in, eat half their burger or sandwich and then claim they “saw a hair” or that “it was too cold,” I have one thing to ask: what are you doing?

Why even go out to eat, where spending money is a requirement, and feel the need to be stingy and lie for free food? Also, how rude and selfish do you have to be to go through the drive thru at 10:59 when obviously the place closes at 11. We, the workers, are obligated to take your order, pray to the Food Heavens above that the order isn’t anything more than what’s already sitting under the lamp, because lord knows how upset the cooks would be to have to cook your meal after hours. If it’s 15 minutes or less from closing, please have enough courtesy to just drive away and let us have an easy night where we get to shut off the lights at the time we are meant to.

It is true that we are there to serve you. What you order is what you are meant to receive with pleasure and respect. However, that doesn’t mean the employees of any restaurant can be treated as anything less than a human being. A person is still a person, whether they are cashier or a CEO. By complaining to manager about an employee in front of said employee, you’re not cool. If anything, that’s just rude. Half the time the issue isn’t even the employee’s fault.

Next time you go to McDonald’s, Whataburger, Chick-fil-a, In-and-out or any other fast food franchise, please remember these two things: the customer isn’t always right and servers are people too. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone has a bad day and everyone gets confused, but a server or a fast food employee is still a human being who deserves respect.