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Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 11/7/08 Section: News
Employees speak out about McFirings
McDonald's workers say students' 'loud,' 'out of control' behavior causes tension
Lara Seligman
If you have ever visited the McDonald's at 40th and Walnut streets late on a Saturday night, you may have encountered a scene of drunken chaos.
But while some students complain that the store's management is "ridiculously absurd" and its customer service "a joke," members of the store's overnight staff say that students play a part in the mayhem as well.
The two opinions came head to head last month when College sophomore Keith Williams and a group of his friends got into an altercation with several McDonald's employees during a late-night visit. Williams started a Facebook group encouraging students to boycott the restaurant, which ultimately led to the firing of several McDonald's staff members.
But employees say they're not the only ones out of line.
One of the McDonald's overnight security guards said students are often rude and obnoxious to the staff, engage in "rough play" and use profane language.
He explained that the students' "loud, out of control behavior" usually occurs on Friday or Saturday nights around 12 or 1 a.m.
According to a female staff member who has worked night shifts, when students don't get exactly what they want, they sometimes get angry and yell obscenities or throw things.
She added that occasionally students will sexually harass members of the staff.
"Sometimes [the students] have to be controlled by the security guard," she said, although she added that the behavior never gets too violent because the security guard kicks out any students that display potentially threatening behavior.
But many students feel that as paying customers, they are entitled to appropriate service.
"I don't deny that … there is an issue of people coming in drunk," Williams said.
However, he added that especially on the weekends, drunken students looking for a late-night snack after partying are "a fact of a college campus" and "something that the employees should be trained to handle."
But while some students complain that the store's management is "ridiculously absurd" and its customer service "a joke," members of the store's overnight staff say that students play a part in the mayhem as well.
The two opinions came head to head last month when College sophomore Keith Williams and a group of his friends got into an altercation with several McDonald's employees during a late-night visit. Williams started a Facebook group encouraging students to boycott the restaurant, which ultimately led to the firing of several McDonald's staff members.
But employees say they're not the only ones out of line.
One of the McDonald's overnight security guards said students are often rude and obnoxious to the staff, engage in "rough play" and use profane language.
He explained that the students' "loud, out of control behavior" usually occurs on Friday or Saturday nights around 12 or 1 a.m.
According to a female staff member who has worked night shifts, when students don't get exactly what they want, they sometimes get angry and yell obscenities or throw things.
She added that occasionally students will sexually harass members of the staff.
"Sometimes [the students] have to be controlled by the security guard," she said, although she added that the behavior never gets too violent because the security guard kicks out any students that display potentially threatening behavior.
But many students feel that as paying customers, they are entitled to appropriate service.
"I don't deny that … there is an issue of people coming in drunk," Williams said.
However, he added that especially on the weekends, drunken students looking for a late-night snack after partying are "a fact of a college campus" and "something that the employees should be trained to handle."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 17
Poor taste
posted 11/07/08 @ 4:01 AM EST
"McFirings?" Really? No matter who was in the wrong, whether it was the students or the employees, this is serious business to some people, especially to the people who were fired. (Continued…)
Sean O'Sullivan
posted 11/07/08 @ 7:35 AM EST
It's about time Penn students get respect from local businesses - if people dont like the fact that they have to work at 1 AM on a Saturday evening handing out hamburgers - they shouldn't blame their situations on the people giving them the money that allows them to have the jobs
Penn & Teller
posted 11/07/08 @ 8:26 AM EST
That McDonalds has always been a nightmare. I've lived in the neighborhood for many years, and most who do avoid that McDonalds because it's unsanitary and the counter clerks are as bratty and unpleasant as Penn students can be. (Continued…)
Mutual Blame
posted 11/07/08 @ 10:27 AM EST
There is equal blame to go around in this issue. As Penn students, sometimes we don't realize how obnoxious we can be to the employees that serve throughout the campus, especially when someone is drunk after midnight on a weekend. (Continued…)
Mark
posted 11/07/08 @ 11:11 AM EST
Penn & Teller, I highly doubt that there is a higher hiring rate for blacks than there is for whites at that McDonalds. Do you really think there are that many white people applying there? The community has a majority black community, if you didn't know. (Continued…)
Penn & Teller & Race-Based Hiring
posted 11/07/08 @ 11:33 AM EST
Mark,
Whites are not the only people capable of racially discriminatory practices. Ask anyone who has ever been a minority in any business or community. (Continued…)
Nice Customer
posted 11/07/08 @ 1:43 PM EST
Why am I always nicer to the service people at Fresh Grocer and McDonalds than they are to me?
High schools should teach a customer service class so that the ungrateful employees have no one to blame but themselves for their horrible attitudes and service. (Continued…)
sean O'Sullivan
posted 11/07/08 @ 6:44 PM EST
it is not equal - there are customers and there are servers - that's how it works - if people don't want to serve, they don't need to be working -
We can't let people treat us badly because of our academic affiliation -
McDonald's national office should close down that awful place - or they should acknowledge that the accept the abuse of Penn students
Joke
posted 11/08/08 @ 12:08 PM EST
Anyone would be pissed off serving drunk college students, are you kidding me? And we are in Philadelphia--not exactly the best place for customer service. (Continued…)
'08 alum
posted 11/08/08 @ 12:17 PM EST
For 4 years, I witnessed the racism of Philadelphia -- the racism of African-American service employees against white students. Penn students, most of whom are kind and polite, are regularly treated like shit by employees at McD's and Fresh Grocer. (Continued…)
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