McDonald’s Employees Fight Back Against Disruptive Customers
After a wild video showing McDonald’s employees fighting back against disruptive customers surfaced, the company quickly addressed the situation. They condemned the behavior as “not in accordance” with their policies but hinted that there was more to the story. So, does it really make a difference? You be the judge.
An incident took place at the McDonald’s located at Wynyard Train Station in Sydney’s Central Business District. The chaos unfolded around 1 am on a Thursday, involving food and drinks being thrown across the counter. A video capturing the employee retaliating by throwing a drink in a customer’s face went viral, giving rise to much discussion online.
McDonald’s Australia responded to the viral video by stating that although the behavior was against their policies, there were critical details missing from the short clip. According to McDonald’s, the customer shown causing the ruckus had earlier entered the restaurant, created a disturbance in the kitchen, and threatened the staff.
Footage shows that after the employee tossed a drink into the face of the customer, the customer slipped but soon regained balance and started hurling food items back at the workers. This led to a chaotic food fight, which ended with the customer leaving, seemingly satisfied with his disruption.
The plot thickens with more background revealed by the New York Post. The customers involved were teenagers. When New South Wales Police responded to an assault report, they arrested two teen boys, aged 17 and 15, linked to the incident.
A police representative noted, “Around 1 a.m., officers were called to the Wynyard restaurant following reports of malicious damage. They were informed that a 23-year-old employee had been assaulted. Shortly after, two male teens were apprehended on George Street, Sydney, taken to Day Street Police Station, and subsequently dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.”
McDonald’s Australia emphasized their commitment to the health and safety of both their employees and customers. They acknowledged the incident from the video and reiterated that it was not in line with their standards. An investigation was promised.
“The unacceptable behavior captured on the video is not reflective of our policies. We are presently looking into the matter with the restaurant involved,” stated McDonald’s. While vowing to maintain the best possible service for customers, McDonald’s also underscored their zero-tolerance policy toward mistreatment of their staff.
The company’s statement continued, “We will not condone any form of abuse, intimidation, threats, or violence towards our employees. We have involved the police for assistance and are offering support to the affected employees.”
The additional context about how the teen customer behaved initially swayed public opinion on social media. When the video was posted on Instagram, many argued that the employee’s actions were justified.
Instagram user Brown Cardigan echoed this sentiment, suggesting, “People who work in retail or customer service should be allowed to retaliate up to 3 times a year. This guy definitely deserved it.”
This incident sheds light on the tough situations that service industry workers often face. Notably, the event took place at 1 am on a weekday, and the instigator was a teenager who should arguably have been at home.
Parents, it might be a good time to recall the classic Public Service Announcement, “Do you know where your children are?” It’s crucial to ensure they are at home during late hours to prevent such behavior from occurring. Let’s all work together to keep our young ones safe and responsible.
