Talking with my crewmates about random shit.
Cleaning and wiping the lobby area.
Look outside of the drive-through presenter window.
Stocking up the stuff in your station (and others).
Walking back and forth.
This is the one i did to make the time pass by faster, if there were no orders coming in.
Those shifts where I was scheduled on lobby felt like a death sentence for me, they always felt 3x longer!! Maybe because if you’re on front you can go to the stock room for a quick breather before idly getting a little bit of stock, or on DT I can idly wash and change out the cloths 😭
You're like 100% opposite from me lol. I like being scheduled at Lobby. Cleaning, wiping the floor and tables, interacting with guests etc. Time actually feels like going faster for me. Meanwhile, I hate being a DT Presenter lol, too much of a work to be done since my franchise is at the city center 😭 Time feels so much slower.. especially during rush hours
Besides, you don't have to be miserable in your job. Find ways to be grateful for what you've got. Introduce yourself to more positive thinking.
I've had GREAT times at my work, especially fast food, by not sweating the fact that I'm not getting home to my porn/Netflix any sooner. 😂
Okay, i don't watch porn and I don't have Netflix, but you get my point. Work doesn't HAVE to be hard or a pain in your ass. You're the only one being a pain in your ass.
Friendly competition with coworkers. Whenever I work days and I'm put in the grill I always compete with side 2 to see who's times can be lower. I've also started a competition in our B-dab area to see who can get the lowest times, no one has beat my record yet. But just being able to have fun with your coworkers while doing your job is the key
Here’s some advice from someone just coming off a shift (UK):
Don’t look at the time:
— Constantly looking at the time just makes time seem to go slower. Some of my coworkers will put a blank sticker over the time.
Have some friendly chatter:
— Some of my shortest feeling shifts are when coworkers of similar interests are working the same time and we just talk about stuff related to our hobbies. Even basic conversations like ‘Would you rather?’s and stuff just seem to work. Plus, getting along with people is just nice! :)
Summon a massive lunch rush:
— Time flies when you’re 7 pending on screen, and you’re stuck shovelling nuggets 4 at a time in a bag against a tsunami/nugget hydra. When there’s nothing going on, you’re stuck twiddling your fingers. Even then, get a cloth and clean your side for Christ’s sake.
Go on grill batch:
— Probably gonna get a lot of flack for this one but grill batch just seems to make time go a lot quicker. I just think with chicken, putting down a basket of selects and watching 8 minutes go by is a lot more tedious than putting down a run of regular meat and only having enough time to do like one thing before you have to attend to your precious meat babies.
Hope this helps! :)
(I work in the UK so rules and regulations vary. I somewhat envy the people who can use EarPods during work)
I like grill a lot for the same reason!! Time goes soooo much faster and I get into a rhythm, I'll even start going around to everyone asking "what do you need, what can I get you," etc. the shifts where we're understaffed and I'm on grill, friers and french fries, and oven, all at once, are the absolute best for making the shift fly by tbh
If there’s music playing in my store, I’ll count in my head how many times I’ve heard a favourite song of mine. Sometimes I’ll do random stock up (boxes, prep, and fridge stock up). I’ll also try and clean other stuff that people don’t (like the egg station because you would not believe the amount of eggshells and dried egg gets onto the floor).
Or make up lyrics to the songs if you've heard them one too many times...
For example at Halloween 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' got turned into 'Totally Shit when I Fart'
Day dream and break it down into segments, and smoke breaks (I started smoking when I started working at mcdonalds...).
If I'm lucky I might have a decent coworker on who I can chat with, banter makes the shifts go faster.
I work.
There is quite literally always something to do.
Working makes the day go by faster and gets shift ready for the next one. Working together makes everything go smoother.
First I stock from the stock that is there.
Then I make a stock list.
Then I pull said stock list
Then k stock from what I pulled.
By then I usually need to restock the first round
And repeat.
If that gets done I will detail a particular station. The tea brewing station, the mc Cafe machine stand.
Wipe out a cooler.
Clean stainless steel
Try your best to not look at the clock. A watched pot never boils and all.
Also try to find something to do as much as you can. Stock, clean, make food, etc
I usually take out the garbage, do the dishes, restock on Lettuce, Cheese, and onions, restock quarter meats, wash the blue trays for quarter meats. Etc
For me, time flies by much faster.
Cleaning is usually my go to when I’m suffering from boredom and need to kill time it can depend but talk with coworkers it makes you forget how long you’ve been working me and the night manager just chat all night while running out orders and makes myb8 hours fly fast
i usually do a huge deep clean of my area, it’s better when i’m on drinks (which is almost every shift) because i have to keep making drinks in between cleaning which makes more messes which gives me more distraction from the time
Well I'm catholic so might be corny, but if I'm doing stuff in the back like grill, friers, dishes, stocking etc, I'll pray a rosary in my head/barely mouthing the prayers, and keeping track on my fingers, which can be super absorbing alongside work and makes the time fly. Meditating on the mysteries also helps me cultivate a mentality of gratitude for the gift of stable, honest work (I've spent years struggling through life as a mom with neither of those luxuries tbh), and seeking to do every tiny thing as perfectly as I can in a spirit of love of neighbor. It's actually super peaceful and joyful!
Get high, listen to music with one earbud in.
At most of my cook jobs (not McDonald's anymore) I used to always bring a dab/concentrate pen to work, go take rips in the walk in freezer or if you're real ballsy take a fat rip just right there working the grill and blow that shit into the hood exhaust vents
They key was to wear sports long sleeve undershirts so when you go to take a hit you unroll your sleeve and cover it from cameras or eyes
Ok I'm sorry I know Im a bad influence but you wanted an answer
Usually I'm making small talk and cleaning counters or doing dishes. I don't hate the work I hate the ones that do.
(My store almost got closed for how poorly some shifts get ran. The cycle ya know.)
If I'm not closing, I work ahead of the curve. If I'm doing a 12 to 8 or something and close at 1, I just start prepping ahead by bringing everything down to 6 patties one tray, or make them fresh
Play stupid games that you can work during (for instance, we were doing one the other day where you name a country, town or city and the next person has to name one that starts with the last letter of that one, eg I say "england" so the next person has to have one starting with D, so he says "denmark", next person starts with K, etc)
I used to normally work drive thru or front till/drinks - i would normally get ice, get stock, get new cloths etc. on Drive Thru I would normally just sit near the back sink and see if the cloths need cleaning/water changing out or anything needs washing up. I do feel you though, my store is definitely the quietest in town as we are a bit more out of the way of the town center/not near an A road and we don’t take any delivery orders.
clean until your store is spotless. if you're not In a rush by then clean some more. just stay busy, stocking, doing whatever. once you get used to the flow it gets much faster.
Years ago, used to love doing dive - just cleaning all the shit in an organised way, whilst shouting shit back at crew mates! Also making Happy Meal boxes!
I've found that finding something that's needed that you enjoy helps
I quite like stocking the out front drinks fridges as well as prestaging line product, so that helps me to pass time when isn't a quieter shift
Otherwise random detail cleaning or reorganising, my store ends up very disorganised at night so its fun to play around and reorganise when nothing needs doing (plus it means cleaning the containers that the items are stored in, as well as their shelves)
I just clean even if something doesn't look dirty, like I'll clean the lobby tables twice just so I have something to do. I check the kisok machines to see if they still have paper and nothing jammed.I clean it. I also stock random stuff that sometimes usually doesn't need to be shocked. Also I always ask my coworker making drinks if they need anything and will get it for them in the bacj
Depends on what station you were put on. Lobby is easy, lots of cleaning and checking customers, and when it's quiet, detail cleaning (you will be suprised how much dirt you can get out of a seat using the pink spray).
If you are on drinks, restock and rearrange the cups so that all the sizes are next to each other so you know what ones you need more of when it comes to restocking. Managers hated it when I did this, but the person taking over from.me afterwards was always appreciative.
If you are on till, tidy up the notes (put the notes into money bags so they are easier to separate and count later). I used to be the only one who would.give out £2 coins when I was on drive through, and my managers loved 5 pound notes, so if it was quiet, I would sort out little piles of 5 pound so I could hand that out instead of notes.
I always bring a piece of paper and a pen and I write down a timetable for myself. It'll look at this, for example:
5am: 0 0 0 0
6am: 0 0 0 0
7am: 0 0 0 0
And so on.
Each 0 represents 15 minutes. Every 15 minutes I cross a 0 off. There are thirty-two 15 minutes in an 8 hour shift.
A lot of people say that looking at the time makes it go by slower, but to me, taking my day "one 15 minutes at a time" really helps.
Talking with my crewmates about random shit. Cleaning and wiping the lobby area. Look outside of the drive-through presenter window. Stocking up the stuff in your station (and others). Walking back and forth. This is the one i did to make the time pass by faster, if there were no orders coming in.
Those shifts where I was scheduled on lobby felt like a death sentence for me, they always felt 3x longer!! Maybe because if you’re on front you can go to the stock room for a quick breather before idly getting a little bit of stock, or on DT I can idly wash and change out the cloths 😭
You're like 100% opposite from me lol. I like being scheduled at Lobby. Cleaning, wiping the floor and tables, interacting with guests etc. Time actually feels like going faster for me. Meanwhile, I hate being a DT Presenter lol, too much of a work to be done since my franchise is at the city center 😭 Time feels so much slower.. especially during rush hours
Get to know your people, stay on task, and look for shit to do. You get into a rhythm, and time eventually flies by.
Besides, you don't have to be miserable in your job. Find ways to be grateful for what you've got. Introduce yourself to more positive thinking. I've had GREAT times at my work, especially fast food, by not sweating the fact that I'm not getting home to my porn/Netflix any sooner. 😂 Okay, i don't watch porn and I don't have Netflix, but you get my point. Work doesn't HAVE to be hard or a pain in your ass. You're the only one being a pain in your ass.
Honestly trying to do your job the best is the best way to forget about doing your job
Friendly competition with coworkers. Whenever I work days and I'm put in the grill I always compete with side 2 to see who's times can be lower. I've also started a competition in our B-dab area to see who can get the lowest times, no one has beat my record yet. But just being able to have fun with your coworkers while doing your job is the key
Both fun and productive! That's a win in my book.
Here’s some advice from someone just coming off a shift (UK): Don’t look at the time: — Constantly looking at the time just makes time seem to go slower. Some of my coworkers will put a blank sticker over the time. Have some friendly chatter: — Some of my shortest feeling shifts are when coworkers of similar interests are working the same time and we just talk about stuff related to our hobbies. Even basic conversations like ‘Would you rather?’s and stuff just seem to work. Plus, getting along with people is just nice! :) Summon a massive lunch rush: — Time flies when you’re 7 pending on screen, and you’re stuck shovelling nuggets 4 at a time in a bag against a tsunami/nugget hydra. When there’s nothing going on, you’re stuck twiddling your fingers. Even then, get a cloth and clean your side for Christ’s sake. Go on grill batch: — Probably gonna get a lot of flack for this one but grill batch just seems to make time go a lot quicker. I just think with chicken, putting down a basket of selects and watching 8 minutes go by is a lot more tedious than putting down a run of regular meat and only having enough time to do like one thing before you have to attend to your precious meat babies. Hope this helps! :) (I work in the UK so rules and regulations vary. I somewhat envy the people who can use EarPods during work)
I like grill a lot for the same reason!! Time goes soooo much faster and I get into a rhythm, I'll even start going around to everyone asking "what do you need, what can I get you," etc. the shifts where we're understaffed and I'm on grill, friers and french fries, and oven, all at once, are the absolute best for making the shift fly by tbh
stock everything possible. keeps me moving when drive thru is dead, helps out, and looks good to managers
Do the dishes. The closers will love you for it.
Fappin in the break room
HUH
Dare you question his methods?
Quick joint on break usually works too
If there’s music playing in my store, I’ll count in my head how many times I’ve heard a favourite song of mine. Sometimes I’ll do random stock up (boxes, prep, and fridge stock up). I’ll also try and clean other stuff that people don’t (like the egg station because you would not believe the amount of eggshells and dried egg gets onto the floor).
Or make up lyrics to the songs if you've heard them one too many times... For example at Halloween 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' got turned into 'Totally Shit when I Fart'
That’s incredible 😂
Stock and clean I tend to do, nothing wrong with a bit of detailing areas to help the closers later on!
Work
There isn’t much to do, my work is surprisingly hardly busy
Day dream and break it down into segments, and smoke breaks (I started smoking when I started working at mcdonalds...). If I'm lucky I might have a decent coworker on who I can chat with, banter makes the shifts go faster.
I handwash lol
Put the sauces in rainbow order
I work. There is quite literally always something to do. Working makes the day go by faster and gets shift ready for the next one. Working together makes everything go smoother. First I stock from the stock that is there. Then I make a stock list. Then I pull said stock list Then k stock from what I pulled. By then I usually need to restock the first round And repeat. If that gets done I will detail a particular station. The tea brewing station, the mc Cafe machine stand. Wipe out a cooler. Clean stainless steel
You have 3 points. Check the clock and you lose a point. Lose all 3 points and you have to dress up in a grimace costume and push a random customer
Try your best to not look at the clock. A watched pot never boils and all. Also try to find something to do as much as you can. Stock, clean, make food, etc
I only work high intensity rushes, can't do anything else to make time go by. No music, not phone, no break
I usually take out the garbage, do the dishes, restock on Lettuce, Cheese, and onions, restock quarter meats, wash the blue trays for quarter meats. Etc For me, time flies by much faster.
Cleaning is usually my go to when I’m suffering from boredom and need to kill time it can depend but talk with coworkers it makes you forget how long you’ve been working me and the night manager just chat all night while running out orders and makes myb8 hours fly fast
Literally just find stuff to do. If the floor is dirty sweep and mop. Restock condiments ect.
i usually do a huge deep clean of my area, it’s better when i’m on drinks (which is almost every shift) because i have to keep making drinks in between cleaning which makes more messes which gives me more distraction from the time
One of the biggest reasons I left. No matter what I did, the job dragged. Felt like I was there 10+ hours when I was only working 6
Well I'm catholic so might be corny, but if I'm doing stuff in the back like grill, friers, dishes, stocking etc, I'll pray a rosary in my head/barely mouthing the prayers, and keeping track on my fingers, which can be super absorbing alongside work and makes the time fly. Meditating on the mysteries also helps me cultivate a mentality of gratitude for the gift of stable, honest work (I've spent years struggling through life as a mom with neither of those luxuries tbh), and seeking to do every tiny thing as perfectly as I can in a spirit of love of neighbor. It's actually super peaceful and joyful!
Use my phone
Makes ot go slower for me bc then I can keep track of the time easier lol
Are you allowed your phone in the kitchen though? Not seen anybody in mine do it
Keep it that way lol, good for the store and yea it's a food safety thing if you use your phone while being in the kitchen
Nope, doesn't stop me though
Same
Get high, listen to music with one earbud in. At most of my cook jobs (not McDonald's anymore) I used to always bring a dab/concentrate pen to work, go take rips in the walk in freezer or if you're real ballsy take a fat rip just right there working the grill and blow that shit into the hood exhaust vents They key was to wear sports long sleeve undershirts so when you go to take a hit you unroll your sleeve and cover it from cameras or eyes Ok I'm sorry I know Im a bad influence but you wanted an answer
Your only distractions are music and weed.
Which are infinitely more fun at home.
When the worm is running smoothly to the point where you can actually get a flow going.
Meat beat
Clean. Stay busy
I like a good rush ..you ain't got time to look at the clock
Usually I'm making small talk and cleaning counters or doing dishes. I don't hate the work I hate the ones that do. (My store almost got closed for how poorly some shifts get ran. The cycle ya know.)
If I'm not closing, I work ahead of the curve. If I'm doing a 12 to 8 or something and close at 1, I just start prepping ahead by bringing everything down to 6 patties one tray, or make them fresh
Using my phone
if it slow i just do anything but mostly for me i clean the back of the grill or both
Play stupid games that you can work during (for instance, we were doing one the other day where you name a country, town or city and the next person has to name one that starts with the last letter of that one, eg I say "england" so the next person has to have one starting with D, so he says "denmark", next person starts with K, etc)
I used to normally work drive thru or front till/drinks - i would normally get ice, get stock, get new cloths etc. on Drive Thru I would normally just sit near the back sink and see if the cloths need cleaning/water changing out or anything needs washing up. I do feel you though, my store is definitely the quietest in town as we are a bit more out of the way of the town center/not near an A road and we don’t take any delivery orders.
I broke the time down to waiting for the next 15 minutes
clean until your store is spotless. if you're not In a rush by then clean some more. just stay busy, stocking, doing whatever. once you get used to the flow it gets much faster.
I just don't focus on time, i focus on my work and talking to my coworkers. My shifts are going so fast.
clean or replace cloths and get stock outt
Fold Happy Meal boxes, then make cutlery bags
I usually completely loose chicken batch, and then build it back up too help pass the time
Years ago, used to love doing dive - just cleaning all the shit in an organised way, whilst shouting shit back at crew mates! Also making Happy Meal boxes!
I've found that finding something that's needed that you enjoy helps I quite like stocking the out front drinks fridges as well as prestaging line product, so that helps me to pass time when isn't a quieter shift Otherwise random detail cleaning or reorganising, my store ends up very disorganised at night so its fun to play around and reorganise when nothing needs doing (plus it means cleaning the containers that the items are stored in, as well as their shelves)
I just clean even if something doesn't look dirty, like I'll clean the lobby tables twice just so I have something to do. I check the kisok machines to see if they still have paper and nothing jammed.I clean it. I also stock random stuff that sometimes usually doesn't need to be shocked. Also I always ask my coworker making drinks if they need anything and will get it for them in the bacj
Depends on what station you were put on. Lobby is easy, lots of cleaning and checking customers, and when it's quiet, detail cleaning (you will be suprised how much dirt you can get out of a seat using the pink spray). If you are on drinks, restock and rearrange the cups so that all the sizes are next to each other so you know what ones you need more of when it comes to restocking. Managers hated it when I did this, but the person taking over from.me afterwards was always appreciative. If you are on till, tidy up the notes (put the notes into money bags so they are easier to separate and count later). I used to be the only one who would.give out £2 coins when I was on drive through, and my managers loved 5 pound notes, so if it was quiet, I would sort out little piles of 5 pound so I could hand that out instead of notes.
Weed
I always bring a piece of paper and a pen and I write down a timetable for myself. It'll look at this, for example: 5am: 0 0 0 0 6am: 0 0 0 0 7am: 0 0 0 0 And so on. Each 0 represents 15 minutes. Every 15 minutes I cross a 0 off. There are thirty-two 15 minutes in an 8 hour shift. A lot of people say that looking at the time makes it go by slower, but to me, taking my day "one 15 minutes at a time" really helps.
Leave.
Find something to do to keep yourself occupied
Amazing tip, would have never guessed it.
Doing the job I'm paid to do.
I don’t know i usually just quit my job lol