line, repeating the same phrases over and over, "Can I help the next person in line please," or, "Would you like a drink or fries with that?" These repetitive phrases and actions of the employees of both Burger King and Taco Bell were small examples of the machine-like theme identified in the work setting of fast-food restaurants. Employees were taught to disregard disgruntled patrons and move through the line as fast as possible so that each patron would be served in a timely and satisfying fashion. Just as a machine would pull items in at the beginning of the assembly line and throw them out at the other end of the line, so did the employees treat the patrons of their establishment. This is achieved by calling them to the counter and filling their order then sending them on their way with a kind, almost sarcastic, "Thank you, have a nice day!" Upon visiting Taco Bell, another fast-food restaurant, I found the same scenarios as Burger King, and in some instances, more obvious examples of machine-like employees. The areas that were designated for the filling and preparation the orders were clearly out of the public view, so that patrons would not be able to see the assembly line on which their lunches were being prepared. The food is prepared and heated in stainless steel containers, sour cream, guacamole, and hot sauce are all squirted out of hand held stainless steel, "sauce guns," and the tortillas are kept in a, "steaming box," for several hours until they are all used to make burritos and tacos. These are just the examples of how the food is prepared, the ay in which the employees work is much more detailed. The employees stand along a counter and fill the orders in an assembly line fashion. One worker pulls the tortillas out of the steamer and shoots sauce onto it then slides it down to the next worker who may add the cheese or meat. This worker will then slide it down to the next worker who might be responsible for adding the l...
