7 Important Lessons Freelance Writers Can Learn from Working in Fast Food
November 1, 2008 by Deb
Filed under Freelance Writing
by Deborah Ng
We joke a lot about careers in the fast food industry, but the truth is many freelance writers worked in fast food at some point in their lives. While it may not be the most glamorous job in the world, many important lessions can be learned while flipping burgers or rocking a cash register.
Don’t believe me? Check it out:
1. If you have time to lean you have time to clean
I can’t tell you how many times I heard this, yeah I’m a leaner. Here’s the thing, if you find yourself with some down time, there’s still something to do. Just because you’re in between jobs doesn’t mean you have to sit around waiting for the phone to ring. Look for work, research rates, go over your accounts, do some cold calling, read up on news pertaining to your niche…if there’s nothing at all to do during regular business hours, you’re doing it wrong.
2. Would you like fries with that?
Suggestive selling is annoying but there’s no denying it works. When a client hires you for a job, think about what might be missing. For instance, if he’s launching a new business and needs a brochure and letter of introduction, he might also need copy for his website or a press release.
3. The customer is always right
Every time I say this here certain members of this community give me a dressing down. Agree or disagree, you’re still nothing without your clients. If you don’t think a certain idea will work, feel free to respectfully suggest an alternative. Storming off in a huff because your client isn’t going with your suggestions won’t help your bank account any. Moreover, by burning bridges with your clients you won’t land recommendations or referrals.
4. Smile when you say that
We all have difficult clients, they’re an unfortunate part of the job. They can be nitpicky, rude and flat out wrong, but you know what? They pay the bills. Always keep in mind one gets more flies with honey than vinegar. Smile, offer to correct the problem and move on.
5. Your burger is nothing without the fixins’
In all fast food restaurants, someone is always behind the scenes chopping tomatoes, filling the condiment containers and toasting the buns. There’s a reason for this. Fast food wouldn’t be fast food if each cook had to stop, chop a tomato, get pickle slices out of a jar and toast his own rolls. As a freelance writer, it’s to your benefit to prep before you begin your work as well. Research your client, learn as much about his business as you can so you can better tailor your project to his needs. Research topics and niches, interview experts and take copious notes. Now, you can write without interrupting the flow. When you pause every five minutes to Google your topic, you lose something in the process.
6. Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us
Many freelance writers have set fees for set projects. If a client strays from the norm and makes special requests they might get a little flustered. That’s not part of the package! Now you have to re-figure your pay rates and time.
So what?
Cookie cutter freelancers don’t do well. Having the ability to meet each client’s needs, no matter how special, will set you apart from the rest.
7. Consider the Extra Value Meal
Freelance writers who are just starting out might have lower rates than a veteran freelancer, and that’s ok. Even the vets will lower their prices for a prestigious gig. We all do it, and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. If you feel you need to reasonably lower your rates to land a really great client, use your best judgment. If you do a great job the client might be receptive to paying a higher rate in the future and even refer you to other prestigious clients.
You might also want to go for the combination platter and offer several options for one low price. This is a great way to bring in business, especially for writers just starting out.
What are some of the lessons you learned while working in fast food?
How to stay calm under pressure. (Believe me, no mean feat for a French-Canadian.) How to be POLITE while staying calm under pressure. Oh, and how to make a client always feel like he’s right (even when he’s wrong) and resolve his problem with a satisfactory solution.
How to hustle and beat the clock. That was a matter of pride. Having it done, ready to go and with a smile two seconds before the internal clock said, “Time’s up!” was a pleasure.
How to be patient. “I dunno… maybe I’ll have the… oh no, wait. You have a special? No. I don’t want the special. What do you want, Martha? Oh, that sounds good, I’ll have that…Oh no, wait-…”
How to show sympathy. I don’t know how many times people came up to the counter looking completely embarrassed while asking for something small that would make their meal better. It made me feel good to make them feel like they’d done the right thing by asking me.
How to keep a clean, tight ship. Trust me – there are many efficiencies that I learned from McDonald’s that I apply to my business.
How to clean a table. Cleaning a table is a science. They train you on this!! And my tables are nice and clean in three seconds flat, one zig-zag swipe, thank you very much.
I love this post. I’ll add more later, ha!
I have to say I learned some of my most important lessons about business from fast food and telemarketing. There’s a reason fast food works. We had to undergo films (yes, I graduated from Hamburger U and have the certificate to prove it!), training sessions, practice sessions – they didn’t just give us a silly hat and point us to the grill. So when James made his fast food analogy earlier, I couldn’t resist.
Great post. With one major problem….now I’m hungry
@Brad – In fast food you can at least east for free or a discount. In freelance writing, every now and then you eat your words but there’s still a good chance you’ll go hungry.
When I worked in fast food, I learned something too.
Whoever said ‘the customer is always right’ was usually either a customer that was wrong, or just plain stupid.
You just have to be smart enough to tell a customer that they are wrong without them actually knowing that you did…
*evil grin*
@Wess – While I do understand and appreciate your point, I will always maintain we need our customers more than they need us. They will always find new writers, maybe not as good, maybe better – but we might not find new clients.
So, while it’s ok for us to think the customer is wrong, and even offer them a little guidance when we can, I would never insinuate to them that they’re wrong. I would just offer a different “point of view.”
Very very clever, Deb. While I’ve never been flipping flapjacks or grilling the greasy goods, I did work at a big electronics store. So I totally relate. The only thing I might add:
- You might not enjoy every aspect of your job. Just be sure to APPRECIATE everything that goes into making the final product. (Very appropriate to writers)
“…you’re still nothing without your clients.”
How sad that people believe this. I guess this attitude is what keeps some people writing articles for $5. If it were not for writers, many companies and even some industries (publishing, movies, TV) would not exist. My view is that writers and client have a symbiotic relationship rather than a parasitic one.
“They will always find new writers, maybe not as good, maybe better – but we might not find new clients.”
Again, such an attitude keeps people working at low-paying jobs and for unprofessional clients because of the fear or belief that there is nothing better out there. I got five new clients in October by just answering job ads. And if I had sent out queries or directly contacted local business I would have done a lot better. There is plenty of work available if you believe that there is.
Deb,
I must admit that this advice translates well to writing. However, the inspiration that kept floating through my mind while I was reading this was “Thank God I am not working fast food anymore!” The threat of going back to that environment is a great weapon against writer’s block
.
What a great post. And I wholeheartedly agree with your “the client is always right” sentiments.
What I have learned from past jobs:
1. The early bird catches the job.
I interned at a technology firm while in college. Although the day officially started at 8:30am, the company served breakfast at 8am. I always made sure to make it to breakfast; not only was it good (haha) but I made sure that the bosses saw that I was there early and ready to work. My eagerness paid off; the next summer I was invited back, most of my fellow interns weren’t.
2. If you don’t know the answer, find it…but don’t ACT like you don’t know the answer (bad english, I know).
At the same job, we had to work off-site and manage quite a few local temps to set up the company’s biggest meeting. Here I was, at 20 years old, managing 20+ local employees and having partners come up to me and ask questions. When one said, “I want to speak to the on-site supervisor.” and I showed up, he scoffed. But I had to keep my cool and PROVE that I was in charge.
3. The feet you step on today could be connected to the butt you kiss tomorrow.
I have gotten work from a past supervisor AND a past assistant of mine. You just never know.
Great article and great advice. The part about suggestive selling is a must. You can really make a lot of extra money if you stick to what works.
I would not have thought of fast food as an analogy for freelancing, but it is perfect!