This happened last week, but I’m still thinking about it. For context, I (22M) am a university student in Beijing, working part-time at a McDonald’s to help cover tuition. I always thought my manager, Ms. Li (not her real name), was super strict and honestly a bit scary. She’s always barking orders, never seems to smile, and I used to think she just enjoyed making our lives difficult. That was until last week, when I finally saw what she actually deals with.
The Setup
It was a Tuesday morning, and I was scheduled for the breakfast shift. Usually, I’m on the register or helping with delivery orders (Meituan and Ele.me are HUGE here), but that day Ms. Li asked me to help her with inventory and some paperwork because our assistant manager called in sick and two new hires ghosted us after orientation (classic).
I thought it’d be a chill day, just following her around and maybe getting some extra hours. I could not have been more wrong.
7:00 AM – The Calm Before the Storm
Before we even opened, Ms. Li was already on the phone with the district supervisor because our fryer was acting up and the morning delivery was late. She was checking WeChat messages from employees who were “sick” (again), dealing with a broken POS system, and trying to get the QR code payment scanner to work. I was just standing there, holding a clipboard, feeling useless.
She told me to start counting the drink syrups in the back. I opened the storage room and was greeted by chaos: boxes everywhere, spilled syrup on the floor, and a random plush toy someone must have left behind. I started counting, but Ms. Li called me back because the delivery app printer wasn’t working and there were already five Meituan orders waiting.
8:00 AM – The Breakfast Rush
Breakfast in Beijing is no joke. People want their youtiao and soy milk, but there’s a surprising number of McMuffin and hash brown lovers. We were short-staffed, so Ms. Li was running the grill, shouting orders in Mandarin, and somehow still managing to answer the phone and deal with a customer who was mad that their congee was “too salty.” I was sweating, trying not to mess up the hash browns, and Ms. Li was literally sprinting between the kitchen, the counter, and the delivery window.
A customer started yelling at her because the McCafé machine was out of oat milk. Ms. Li apologized, offered a free upgrade, and smiled through gritted teeth. The customer left a one-star review anyway. Ms. Li just sighed and kept moving.
9:30 AM – The Delivery Disaster
The delivery truck finally arrived, and the driver was in a bad mood. He said he couldn’t find half our order, and the rest was stacked wrong. Ms. Li had to check everything, sign forms, and call the supplier. Meanwhile, the line at the counter was growing, and one of the new hires was asking me how to make a Filet-O-Fish. I tried to help, but Ms. Li was juggling five things at once.
She finally got a moment to sit down and I overheard her on the phone with her daughter’s school. Apparently, her daughter was sick and needed to be picked up, but there was no way Ms. Li could leave. She sounded exhausted and worried, but as soon as she hung up, she was back on her feet, smiling at customers.
11:00 AM – The Lunch Rush
Lunch in China means a flood of students, office workers, and delivery drivers. A group of influencers came in and started filming a Douyin (Chinese TikTok) video in the lobby. Someone tried to pay with a stack of coins. The ice cream machine was still down, and now the WiFi was acting up, which meant the QR code payments were failing. Ms. Li was everywhere at once, fixing problems, calming angry customers, and somehow still finding time to check on us.
At one point, a customer threw a fit because we were out of spicy chicken wings. Ms. Li took the brunt of it, apologized, and offered a coupon. The customer called her “useless” and stormed out. I saw her eyes well up for just a second before she shook it off and went back to work.
1:00 PM – The Realization
By now, I was exhausted and my feet hurt. Ms. Li hadn’t stopped moving since 6:30 AM. She’d dealt with angry customers, lazy employees, broken machines, and a sick kid—all before lunch. I suddenly realized: she’s not just strict, she’s holding this place together with sheer willpower.
After the rush, I finally got a chance to talk to her. I awkwardly apologized for not realizing how hard her job was. She just laughed and said, “You’ll understand when you’re a manager.” But honestly, I don’t know how anyone could do her job every day.
The Aftermath
Since that day, I’ve tried to be more helpful. I show up early, help clean up, and do my best not to add to Ms. Li’s stress. I also started sticking up for her when other employees complain. She’s still tough, but now I see it’s because she has to be.
So, TIFU by judging my manager before I ever walked a mile in her shoes. If you work in fast food in China (or anywhere), give your manager a break—they’re probably holding the whole place together with duct tape, WeChat, and caffeine.
TL;DR: Thought my McDonald’s manager in Beijing was just strict, but after spending a day in her shoes, I realized she’s a superhero dealing with chaos, angry customers, useless employees, and a sick kid—all while keeping the store running. I feel like a jerk and have a whole new respect for her.
Comments
TIFU by not using paragraphs
Edit: you fixed it!
Summary:
A 22-year-old university student in Beijing, working part-time at McDonald’s, initially thought his manager, Ms. Li, was overly strict and harsh. However, after being assigned to help her during a chaotic shift when the team was short-staffed, he witnessed firsthand the immense pressure she faces: dealing with broken equipment, absent employees, endless customer complaints, a sick daughter she couldn’t leave to pick up, and the constant rush of orders. Despite everything, Ms. Li remained composed and professional. By the end of the day, the student realized she wasn’t just strict—she was holding the operation together under extreme stress. Since then, he’s been more supportive, shows up early, and sticks up for her. He regrets judging her prematurely and now has deep respect for the hard work managers do.
TL;DR: Misjudged a strict McDonald’s manager until seeing her juggle overwhelming stress and responsibility firsthand; now has huge respect for her.
TIFU formatting.
Ni hao I ain’t readin all that
About halfway through reading this, I realized this is our fate (well, most of us). Corporations will cut costs for the benefit of making a few extra pennies per quarter, and the laborers at the bottom benefit by losing the rest of their sanity. And the customers are inconvenienced, too.
What a trade.
Boycott all large corporations.
This was a really interesting and thought-provoking read.
Thanks for sharing.
I know people are complaining about your presentation, but I enjoyed the read. Your experience is such an important one, and helps build emotional intelligence in humans through the sheer act of placing yourself in their place and being open minded enough to try to understand (and not solely judge) someone else’s behavior. Kudos to you for externalizing your experience and reflecting on it.
Always remember to approach others with solely kindness, regardless of their behavior. By doing that, you open yourself up to others and foster the type of understanding that helps you grow as an emotionally intelligent person.
Ms. Li out here writing “I finally appreciate Ms. Li” fan fiction. Good on ya, Ms. Li!
I worked in Fast Food for six months and learned all the areas around. I made the biscuits, the fried chicken, set up the salad bar, made the roast beef, hamburgers, ran the drive thru, etc. It is a pretty intense job.
in America they put these people on salary and work them to death
Yikes, that’s a plot twist! Hope you’re good now
You didn’t f up by realising. You f’d up by being judgmental.
Reddit is blocked in China…..how are you posting this?
Maybe everyone gets a little extra anxious around the 4th day of June for some reason
Why is this a large?
It’s never easy as a manager, heavy is the head that wears the crown. It’s cool that you got to walk in her shoes for a shift. I hope she is well compensated for her hard work.
Actually, since McDonalds is a franchise, this really is a problem with the owners. They’re clearly trying to maximize profits by minimizing staff. Because the economy is shit, Ms. Li probably won’t be able to find another job easily.
That’s the majority of retail/hospitality. Management takes all the bad from corporate/customers and powers through with toughness OR they take in all the bad and distribute all of it throughout their staff while avoiding issues as much a possible.
Which is why jobs in those fields are highly impacted who is the management on the clock. Which creates a chicken and the egg problem between entry roles and management.
Unchecked-Capitalism ruins lives unfortunately.
my son lived in and taught in China for years
Your decency and that of your boss is why my son loved China.
Really well written by the way
Who orders a filet o fish at 930am lol???
Also seems like the economy is still doing OK, if people are not showing up to work or leaving after orientation…
This hit home for me. Hard.
Does it make any sense that a person fluent in english is both studying at a university in beijing and working at mcdonalds? If they are foreign, they probably dont have permission/appropriate visa to work, and if they are chinese, they can probably find better work with their english skills or university programs than mcdonalds. Just that alone makes me believe this is made up.
You guys are supposed to be communists, why subject yourselves to this?
u/bot-sleuth-bot
How is WiFi failing on site is an issue for QR payments? It sounds like most of the customers don’t have mobile internet and rely on free WiFi.
Written by AI.
How would you know the customer left a 1 star review? In all that chaos, that customer? This is AI slop.
I think you should find a time to tell her how much you admire and respect her. This is a person who deserves to hear it.
She sounds like a total badass. Thank you for sharing your perspective and experience.
I’ve known hiring managers that have taken applicants that worked a long time in fast food as the deciding factor when all else is pretty equal. “This lady worked 8 years at the same Arby’s. If that didn’t break her then she can handle anything we do here”
Nice post Ms. Ai Li
You have a lot of compation to Mme Li it is very respectful and your history is very important to see the stress of her and to understand why she is rigid !
What an interesting read, like a children’s book but instead of teachers it was a McDonald’s manager.
That’s McManager Li to you.
I actually really appreciated this perspective. I’m a manager myself and now and then end up in some crazy high-stress situations. It’s these times when I’m at risk of being my worst that my team steps in to carry the load. I tell them over and over how much I appreciate them, offer gift cards, offer a way out, etc., but they’re intuitive enough to see that shit’s hitting the fan and they want to help right the ship. If I resist, they tell me to sit down and take the help. I don’t want them to ever feel pressured or exploited – I jokingly say it’s why they ‘pay me the big bucks’.
I’ve been ridiculously fortunate over the years to have had team members like you. It’s not an unwillingness to delegate, it’s that it sometimes just doesn’t feel possible. But we’re all slogging along together, messes like this are temporary, and while I will never fault someone who opts to throw in the towel … they haven’t. And to know I’ve had folks stick up for me when I’ve had team members who don’t see the bigger picture? It’s humanizing.
Thanks for being a good human – you are so appreciated.
A lot of work isn’t seen by others.
I helped out at a friends bar in a town of 50 people.
People thought we were lazy for not being open from 5pm to 8pm. Whilst we had our well deserved break of an hour the other two hours were prep work for the evening shift.
As it was a small town people talk to eachother a lot. So once they noticed that I was the person getting up at 6am to bake their bread, that I’m the guy that was fixing stuff in the place and helping out in the kitchen they suddenly started treating me better
Well done to you for working so hard for likely little money and little respect! People should appreciate you more and be kinder to you!
And your Ms Li deserves a medal 🥇 for putting up with it all and holding it all together.
I know that I personally would not last a day in fast food service. I would cry and get overwhelmed immediately. Yet it is so poorly paid. Are you able to tell us your pay? I googled it, is it accurate?
https://preview.redd.it/vr0suanh395f1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1179102209d5b6718ab0328933503410a82b0c6a
This site is so ass, apparently they are also a 19 year old egyptian american, also very clearly AI slop, c’mon people. or should i throw some fuckin em dashes in.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AITA_WIBTA_PUBLIC/comments/1l4mfiu/wibta_if_i_left_for_abroad_while_my_family_is/
You can take away a lot from stories like this. I hope the main takeaways are to never work for a corporation that treats you like they treat Ms Li in order to function & to not spend your money at places like that either.
Your choices impact people. Be better!
I read everything you wrote and I’m glad you realised how hard she was working. It’s thankless and no one notices what she does until something goes wrong then they jump on her.
This is a good experience.
Now you will be able to see upwards with different lens or at least abstain judgement first.
I find it interesting that, she’s pegged you as a future manager. For that matter, out of all of the staff she picked you to shadow her for the day, quite possibly because she’s letting you peek behind the proverbial curtain to see what manager life is like.
The fact that you were humble about how much work it is probably stands you in good stead going forward. I’m not so convinced you did fuck up
Very interesting, thanks for posting. And for being kind.
Ah man, give Ms. Li a hug and some flowers.
one thing missing from your perspective is that your employer refuses to hire a full staff. There should be two managers if it’s that busy, and probably twice the staff, so that a few call-outs doesn’t phase you.
Encourage your boss not to over-exert to cover for the lack of staff: let things fall apart. Let the bosses lose money. If they want good margins, they need more staff. Ms Li doing the work of four ppl on the salary of one person….she’s selling years off of her life for her bosses.
Fast food work isn’t just like that. CAPITALISM is like that.
Working in F&B builds character. When dealing with irate customers it’s important to understand that it’s business, nothing personal. I think your manager showed you that. You may move on to bigger management responsibilities in the future and it’s also important to know that someone in her shoes also has the power to change certain things. So maybe think about what you will do to make things better in the branch if you were in her shoes. Start by understanding the responsibility , and then move on by thinking what can be done better. Good stuff.
What is 22m ¿
I enjoyed reading this. It was good of you to talk to her afterwards and let her know you noticed what she does for you all and the business. That ‘useless’ comment from a customer is sitting really badly with me, I’d want to have a mug made for her that says something like ‘Ms. Li is
uselessthe MVP’ or something similar that would make more sense in Beijing.This whole description is how I felt pretty much 90% of the time I managed a pizza place. Took me ten years to realize that shit is not worth it.
What a bittersweet experience for both of you. It seems you have bonded through this experience and you have such a wonderful level of empathy. You can rest assured that you are human and you responded to the situation in the best possible way.
You deserve so much success. I wish you and Ms. Li all the best!
What a great post! I love this.
I hope more people read it. Especially people who potentially would be any of those angry customers in their daily life.
Every time I go for fast food, take-out, pet food, wherever, my goal is always to make the person helping me smile or laugh. It is so damn rewarding. It often makes some of the best parts of my days.
can confirm, being a mcds manager is v busy and stressful. I did that job in the 90s and still have dreams about buses full of people pulling in.
AI. So sick of it.
As someone who spent over a decade in the industry I respect this post. I didn’t work fast food but I did work a bar/restaurant that could seat 75 and it was literally just me in the kitchen and one waitress because the owner needed a night off and we had call ins. On a Friday.
I wasn’t a manager but I was the “chef” so I was juggling cooking, plating and bar tending all at once while the waitress covered running, register and bussing. Dishes were done when we got to then or on the fly.
Also this was a somewhat regular occurrence.
People don’t often realise how much harder female bosses have to work while juggling family. I have female bosses and I always appreciate how hardworking they are.
People don’t often realise how much harder female bosses have to work while juggling family. I have female bosses and I always appreciate how hardworking they are.
People don’t often realise how much harder female bosses have to work while juggling family. I have female bosses and I always appreciate how hardworking they are.
It’s interesting how you’re both 19M and 22M according to your post history, moving to Egypt to reconnect with your cultural identity, and already saying goodbye to your family in the US over the last couple of weeks, all while living in Beijing.
Between the contradictions in your post history and your use of dashes and three-element structures, this is all looking very Chat-GPT generated – like much of this sub over the last couple of weeks.
You’re a great narrator.
Thank you for sharing Ms. Li with us.
She sounds like a superhero.
this made me tear up a little… ms. li’s a literal warrior. like, how many women out there just quietly carry the world on their backs and never complain? respect her forever now fr
I’m a geezer, and this has happened at every level of employment I have ever been in. I think the guy above me does nearly nothing and that I could easily do their job while slacking off, and then I get promoted to their position and find out how WRONG I was. Then I think, well THAT guy above him doesn’t even do real work. Then I take that spot, and was wrong again. Rinse and repeat.
I’m now over a bunch of people, and I spend as much time scheduling and delegating stuff as I ever did when I was a “worker bee” doing “real work”. On occasion, somebody below has a difficult problem to solve and I will come down and help them. And they say, “I didn’t think you knew how to do any of this.”
I used to hear how the CEO busts their ass for 90 hours a week, and I didn’t believe it. Now I absolutely do.
We visited China back in 2008 to adopt our daughter (Who just graduated high school! Hooray!) And of course we had lunch at a McDonald’s one day. It was crazy. Mob of customers at the register, no defined lines. Somehow our group managed to place an order. Or so we thought. Turns out we all got spicy chicken sandwiches. We laughed it off and ate our lunch.
Can’t even imagine the chaos on the other side of the counter. Good job keeping up with it.
Food service flat out fucking sucks. Every day is a series of small disasters, and most places are held together with duct tape and sheer spite, because the workers simply don’t have the option of failure. It’s a humbling experience to get the shit kicked out of you by things like “taco Tuesday’s” and 30-minute hurried work lunches. I think everyone should have to work a year in food service, to help develop some empathy for their fellow humans.
Is this Ms. Li’s burner account?
chatGPT that bitch
A 22-year-old university student working part-time at a McDonald’s in Beijing initially viewed his manager, Ms. Li, as overly strict and harsh. That perception changed after spending a chaotic day helping her due to staff shortages. From dealing with broken equipment, a late delivery, and angry customers to managing a sick child and understaffed shifts, Ms. Li juggled endless responsibilities with resilience and composure. Witnessing this firsthand gave the student a new appreciation for her leadership and the pressures of fast food management. He now shows up earlier, works harder, and defends her when others complain, realizing she’s not just tough—she’s essential.
Is this empathy…on reddit…getting upvotes? What’s happening?!
If shit is this disorganised, it’s the manager’s fault for doing a poor job. So this is just a hit-piece.
We’ve learned as a society to look up to people who are “busy” or stressed, as a sign of hard work.
In reality, this is a sign of a poor manager/leader. Around actually good managers, shit seems to “just work” without any drama.
Also, obvious AI
What in the fuck kind of corporate propaganda is this?
Doesn’t sound like a fuck up, it sounds like you learned a good lesson in empathy and understanding.
I used to work fast food and while it wasn’t the nightmare situation you described, it was very fast paced and people were demanding. Physically, I’m much more tired after a day of working there than a higher paying office job that’s more “important”. That’s why I always make sure that when I order, I know exactly what I want and thank them after finishing my transaction.
>The ice cream machine was still down
Typical McDonalds. Goddammit Ms Li! You had one job!
TYLU Today You Leveled Up
Not macas but I was a restaurant manager for a long time..this is accurate and a semi typical day
Want to add retail managers also
This sub really needs to ban this ai slop.
Thanks for sharing. Just tell your boss you saw her problem first hand. Tell her what she can delegate to you. You’ll become invaluable and good training for next manager.
Oh ChatGPT is working at McDonalds now?
You didn’t fuck up that day. It was a learning experience, and one that many, many people never learn.
I don’t know if it will make a difference, but I try to get my managers a gift of appreciation (at least, I do when I have a job).
The last job I had, I got my manager a bottle of Japanese wine. The gas station isn’t a great place to be a manager of. High turn over rates, machines constantly broken, having to come in at 1am because there isn’t any change left in the drawers and you’re the only one who can open the safe.. it all sucks, ya know?
Oh my goodness! Good on you for making Ms Li felt seen. You did good! You are an empathetic person. Don’t ever lose that.
Love this read, I feel for her
You couldn’t have judged her any other way – until you got a tiny little taste of what it’s like to be the last stop for everything.
Now you know – and you’re doing whatever you can to make her job easier. (Don’t count on it, but if she should need an official assistant, she’ll most likely remember what you’ve been doing since you learned how difficult her job is – not what you used to do.)