Mannya Sinha: Disparities in Boba or English?

How a part time job taught Mannya Sinha about the inherent imbalances of the food service industry.

“Where’s my f***ing order?”

I fought the lump forming in my throat as I hastily tried to find the customer’s order. What had he ordered? There was a line of orders ready on the delivery counter. There was a line in front to place the orders. And then there was me: a novice cashier on the first day working at my town’s small boba tea shop.

In my short training session the week before, I learned to use the cash machine and hand customers their orders. It had seemed easy, until the rush started. My co-worker did not speak English, and we struggled to understand one another and the customers started to get irritated. After my first shift, my feet aching and my head throbbing, I debated quitting. 

Over time, I figured out a system for rush hour with my coworker using gestures and broken English, and learned to manage the long lines and irritable customers. I also learned the real meaning of “the customer is always right.”

There exists between customers and service workers an inherent imbalance of power. It didn’t matter how hard I tried or how kind I was. In the end, it was the customers who got to decide the worth of my efforts. It was up to them to say thank you or not, to tip or not, to be rude or not.

When things go smoothly, a server fades into the background. When things are not what the customer expects, the server bears the brunt of a situation that they often have no control over. I came to understand how fast food industry workers are underpaid, overworked and taken for granted, and became more aware of the small injustices in society. Would the man who shouted at me have done so if I was older? If I was white? If I was a boy? Many fast food workers are also new immigrants, who face additional barriers if they are unable to communicate in English.

My part time job came to an end because of the pandemic. Yet, what started out as a way to challenge myself taught me something about how society works, and has made me more empathetic. The job was thankless, but I am thankful for having done it.

With a Perspective, I’m Mannya Sinha.

Mannya Sinha is a high school student living in the East Bay.