MovieChat Forums > Compliance (2012) Discussion > I'm gonna get lynched for this but...

I'm gonna get lynched for this but...

posted 10 years ago by hxamaranth
3 replies | jump to latest

While everyone is dumbfounded by the ignorance of the restaurant manager, there's one thing that isn't shown in the movie nor in the actual footage of the incident and that's the demand that a restaurant manager is under during peak meal periods at a high volume store. I can tell you from personal experience that you have to make split-second decisions in order to handle 101 requests for your attention every hour of the meal period. You have to watch a crew of young, minimum wage earning employees to make sure they don't need to be told the simplest things, get change for them from the safe, use your keys to unlock their register, handle order errors, do a walkthrough of the dining area, restrooms, and kitchen every 10 minutes, watching for secret shoppers who are crucial to your company ranking and performance, all while projecting an air of positive energy and authority. You saw how (in the movie) the manager had to shuffle around her entire staff to get one kid to watch the girl and even tried getting a non-employee who she knew well and thought she could trust to help.

Now there's no doubt that she made some really dumb decisions but consider the millions of things that you don't see happening in the restaurant that she was trying to deal with and it may shed a little light on the events that occurred in the office.

[–] Jenocalypse 10 years ago

Uh... which part of that were you hoping to get lynched for?

[–] Stirchley 10 years ago

I totally get that the manager was stressed and overworked. She most likely did not earn much, drove a 2000 car, and probably led an unfulfilled life. But her biggest fault, at least as portrayed in the movie, was that she was weak. Her staff did not respect her; even the delivery man gave her attitude. She just could not think for herself and that is why she was so ready to follow the instructions of a man on the phone impersonating a police officer.

[–] ruffian82 10 years ago

I agree with the OP about the manic conditions. I worked for many years in the restaurant industry.
This is where I'm gonna get lynched.
I worked at a coffee shop to learn, then went straight to fine dining and stayed there.
I'm not a snob. But I do believe many companies like the one portrayed have taken care to put as many thought processes as they can into manuals, then insist their workers' thoughts don't stray from the program.

There's a reason this monster picked the fast food industry. People working there NEED their job.
If they stay or get into a managerial position with the company past a certain age one would have to wonder why.
It's not a growth opportunity. Even franchise owners have to conform and comply; yes they "own" their own business. They are not their own boss.

As to the management and staff?
Initiative, strong self-confidence, curiosity?
The company may state they look for these qualities but in truth...not really.

So now we have a certain type of mindset, rewarded for conformity, not rocking the boat.

As the OP stated above, no matter where one works, when it gets busy, really busy, it's a madhouse.
In this situation it's clear:
The company wants labor costs at a certain percent. That means management HAS to jump in wherever needed.
I didn't see the beginning; maybe they were running short some staff already.
But they were too close to the bone. It was a habit and the caller knew it.
He knew exactly when to call.

I found it interesting that he used the term "in the weeds." That's a individual server expression because of all the multi-tasking each one does.
Sure enough, she almost got suspicious---again it's a term for the trade.

Not knowing the true story I thought it might end in a heist. It seemed like he was trying to keep her from doing the drop. But it was the opposite. After the freezer incident, (did he come in earlier in the day and overhear that somehow?)
nothing was going to stop that woman from doing the drop on time. Her job depended on that being accomplished.

Again: he knew when to call.

After the recession I'm sure there are many people working jobs they never thought they would before, after passing 16 years of age.

And also:

There's some bright and wonderful people who get a start there but most of them move on. If not...mmmf. Why not?

In this case I did not see the original video, but the actress played her part perfectly. She's already institutionalized by her job.