Fast Food & Counter Workers
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.
Technology Tools
Key Tasks
- Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
- Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.
- Perform personnel activities, such as supervising and training employees.
- Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
- Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
- Add relishes and garnishes to food orders, according to instructions.
- Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
- Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars.
- Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with requested beverages.
- Distribute food to servers.
- Select food items from serving or storage areas and place them in dishes, on serving trays, or in take-out bags.
- Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory.
- Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.
- Clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas.
- Prepare daily food items, and cook simple foods and beverages, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, or coffee, using proper safety precautions and sanitary measures.
- Prepare and serve cold drinks, frozen milk drinks, or desserts, using drink-dispensing, milkshake, or frozen-custard machines.
- Wrap menu items such as sandwiches, hot entrees, and desserts for serving or for takeout.
- Notify kitchen personnel of shortages or special orders.
- Take customers' orders and write ordered items on tickets, giving ticket stubs to customers when needed to identify filled orders.
- Set up dining areas for meals, and clear them following meals.
- Plan, prepare, and deliver meals to individuals with special dietary needs.
- Collect and return dirty dishes to the kitchen for washing.
- Replenish foods at serving stations.
- Wash dishes, glassware, and silverware after meals.
- Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment.
- Deliver orders to kitchens, and pick up and serve food when it is ready.
- Arrange tables and decorations according to instructions.
- Check and monitor food temperatures while cooking.
Skills
Knowledge
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Abilities
Work Activities
Work Context
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
97%
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
93%
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
86%
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
85%
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
85%
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
85%
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
84%
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?
84%
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?
81%
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?
78%
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
78%
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
77%
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?
71%
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?
66%
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body
How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
66%
Spend Time Walking or Running
How much does this job require walking or running?
66%
Frequency of Decision Making
How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
65%
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
62%
Health and Safety of Other Workers
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
61%
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
60%
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
59%
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
57%
Conflict Situations
How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
56%
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
51%
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
49%
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
48%
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People
How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?
42%
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
40%
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling
How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?
40%
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?
38%
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?
37%
Degree of Automation
How automated is the job?
36%
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
35%
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?
34%
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
34%
Public Speaking
How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?
34%
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions
How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
31%
Duration of Typical Work Week
Number of hours typically worked in one week.
28%
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?
28%
Outdoors, Under Cover
How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?
28%
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
27%
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
26%
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions
How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
22%
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
20%
Written Letters and Memos
How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?
20%
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance
How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?
19%
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
17%
In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment
How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?
13%
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?
13%
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
11%
Work Schedules
How regular are the work schedules for this job?
10%
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
8%
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?
4%
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
1%
Exposed to High Places
How often does this job require exposure to high places?
0%
Exposed to Radiation
How often does this job require exposure to radiation?
0%
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration
How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?
0%
Education
Less than high school diploma
High school diploma or equivalent
Some college, no degree
Interests
Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t
Conventional
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or hum
Enterprising
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertis
Social
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Artistic
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,
Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f
Work Styles
Work Values
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