Fast Food and Counter Workers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
• Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
• Deliver orders to kitchens, and pick up and serve food when it is ready.
• Prepare and serve cold drinks, frozen milk drinks, or desserts, using drink-dispensing, milkshake, or frozen-custard machines.
• Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment.
• Collect and return dirty dishes to the kitchen for washing.
• Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
• 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.
• Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment.
• Select food items from serving or storage areas and place them in dishes, on serving trays, or in take-out bags.
• 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.
• Arrange tables and decorations according to instructions.
• Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
• Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.
• Replenish foods at serving stations.
• Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with requested beverages.
• Set up dining areas for meals, and clear them following meals.
• Perform personnel activities, such as supervising and training employees.
• Plan, prepare, and deliver meals to individuals with special dietary needs.
• Clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas.
• Add relishes and garnishes to food orders, according to instructions.
• Plan, prepare, and deliver meals to individuals with special dietary needs.
• Prepare and serve cold drinks, frozen milk drinks, or desserts, using drink-dispensing, milkshake, or frozen-custard machines.
• Take customers' orders and write ordered items on tickets, giving ticket stubs to customers when needed to identify filled orders.
• Deliver orders to kitchens, and pick up and serve food when it is ready.
• Plan, prepare, and deliver meals to individuals with special dietary needs.
• Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
• Notify kitchen personnel of shortages or special orders.
• Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.
• Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory.
• Clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas.
• Distribute food to servers.
• Set up dining areas for meals, and clear them following meals.
• Wrap menu items such as sandwiches, hot entrees, and desserts for serving or for takeout.
• Wash dishes, glassware, and silverware after meals.
• Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.

Skills

• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.

Abilities

• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.

Knowledge

• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Education

Education

No formal educational credential

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Less than 1 month on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

36820/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

17.7/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

126,380

Yearly Projected Openings

30750

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Dependability
• Cooperation
• Social Orientation
• Optimism
• Attention to Detail
• Self-Control

Tools

• Bar code reader equipment
• Belt conveyors
• Cappuccino or espresso machines
• Carbonated beverage dispenser
• Carts
• Cash registers
• Commercial use blenders
• Commercial use broilers
• Commercial use coffee grinders
• Commercial use coffee or iced tea makers
• Commercial use convection ovens
• Commercial use cutlery
• Commercial use deep fryers
• Commercial use dishwashers
• Commercial use dough machines
• Commercial use electric can openers
• Commercial use food choppers or cubers or dicers
• Commercial use food grinders
• Commercial use food processors
• Commercial use food slicers
• Commercial use food warmers
• Commercial use graters
• Commercial use grills
• Commercial use heat lamps
• Commercial use microwave ovens
• Commercial use mixers
• Commercial use molds
• Commercial use ovens
• Commercial use peelers
• Commercial use ranges
• Commercial use scales
• Commercial use scoops
• Commercial use steamers
• Commercial use toasters
• Desktop computers
• Domestic kitchen or food thermometers
• Food grade sanitizers
• Ice dispensers
• Intercom systems
• Laser printers
• Magnetic stripe readers and encoders
• Milk dispensers
• Milkshake machines
• Non carbonated beverage dispenser
• Personal computers
• Pocket calculator
• Point of sale POS receipt printers
• Point of sale POS terminal
• Slush machines
• Soft serve machines
• Touch screen monitors

Technology

• Computer based training software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Point of sale POS software
• Spreadsheet software
• Web page creation and editing software