Fast Food and Counter Workers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

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

Skills

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

Abilities

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

Knowledge

• 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.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• 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.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• 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.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• 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.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• 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.
• 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.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• 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.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• 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.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 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

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