Counter attendants are often the first people customers interact with when they enter an establishment. They greet customers, answer questions about menu items and ring up orders. They also often serve ready-made food and drink items, such as coffee, ice cream and pastries.
In the skills section of your counter attendant job description, be sure to emphasize that good candidates will be personable, friendly and focused on customer service. Attention to detail and accuracy in taking and delivering orders is key to success as a counter attendant. Stamina is also important, as counter attendants often spend entire shifts on their feet.
Counter attendants should be patient with customers when answering questions and understanding and helpful when dealing with any problems that arise. Use the example below to get a better idea of what to include in your counter attendant job description.
Counter Attendant Job Summary
As a counter attendant at our local café, you’ll be an important part of our customer service team, working under our front-of-house manager to ensure our customers start their day off right. You’ll greet customers with a smile when they walk in the door and offer assistance with anything they need. This may be starting them out with a hot cup of coffee, answering questions about our delicious, local and organic menu items or helping put together a table for a party of eight. This role is ideal for friendly, personable workers with a passion for organic food and a desire to share our vision of a sustainable, eco-friendly café with our customers.
Job Responsibilities
- Greet customers as they come into the café and offer your assistance with their orders
- Ring up food orders and communicate those orders to the kitchen staff, making sure to note any special requests so all items are made correctly
- Explain menu items to customers with enthusiasm and descriptive language, and be knowledgeable about our ingredients so you can tell customers about our commitment to quality, local, organic food sources
- Offer suggestions for order substitutions for customers with allergies or other dietary restrictions
- Offer to help customers find seating and carry items to their tables
- Ensure there is always hot, fresh coffee brewed and ready for customers, and keep coffee station clean and stocked with cream, sugar and other items
- Direct customers to anything they need, such as utensils, coffee items, booster seats or directions to the restroom
- Ask customers if they want their order for here or to go, and explain that all to-go orders use our eco-friendly, compostable packaging
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Ability to work early morning and weekends
- Excellent communication skills
- Positive attitude and friendly demeanor
Preferred:
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Previous food service experience
- Experience handling cash and using credit card processing machines
Counter Attendant Job Responsibilities
Before the perfect candidate lands the job, you must first write an accurate and effective job responsibilities section. What is the best way to attract ideal applicants and weed out those who do not meet the standards? While there are many approaches to crafting an engaging list, making your writing clear and concise is a vital step. This section is the meatiest part of your counter attendant job description, so be sure to reflect on the most important parts of the position and present them accordingly.
Revisiting some of the tips provided on this page, you’ll want to list job information in a way that applicants can read quickly. One way to do this is through the use of bullet points. Start each bullet point with an exciting action verb, and use no fewer than six and no more than eight bullet points. By listing your counter attendant job description concisely, applicants can better see themselves fulfilling the role.
Here are some example counter attendant job responsibilities that you can include:
- Serve food to diners at counter or from a steam table
- Maintain cleanliness and sanitation standards for tableware and cooking utensils
- Assemble and present completed orders
- Complete assigned prep work for stocking
Counter Attendant Job Specifications
The job qualifications and skills section of your counter attendant job description defines key requirements for the job. Here, jobseekers can decide whether or not to move forward in the application, for this section outlines the necessary skills needed to succeed in the position.
It is important that this section is well-written; spending extra time writing specifications can prevent an overflowing inbox and unfit applicants making it to the interviewing stage. You’ll want to specify the skills your company values most in this section. Think about requirements such as customer service skills or knowledge of food preparation, as well as preferred skills such as a calm and friendly demeanor.
By meeting with your hiring manager or senior leadership and discussing the top skills needed for the job, you can confirm what is most desired in applications. Your counter attendant job description should clearly state what skills applicants need to possess to help the company flourish.
Below are some example counter attendant job specifications that you can include:
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services
- Experience in promoting and selling products
- Active learning and listening skills
- Excellent communication skills and positive demeanor
- Familiar with food packaging and inventory procedures
- Fluent in English